Council votes to move forward with Cathedral liquor store
A Sobey’s liquor store is closer to being built in Regina’s Cathedral neighbourhood after city council met on Wednesday.
The store is set to be built on 13th Avenue and Retallack Street on a lot that has sat vacant since 1990. Since then, two applications for development have been brought forward to develop the land.
Coun. Andrew Stevens ( Ward 3), has heard mixed opinions on the store going into the area.
“A lot of people don’t see the need for a major liquor store on 13th,” said Joanne Havelock, a neighbourhood resident said at the meeting, adding that there are already liquor off-sales in the area.
Stevens said some in the community were concerned about the architectural esthetics of the store.
“It won’t be an eyesore like a vacant lot for 24 years,” said Coun. Jerry Flegel (Ward 10).
Ron Holowatuk, president of Hardrock Properties Cathedral Corporation, which will develop the site, said there would be a possibility for the community have a say in how the store will look.
Stevens brought up concerns over the proximity of the store to schools and community centres and the potential harm of bringing another liquor store to the area, saying those concerns are merited.
All councillors but Stevens voted in favour of the discretionary use application allowing for development to go forward.
POLICE HEADQUARTERS
The final designs of the new police headquarters have yet to be finalized, but an application was approved to permanently close Osler Street between Saskatchewan Drive and 11th Avenue as the Regina Police Service gets set to redevelop and expand the former STC building. That block of Osler runs between the current headquarters and the of old STC building.
No date was set for when the closure will take effect or when construction would begin.
The motion carried 10-1 with Stevens being the sole nay vote on the matter.
The city anticipates that late in June or July a public consultation will take place discussing the design for the redeveloped building with procurement taking place some time after. Completion of the project is expected to take two years.
RETURN TO NORMAL
As the province is set to enter Phase 3 of the Re- Open Saskatchewan plan, the City of Regina is taking a tempered approach to finding a new normal.
In fact, that equilibrium may be years away and between now and then, the city is facing significant financial pitfalls. In a report on the city response to COVID-19 city manager Chris Holden, wrote that the current reality will persist for much of the year.
“Two months into the pandemic, it has become clear that a true return to ‘normal’ will likely not occur in 2020 and may not occur until a vaccine or treatment is found,” wrote Holden.
He went on to predict that the city’s financial outlook would not recover until at least the second half of 2021 or longer, forecasting revenues in 2022 would also be affected. The estimate made by the City of Regina is that COVID-19 will cost the city $12.1 million by June 30 and $20.7 million by Sept. 30.
A number of things were put on hold due to COVID-19 including a composting pilot project. Also, outdoor pools were closed for the summer, which is expected to save the city approximately $35,000 in opening costs and $415,000 in operating costs.