While there are only three projects listed in the 2022 capital budget for land development, one of those projects could be a major economic driver that helps grow Moose Jaw.
City hall plans to spend $9,333,286 next year to address land development, including phase 5 of the Westheath development ($125,000), city property cleanup ($20,000) and the agri-food industrial park ($9,188,286).
City administration gave an overview of those projects during the Dec. 8 budget meeting.
Agri-food industrial park
Funding for this project will include servicing costs for the SaskPower Great Plains Power Station, installation of a water reservoir and pumphouse, sanitary lift station, and linear and surface infrastructure to serve development within the park, said Michelle Sanson, director of planning and development. City hall will recover this money through lot sales within the park.
Sanson added that a new addition to this part of the capital budget is the inclusion of salaries for the engineering team managing this project.
The project’s engineering consultant provided two reports that focused on the immediate servicing that is required and servicing the first phase over the next five years, explained Bevan Harlton, director of engineering services. While this development is dependent on the sales of lots, there is an informed plan with costs.
Installing the sanitary gravity mains, water mains, storm outlets and road work is expected to cost $1.7 million, he added. However, city hall is ready to proceed with the work to support the park’s development when sales warrant it.
Westheath development
Construction of the joint-use school on the Westheath neighbourhood is expected to begin in 2022, and from that, the municipality will gain 36 housing lots from the development and after investing $125,000, said Sanson. It is estimated that city hall will see revenues of $3,342,500 from the phase 5 project.
Meanwhile, the municipality will be responsible for developing portions of the school’s roadway, with the school expected to open in late 2023 or early 2024. Also, the remaining property in phase 6 can be developed as lots in phase 5 are sold.
The overall net revenue from the development of phases 5 and 6 is expected to be roughly $2 million.
City property cleanup
City administration plans to spend $20,000 to clean up municipally-owned properties that require attention, such as vacant lots, Sanson said. This includes the Grayson Business Park, which is overgrown with weeds and needs to be cleared out. This will likely happen next spring.
