The headquarters of P.E.I.'s Liquor Control Commission is getting a major overhaul at a cost of $289,000.
That includes new furniture.
A request for quotations released this weeks says the commission is looking to spend up to $50,000 in new office furniture.
Brooke MacMillan, CEO of the Liquor Control Commission, says the $289,000 will renovate about half of the building. He said his office is not part of the renovations.
MacMillan's office was fully renovated before he took over this past August as CEO.
As soon as one walks through the main doors of the commission they are face-to-face with construction workers.
The waiting room has been replaced by a series of walls that will improve security in the building, which also houses the warehouse and millions of dollars in beer, wine and spirits.
"We want to make our offices more professional, make the whole atmosphere more professional," MacMillan told The Guardian.
"We're doing close to $90-million this year in sales."
The commission's headquarters, located on Garfield Street in Charlottetown, is 37-years-old and hasn't undergone any renovations.
The building does not have central air conditioning and there are heating problems throughout the building.
The renovations will increase security, make way for the new staffers including the wine and beer experts, and improve the overall quality of the offices.
Brumac Construction is carrying out the work. They had the lowest tender.
Opposition Conservative Mike Currie says it's bad timing to be carrying out these renovations when Islanders are struggling to survive this recession. He said some people could only dream of owning a home for that amount, nearly $300,000.
"It's just astounding that we have some senior bureaucrats who want to surround themselves with luxury and spend $300,000 fixing up their offices when Islanders are struggling to pay their light bill, and their oil bill, and survive in these hard times," said Currie.
The Liquor Control Commission is going through a mini-construction boom.
The commission is also building a new store in Stratford.
The province is paying $25,000 to break its existing lease with Ray Murphy, $695,000 to renovate the new space next to Sobeys as well as pay annual rent of more than $70,000.
There are plans to renovate the other half of the commission and the warehouse in the next couple of years.
Work at the headquarters will be completed by the end of the month.
The new Stratford liquor store opens at the end of May.
MacMillan said earlier the new Stratford liquor store will easily pay the additional expenses.
"We're hoping to see seven per cent, but five per cent is really easy especially with the partnership we have with Sobeys," said MacMillan, making reference to the increased sales expected at the new store when it opens.
"What their business is, and what our business is - we just seem to blossom very, very well together."
