At last year's business breakfast, city officials promised that St. Albert was on the verge of an unprecedented growth spurt that included the opening of a major, new discount retail outlet at the city's north end.
At last year's business breakfast, city officials promised that St. Albert was on the verge of an unprecedented growth spurt that included the opening of a major, new discount retail outlet at the city's north end.
Costco has since opened its doors to the public but there are many other developments and projects that were announced to be approved, to start construction, or to be completed in 2014.
In anticipation of what's to come, the Gazette took a look at last year's news and compiled a list of these projects to keep readers updated on their progress as the year continues.
North of St. Albert: Commercial developments
Melcor Developments
Melcor recently confirmed the purchase of 202 hectares (500 acres) of land north and west of Walmart. The company is planning for a mixture of commercial and residential developments, with about 14 hectares (35 acres) set aside for commercial development.
Housing options will encompass everything from apartment and condominium buildings, to duplexes, and town and estate homes. Construction is expected to start in the summer, pending the approval of the company's area structure plan by city council and administration.
Cameron Development Corporation
Cameron's 300,000 square feet of development south of Costco is expected to house a number of retail businesses including national tenants, mid-size retailers, restaurants and independent shops, as well as a Sobey's grocery store.
The site is speculated to look similar to South Edmonton Common, another Cameron development. Cameron has not released any additional information but the project is set to become occupied and leased by the end of 2015.
Landrex Developers
Cameron's plans will be complemented with another 23 acres of development by St. Albert-based Landrex Developers. The site is expected to house at least one hotel, recreational services, private businesses and medical services, with the first building planned for the spring of 2014.
North of St. Albert: Housing developments
Landrex is also preparing for the next phase of housing development in Erin Ridge North, planning to make another 171 single family lots available by the summer of 2014.
The lots will be mixed in size – ranging from 36 to 50 feet – and start between $145,000 and $185,000. House prices will start at $450,000.
East of the new Costco will also be two other housing developments, Water's Edge and Sage Garden.
Water's Edge
British Columbia-based Seymour Pacific Developments is now working on completing construction on the four apartment buildings of its Water's Edge project. The buildings will offer 264 one, two and three-bedroom units. Units will range from 580 square feet to 971 square feet, with prices ranging from $1,370 to $1,495 a month.
Completion for the project is estimated for March 2014.
Sage Garden
Located beside Costco and Sobey's in Erin Ridge North will be Sage Gardens, another 214-unit condominium complex, slated to break ground in the spring of 2014.
The building will offer one, two and three-bedroom condos between 600 and 1,100 square feet. Prices range from $200,000 to $340,000. The project will also feature a 3,000 square foot daycare centre, and a physiotherapy clinic.
Boudreau Road: former Hole's property
The former Hole's site was subdivided into three parcels in 2012. The Shops at Boudreau, a commercial development, is to be located at 101 Bellerose Dr. – the lot closest to the corner of Bellerose and Boudreau.
At 105 Bellerose Dr., a proposed medium to high-density residential development with two apartment buildings is now in the works. The third property at 103 Bellerose Drive is for sale.
The Shops at Boudreau
Construction of The Shops at Boudreau is now underway, with the first stores expected to open in the fall of 2014.
Edmonton-based developer Chrisen Realty Corporation plans to build everything from high-end boutiques to retail and professional services, offices, restaurants and smaller cafés on the original site of Hole's greenhouse.
The 5.34 acres site is expected to house five buildings, and to be modeled after Crestwood Centre in Edmonton, another development by Chrisen Realty.
That centre's tenant list includes a café and wine bar, and an Italian restaurant. It is also home to a number of small fashion stores, a bank branch, a dentist and a doctor's office.
Botanica
The condominium project moving in beside The Shops at Boudreau will feature two steel-and-concrete condominium buildings offering large suites and penthouses, rooftop gardens and outdoor patios.
Located at 105 Bellerose Dr., Botanica will house 290 one, two and two-bedroom-with-den apartments. Apartments will range in size from 800 to 2,000 square feet and come with large windows and balconies. Units start at $300,000, while penthouse condos can cost more than $1 million.
The two buildings will be drawn together by a two-storey common area that includes a fitness room and community gathering place, as well as a rooftop patio. Botanica's construction by Boudreau Developments is expected to start early in February, and will take between 18 and 20 months to finish.
St. Albert Trail
St. Albert Centre
Last year Target opened its doors at St. Albert Centre. This year FGL Sports will expand its local Sport Chek store at the centre with another 34,000 square feet of added space. The expansion is expected to finish in the fall of 2014.
525 St. Albert Trail
525 St. Albert Trail is said to be an exciting new site for local shoppers once it opens. The 4.71 acres site – located north of Riverside Honda – will house a GoodLife Fitness Centre, Visions Electronics store and Central Social Hall.
GoodLife Fitness first announced its move to the city in 2013 but is now expected to open its doors in the spring of 2014. Central Social Hall, an Edmonton-based pub and eatery, will open a location in St. Albert.
The 6,000 square feet building is now under construction and will be able to accommodate between 200 and 250 customers when it opens in the spring.
There are also several small retailers moving into 525 St. Albert Trail, such as a Solo Liquor store, Little Caesars Pizza, The Chopped Leaf – a sandwich, salad and wrap chain – and K's Nail salon. The first tenants are expected to take possession in February.
Perron District
Until the realignment of St. Anne Street takes place the last vacant lot sold in downtown St. Albert was to St. Albert-based JDR Insurance. The company told the Gazette last year that it is constructing a new office building beside the Vineyard Wine Market on St. Thomas Street, where its office is now located.
JDR Insurance said they would move into the new 7,000 square feet, two-storey building in early 2014.
Akinsdale
Located at 20 Hebert Road, St. Albert Rosedale Seniors' Living facility is expanding its services by adding another home next to its existing residence.
The 77,000 square foot Rosedale Baybridge project will match the architecture and colour of the existing building, and offer 82 new independent one and two-bedroom living units.
A link between the buildings will allow residents to enter the existing common rooms without having to step outside. The entrance and drop-off area will stay in the same place, though the parking lot will be reconfigured to accommodate more parking spaces.
Construction of the new building has already started and is expected to finish this year.
Campbell Business Park
Standard General
Construction of a new office building for Standard General is well underway. Come March 2014, the company is looking to move into its new home at 250 Carleton Dr.
The new 33,800-plus square feet, two-storey concrete structure will also house the corporate offices for Standard General Edmonton's holding company, ColasCanada. Once the construction is completed, Standard General said it would sell its 10-acre site at 23 Bellerose Drive.
MCG Joint Ventures
The steel skeleton of a partially-completed building that stood idle for more than four years at 15 Carleton Dr. is now almost complete, and expected to house eight units of professional office space and an Edmonton-based hockey gym.
Once completed, the $2 million project by Edmonton-based MCG Joint Ventures will offer about 18,000 square feet of usable space. Inside Edge Hockey Development announced last year that it would take more than 4,400 square feet in the facility, creating a two-storey gym that specializes on strength and weight training for male and female hockey players of varying ages and playing levels.
Royal Properties
Another 13,000 square foot, mixed-use building is now under construction at 301 Carleton Dr. The property is expected to house a number of retail and light-industrial bays.
Raj Aggarwal with Edmonton-based Royal Properties told the Gazette in 2013 that five bays had already sold and said possible renters would be of the soup and sandwich or coffee shop type, as well as an electrical supplier or repair shop.
Individual bays are between 1,200 and 1,500 square feet in size and come at a minimum cost of $250 per square foot. The building, constructed by local contractor Johnston Builders, is expected to be completed in the spring of 2014.
South Riel
Averton Homes
In the spring of 2012, Averton Homes took over 86 acres of land across the road from, and just east of, the Enjoy Centre.
A year later, Paul Lanni, president of the Edmonton-based company, said a group of builders was now looking to create a new neighbourhood on the land, aimed at attracting young families.
The land is zoned as multi-family residential, allowing for 700 units of housing. Lanni said they might still tweak that as they work with the city. Construction on the land is expected to start in 2014, pending approval of the area structure plan by the city.
GWL Realty Advisors
In late 2013, GWL Realty Advisors confirmed to the city's economic development team that it was ready to come before council with an area structure plan amendment for the 54.1 hectare property the company owns in South Riel.
The land was originally owned by Hopewell – a commercial developer – and changed hands in October 2012 for approximately $31.1 million. Hopewell had originally proposed a shopping centre on the land, successfully applying for rezoning in 2009. But the economic downturn forced the company to abandon its plans.
GWL has not shared its plans for the property, which is now zoned commercial and industrial.
Avenir/ SAS Sports City
Avenir, located in the city's northwest, is pitched as a cutting-edge residential development that will incorporate advanced data technology that would be attractive to individuals who need to transfer large amounts of data, particularly those serving the oilsands.
Avenir may move ahead on the project this year, pending the approval of its latest fiscal impact study and area structure plan by city administration and council.
Bordering Avenir is Elysian Fields with SAS Sports City, a proposal to build a sports village with elite athletics facilities. Owner Pat Cassidy listed his land for sale in the summer of 2013. At the time, Cassidy told the Gazette in an e-mail that he was not planning to give up on the project but was looking for possible joint-venture partners.
Avenir and SAS Sports City are separate developments but city council directed both developers would have to meet certain requirements before their area structure plans can be approved.
