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St. Albert Housing Society to double portfolio with new complex

A new housing development in North St. Albert, once completed, will more than double the number of affordable housing units managed by the St. Albert Housing Society, bringing their total to 65.
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This blueprint shows a new housing development coming to North St. Albert, which will include 36 units of affordable housing under the St. Albert Housing Society's management. SCREENSHOT/TLA Developments

The ball is rolling on a new housing development in north St. Albert which, once completed, will double the number of affordable housing units managed by the St. Albert Housing Society.

Construction on the four-building complex near the Costco on the east side of St. Albert Trail has yet to start above ground, but underground utilities are being installed onsite, according to Housing Society chair Chad Rizzato.

"By the spring, when construction season starts when the ground thaws out and the snow is gone, that's approximately the timing when we're hopeful that construction above ground will start," Rizzato said in an interview. He said the development will be built in phases, with 36 of the 362 total units being obtained by the Housing Society included in the early phases of construction.

If the project goes according to plan, the complex will see people move in near the end of 2024, Rizzato said.

The housing complex itself is being built by TLA Developments, a veteran-owned-and-operated company which Rizzato knew through his own 27-year military service.

About nine months ago, Rizzato said, "I was approached by TLA, whose founders I had known from our time together in the military ...  with the possibility of us becoming a partner in a joint venture that they were already working on."

"It's part of our strategy to try to get to an objective of 10 per cent of the overall need for affordable rental housing in St. Albert. We have a study that says that total overall demand for affordable rental housing in St. Albert is about 4,000 units," Rizzato said. 

Currently, the Housing Society manages 29 units of affordable housing in St. Albert, the majority of which are located at Big Lake Pointe on Giroux Road near Ray Gibbon Drive. 

The 36 new units of affordable housing will be a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, Rizzato said. 

Municipal support

The Housing Society's goal of having 400 units of affordable housing by 2040 feels achievable, Rizzato said, adding that it's his job to "make the stars align" between all three levels of government so that everybody is on the same page. 

"I know it is totally achievable," Rizzato said. "I'm just trying to get everyone everyone pulling in the same direction."

"If you can get, all three levels (of government), both sides of the spectrum, all pulling in the same direction, then it's possible."

On Nov. 7, Rizzato made a short presentation to city council about the project, and introduced himself to councillors for the first time since taking over the chair position from Cheryl Dumont in September. Prior to being the chair, Rizzato was a member of the Society's board of directors for a little over a year.

In an interview, Coun. Mike Killick told The Gazette that hearing about project on Nov. 7 caught him by surprise. 

"Hearing about it for the first time caught me a little bit off guard but affordable housing is something that we need in the city," Killick said. "I really look forward to getting more details on it."

"I think they've got a good track record with their current portfolio, so if they're able to double it through this new [project] that they're [proposing], that would be great."

Coun. Wes Brodhead also said he was pleased to hear about the Housing Society's new development, adding that even though the project's estimated completion date is still a ways away, an announcement helps with momentum.

"The need is there, so the more people that are coming to the table and trying to serve those in our community that need this assistance, the better," Brodhead said.

"When you hear about something like this, you're just gratified as a city councillor that there are others in the community that want to do these sorts of things."


Jack Farrell

About the Author: Jack Farrell

Jack Farrell joined the St. Albert Gazette in May, 2022.
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