Southeast lands plan taking shape

The city has ambitious plans for land in southeast Regina, a development in which it has a stake as part owner.

The 690-hectare area on the east side of the city between Highway 33 and Victoria Avenue stretches from existing homes at Regina’s eastern edge (ending at Woodland Grove Drive) past the location of the new bypass farther east.

Although the majority of the land will be developed under the city’s 300,000-plus population vision, a segment just north of Greens on Gardiner and east of Windsor Park owned by the city and Dream Development will proceed soon.

So, too, will a commercial corridor south of Victoria Avenue.

The rest of the development will take about 20 years, with a total population of 18,350 and 5,000 jobs.

Graham Haines, the city’s acting manager of longrange planning, called the development “exciting” as it is the only one outside of Westerra to be developed following the official community plan’s complete neighbourhood principles. That means housing, commercial amenities, green spaces, schools and other features.

In 2012, the city spent $7.6 million to purchase 17 per cent of the land in the area.

“Certainly, in recent memory, we’ve not had the opportunity to do something of this scale,” said Kelly Scherr, the city’s director of major projects.

The city expects to make $115.1 million from the development, with the help of a hired land development manager, who will keep three to five per cent of profits.

It also plans to spend $57.1 million on the project, much of that in the first two years.

The city will have to wait upward of three years to see profits, though.

“Probably the largest risk is the pace of development, which is controlled by the market and what else is going on in our community,” said Scherr.

The revenue is needed to replenish a city reserve that funded the land purchase and also subsidizes affordable housing and rental projects. Scherr said it’s up to city council where the remainder of the revenue goes.

Windsor Park resident Richard Berard can see the land from his living room window.

“I think it has a lot of merit,” he said. “I think it seems to be a progressive plan and the concept I think, in my estimation, it gets full marks.”

The city is making sure that future residents and business owners don’t struggle with the effects of being close to the bypass, by requiring setbacks and looking at sound barriers.

“The bypass project has pretty dramatically changed things around here,” said Murad Al-Katib, CEO of AGT Foods and Ingredients, which is located in the area, and a member of Long Lake Investment Inc., which owns the 28 per cent of the southeast lands that stretch north-south along both sides of the bypass.

Al-Katib is still hopeful about the land’s potential, and thinks the road infrastructure might even help attract business. The land east of the bypass will be devoted to industrial development.

This component of the development is outside of the city’s neighbourhood phasing approach, and will likely proceed with planning next year.