St. Albert’s west end is now open to business, thanks to completion of a highly anticipated major trunk sewer line installation.
Project 9, considered “foundational” to future growth in St. Albert, finally went live July 10 after being delayed nearly nine months past its expected completion date.
“It’s a big day quite honestly for St. Albert for Project 9 to get completed,” said Coun. Wes Brodhead, who sat on council when the project was green-lighted in June 2016. “That whole area required sewer capacity in order to be developed so this was foundational.”
Officially dubbed the Phase 3 North Interceptor Trunk Line Project, it is a 3.2 km sewer line that connects St. Vital Avenue to the Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission at Sturgeon Road and Sir Winston Churchill Avenue.
The sewer line was considered essential to promoting growth in St. Albert’s west side due to sewer lines that were reaching capacity. Project 9 will support continued developments in areas like Riverside, South Riel, Ville Giroux, Range Road 260, Grandin Mall, Lakeview Business District, Badger Lands and downtown.
St. Albert senior capital projects manager Larry Galye said the line would also add capacity for the Sturgeon County land annexation.
Project 9 was anticipated to cost around $21 million, which the city fronted $10 million of and approved borrowing for up to $20 million.
But Galye said the city intends to eventually fully fund Project 9 through off site levies.
The final project cost was not available before print deadline.
For some South Riel developers, Project 9’s completion is a long-awaited green light on projects years in the making.
News of Project 9’s completion was welcome to Cape Group president Reisa Schwartzman. Cape Construction is developing Bellevue Village, a 13.5-acre multi-phase urban village in South Riel, and Schwartzman said the company would have been happy to move ahead with the development earlier but had to wait for the infrastructure upgrades.
“For me it was critical. We bought the land knowing it was serviced, but then we found out only after there was a sewer capacity issue,” she said. “If (Project 9) didn’t happen we’d still be sitting on land. So I think we’re bringing something to the community that was well worth the extra effort the city put in and we’re looking forward to having the doors opened to everybody.”
Schwartzman added Bellevue Village's first residents will be moving into its rental apartment building this month, fulfilling part of the development's first phase.
The contentious Midtown development by Averton Homes will also be supported by the increased sewer capacity.
The first-of-its-kind-development in St. Albert is designed to bring 800 residential units, seniors housing and standalone commercial properties with a density of 80 units per hectare, split up into three areas.
Averton Group of Companies president Paul Lanni said needing to wait for Project 9’s completion caused Averton to take their “foot of the gas” and rethink their approach. However, they are going ahead with the development and are launching Midtown’s first phase this year.
“You need to know that (the infrastructure is) there; once you start digging holes you can’t turn back so you need to make sure you can move families in and they can use all the infrastructure,” he said.
Project 9 was originally set to be complete in the fall of last year, but due to a series of delays relating to weather and failing equipment, completion was pushed back to 2019. The city will not be absorbing extra costs incurred by the delays.
Galye said despite there being a few minor landscaping issues to deal with, it is a relief to see Project 9 complete.
“It was a good feeling, and certainly it has taken two-and-a-half years to get it completed. It was a big project,” he said. “It was a relief to get it completed.”
Brodhead said Project 9 will support a more balanced tax revenue stream.
“The city is open for business and we’re willing to tackle the tough jobs that need to be completed in order to allow development to occur,” he said. “It’s not just residential development, it opens up the possibility of more light industrial, the promise of a more balanced revenue stream, in terms of residential versus business and industrial.”
