The city's recent decision to give land in St. Albert's downtown to Homeland Housing for an affordable living project is great news, not only for those who face barriers to finding a home here they can afford, but for our community entire.
The project's original promise was to provide 172 units within five- and 12-storey buildings, with the majority of these rented at 20-per-cent below market rates.
The proposal is likely to face some revisions to its number of units and building heights as it moves forward, according to Lory Scott, the city's affordable housing liaison, but it's still a win for the city.
It's also a beginning, of sorts — the laying of key groundwork to revitalize St. Albert's sleepy core and nudge it toward its full potential — and long overdue.
But there is much more to be done before new and existing residents can really look at St. Albert's downtown as the viable, vibrant destination neighbourhood the city has been planning since the early 1990s.
Shiny, new affordable buildings aside, less than one per cent of St. Albert’s population currently resides in the city’s downtown area, Scott said during the Dec. 6 council meeting. Before breaking ground on new endeavours, the city would do well to examine why. Not by investing in studies, but by talking to residents and businesses who already make downtown their place of residence, or business, or both.
The city is hopeful the mix of residential and commercial development will help breathe new life into the area. It's true, diversity will indeed be the spice of downtown living for revitalization plans to see success — small business, entertainment and culture, and active green spaces, including the development of Millennium Park, must be part of that enticing mix.
Walkability is also key, as transportation in St. Albert can be a challenge. The city may have to take a hard look at public transit in and out of our downtown and whether it’s really serving the needs of those who live and will live there.
A grocery store close by is something downtown also currently lacks which may become a need as the city shifts to add more residential to the retail and office mix.
Vacancies downtown are an ongoing concern, and some thought should be given on how to make those spaces attractive for businesses to reside there, too.
Finding a way to fill existing buildings is vital to addressing the tumbleweedy impression the city's core seems to leave on visitors and residents alike.
Speaking of which, it's also high time the city explores a creative, and highly visible, way to signal to those passing through that St. Albert even has a downtown.
To be sure, if we want people to come — to live, work and play there — we must, with conviction, put out the welcome mat.
