A new city program that helps fund the cost of large community capital projects could help a couple of community groups with some big plans they’ve been developing.
Melody Martyn, executive director of the St. Albert Soccer Association (SASA), said the proposed capital partnership program is welcome news, considering what the association is planning.
While its fields in Riel right now are nothing more than dirt as the city finishes capping the former landfill in the area, Martyn and some at SASA are looking beyond just getting their old fields back in 2014. They are looking at a new development that could put St. Albert on the soccer map nationally.
“All the ducks have to line up or it won’t go,” Martyn cautioned.
What SASA is exploring is construction of an indoor artificial field, potentially with an outdoor field as well, supported by retail and office spaces. There is no estimated cost at this time as that component and a few others are being developed, but Martyn said it will be significant.
“We’ve done a major study, an internal study to determine support, and we know it has to have retail and offices around it,” said Martyn. “We have identified some major stakeholders that will come in with us.”
So if SASA moves forward with its project, the capital partnership program, if approved, could be a funding source going forward. The program, on which council will vote Tuesday, would provide one-third the cost of major capital growth projects, up to a maximum of $40 million. The program will provide up to a total of $40 million over five years from the city’s internal cash flow.
It is administration’s hope they will be up to leverage that $40 million into $120 million total from other levels of government.
The grant would help with the land costs alone, Martyn said, which could be significant.
“For me I’m excited because I see a potential for us to gain momentum for this project where, if we can’t find land or the city won’t help us with that piece of the puzzle, I don’t know how we could move forward with it.” Martyn said.
The St. Albert Chamber of Commerce might also be interested. About five years ago the chamber expressed interest in moving forward with a new building close to St. Albert’s downtown that would house office and retail space. While the program was shelved due to some pushback from the administration of the day, chamber president and CEO Lynda Moffat said they might look at it again.
“We feel it would be really great for the business community to have that available all in one place,” Moffat said. “Also it sends a very clear message to St. Albertans that business is very important to this city.”
Mayor Nolan Crouse said both projects are examples of what the program, if approved, are intended to fund.
“These are two perfect examples that might fit into it,” Crouse said.
He said both projects are those the city would likely not build on its own. Crouse cited the SASA project as the best example.
“In that particular case they would have to be the driver because it’s not something the community, the broader community, is demanding. It’s something they are planning on building themselves,” said Crouse.
