The developer of Rampart Avenir will continue to pursue its project, even after St. Albert city council decided to require that the residential project contain 20 per cent commercial development.
Rampart Avenir held a day and a half of meetings with its investors and technology partners this week. While the meetings failed to yield a conclusion, “it looks encouraging” that the project can continue, said CEO Gerry de Klerk.
“It’s going to make it very, very difficult to make it work economically,” he said of council’s resolution. “On the other hand, we now know what we have to work with.”
The proposal to develop a clean technology residential and commercial node in the city’s northwest has generated many questions from council and frustration on the part of the developer.
What may be less apparent to the casual observer is that the proposed development is also generating mostly favourable reviews from members of city council.
Most firmly in Avenir’s corner are Couns. Cathy Heron, Wes Brodhead and Roger Lemieux.
Heron said last week that council had all the information it needed and it’s time to make a decision.
“They want to invest a lot of money into our city so I don’t think we should be putting up roadblocks. We should be welcoming them and opening the doors as long as the project is the right project for the city,” she said.
Avenir proposes to permeate its residential development with high-volume data transfer technology that will foster home-based knowledge businesses, which it hopes will eventually expand into an adjacent industrial area being pitched by St. Albert Sports City.
To Heron, the clean technology focus makes it the right project.
“I can’t see how that could ever hurt St. Albert. It would maybe put us on the map so people would take notice that St. Albert is trying to do something innovative,” she said. “The fact that we could be known for a hub of clean technology research in the region is exciting.”
Coun. Wes Brodhead is another who’s spoken highly of the concept. He thinks it’s a fit with the educated population and entrepreneurial spirit that exists in St. Albert.
“This looks just like any other residential development,” he said, “[but] I think there’s something there that we should take a look at and try to foster.”
On Monday, council narrowly passed a motion to require a 20 per cent commercial component within the Avenir land. This came after Avenir project director David Bromley said the project’s investors were uncomfortable going higher than 11 per cent.
Coun. Roger Lemieux voted against the 20 per cent commercial requirement because he didn’t want to “shoo them away.”
He likes the development because it would bring in housing needed to go along with increased commercial development along the Highway 2 corridor.
“I’m in favour of what they’re doing because they’re developing an area that would not see development for a long time,” he said.
He likes Avenir’s clean technology concept and the adjacent sports village that’s being pitched in conjunction with Avenir. These elements will add to the marketing of the city and take St. Albert “to a different level,” he said.
“The package just looked good to me and that’s why I’m supporting it,” he said.
Coun. Cam MacKay blasted the Avenir proponents last week for threatening to walk away if an approval didn’t happen on July 11. Despite his distaste for Avenir’s tactics, MacKay had good things to say about its concept.
“Overall, it looks like a positive development for the City of St. Albert. There’s some serious tax advantages to this if the fiscal analysis is accurate,” MacKay said. “Very innovative ideas and it’s got a lot of things that people in St. Albert would like.”
Mayor Nolan Crouse has been unwilling to speak to media about the Avenir bid because a public hearing is still open. He said at council Monday that he’s always thought the area should be developed as non-residential.
He backed up that stance by trying to convince council to designate the area as commercial. That bid failed.
Avenir is currently seeking an amendment to the municipal development plan (MDP), which designates land uses such as residential, commercial and industrial. Council approval would see Avenir then develop a more detailed area structure plan.
Crouse has stressed throughout the proceedings that the MDP amendment stage is about deciding what colours should go on the map and not whether the development itself is viable.
Coun. Malcolm Parker wants to ensure that Avenir fosters business growth, which is why he brought forward the idea to require 20 per cent commercial, he said.
It’s important to get those colours on the map rather than relying on Avenir to come through with promises to include commercial within the high-density part of its residential development, he said. It’s particularly important to have this designated in case the land ever sells to another developer, Parker added.
“I’m not against the project,” he said. “I certainly like their idea of clean technology. It has potential.”
Coun. Len Bracko is keeping his opinions to himself.
“It’s a public hearing now so I really don’t want to comment on it. I want the process to go through,” he said.
