Monday could signal the beginning of St. Albert expanding recreation services in the city.
After receiving three options in September on where to put a new recreation facility, city councillors are set to land on one of those options during their council meeting on Monday. The agenda for the meeting was not online by press time Friday but will be available on the city's website.
All three land options are on St. Albert’s north side, with two being offered up as donations by local developers. Each would require upfront capital expenditures for servicing, with net costs ranging from $7.5 million to $12.6 million.
Active Communities Alberta (ACA), which has spent years advocating for a campus-style recreation facility, has been anxiously awaiting a decision from council so it can move ahead in trying to secure funding for the project.
“The ball really starts rolling once this land decision is done,” said ACA president Matt Bachewich. “I think there's gonna be a lot of pieces that are all of a sudden sprung into action, so I'm excited to see that play out.”
In June 2018, the city signed a memorandum of understanding with ACA to contribute $20 million to a new facility, which ACA would privately operate. ACA would be responsible for drumming up the remaining dollars from other levels of government.
Bachewich said ACA board members have remained agnostic about which parcel is ultimately picked, but each of them would be “suitable for the project.”
The options
Landrex is offering 34 acres in Erin Ridge North, which came in at the highest projected costs for servicing.
In September, administration said that’s because of a high water table leading to a “significant increase” in construction costs. Landrex has disputed that, saying in a brief sent to the Gazette on Thursday the company has undertaken “significant” development in the area already with no additional construction costs.
They have also guaranteed to price match any other offers on the table.
Spokesperson for Landrex Erika Barootes said the company believes they are offering the best site for a new recreation facility.
“As residents of the community, (Landrex understands) the importance of a recreation campus in St. Albert,” she said. “From the business perspective ... they've built a business case that they believe is obviously the best one.”
In September, St. Albert Public Schools indicated their support for Landrex's location and the potential for including a new high school in the proposed sports campus. Morinville-St. Albert MLA Dale Nally also spoke in support of the Erin Ridge North location.
Landrex stated area municipalities have all advised the Erin Ridge North location is their "preferred location." However, the Gazette reached out to both mayors of Morinville and Sturgeon County, and Morinville Mayor Barry Turner said in an email the town does not support one location over another.
Sturgeon County Mayor Alanna Hnatiw said in an email the county has sent a letter to the city "in response to their request for preferred sites," and it would be inappropriate to comment until that letter has been recieved.
Landrex has also said its parcel would be shovel-ready in fall 2020, ahead of the other options.
Rohit Land Development – offering 59 acres west of Ray Gibbon Drive – still needs to close a landfill comprising 29 acres of its parcel before it can be shovel-ready.
Vice-president of commercial development Russell Dauk said Rohit has done “very extensive” work to see the landfill closed, and all reports have indicated the landfill is “relatively inert.”
“There's been no significant problems associated with the landfill and so, it just never got a proper closure,” he said. Dauk added a landfill closure plan has been complete and is ready for submission.
Administration said in a backgrounder provided to council in September the Range Road 260 land – as the city calls it – would have the greatest opportunity to spur development west of Ray Gibbon Drive.
Dauk said the Range Road 260 parcel would most likely be shovel-ready in 2021.
“In my opinion, it makes sense that a recreation facility would be great for the future growth into that pattern as the city has planned to grow to the northwest,” he said.
The third option is 71 acres of city-owned land in Badger Lands. St. Albert would be on the hook for all costs for servicing, and a snow storage site currently on the land would need to be moved.
Mayor Cathy Heron said in a Jan. 10 interview just because council nixed nearly $1 million allocated to recreation centre planning in 2020 during budget deliberations does not mean the project cannot move ahead this year.
“There’s partners that are willing to come to the table and if they can fund these, if they can access federal and provincial money, then (I’m) pretty sure this council would be willing to move forward."
Elysian Fields (Range Road 260)
Owned: Rohit Land Development
30 acres fully developable + 29 acres former landfill
Traditional servicing
City estimated net cost: $ 8.0M ($24.5M total cost less $16.5M recoverable)
Rohit estimated net cost: $7.5M ($17.3M total cost less $9.76M recoverable)
Erin Ridge North
Owned: Landrex
33.5 acres
Traditional servicing
City estimated net cost: $14.34M ($51.1M total cost less $36.76M recoverable)
Landrex estimated net cost: $12.6 million ($33.7M total cost less $21.1M recoverable)
Badger Lands
Owned: City of St. Albert
71 acres
Alterative servicing
City estimated net cost: $7.1M ($23.5M total cost less $16.4M recoverable)
