Quality of life makes Spruce Grove a hit with home buyers
Two new elementary schools; 50 play spaces within walking distance of its numerous neighbourhoods; millions of dollars in new commercial development; almost $90 million in new housing development — not bad for a city that has quickly stretched past the 35,000 population mark.
And with an affordable range of housing options, Mayor Stuart Houston says it is no surprise that Spruce Grove is attracting a lot of young families to the city just 11 kilometres down the Yellowhead Highway from Edmonton.
“You can literally buy the exact same home here for significantly less than one in west Edmonton,” he says.
There are currently 10 different residential developments, with levels of housing options including semi-detached, row, starter single-family and luxury underway. The city saw almost 300 housing starts last year alone, the second highest in the capital region.
Brad Armstrong, vice-president of community development for Qualico Communities in northern Alberta, describes Spruce Grove as “one of those places people just want to be. It has all the amenities, recreation facilities that people want and need.”
Qualico’s existing two Spruce Grove communities will grow to three in 2020, when the developer opens Easton, adding 600 to 700 homes to the city.
But the mayor says it is what moving to Spruce Grove gives residents — besides housing choice — that has resulted in an average annual population growth of five per cent. The city was one of Canada’s fastest growing cities in the 2016 census and is expected to hit 40,000 people by 2025.
In the last two years, two new state-of-the-art elementary schools added 1,600 student spaces, along with an upgrade of junior high/high schools adding 885 new spaces, and the opening of NAIT’s new Spruce Grove campus.
And while the 0-nine age group is the second largest demographic in the city (behind the top age group of 30-39 who are their parents), post-secondary-aged Spruce Grove residents also have a big advantage.
Daily commuter transit service between Spruce Grove and Edmonton that takes area students to Edmonton post-secondary schools (University of Alberta, MacEwan University or NAIT), has eliminated the need to buy those students a car, or to find accommodation in Edmonton.
“Forty per cent of ridership on the service to Edmonton is students,” says Houston.
The city has also expanded its local transit service this year with three new bus lines.
Recreation and cultural amenities continue to expand, including what Houston says may be the “hidden gem” of them all, Jubilee Park, which he compares to Edmonton’s Hawrelak Park.
Jubilee’s 66 acres contains walking and bike trails, disc golf, picnic areas, and a new spray park with more than 50 interactive and integrated play features.
Another 40 kilometres of trails in Heritage Grove Park Trail wind through many neighbourhoods, and for the four-legged family members, there’s 8.6 acres in a fenced, off-leash park (with a separate small dog area).
“We are a healthy, active community, with world-class recreation,” says Houston.
This year, the city’s library will be see an almost $1-million expansion.
It is housed in the Melcor Cultural Centre, which also showcases the work of local artisans.
This year, the $300-million Westwind Centre, with 110,000 square feet of retail space, is under construction.