Heritage Park will be growing by eight plots of land after council voted to move forward with purchasing more space near the historic gran elevators in the Mission neighbourhood.
The additional land will allow the city to complete the project, which was first identified in 2010, although the first phase of construction went unfunded as part of the 2023 budget, council heard on March 21.
“The purchase of the property will allow the continued operation of the Heritage Park site in a safe and cohesive manner, reducing site traffic and impacts from having a commercial operation in the middle of the Heritage Park operations,” Elizabeth Wilkie, the city's director of community services said.
“Future development of the Heritage Park site will be subject to council review and approval of planned growth charters during annual budget cycles and would include the regrading of the site to create the events grounds for the Heritage Sites.”
The city will be paying “market value plus acquisition costs,” read the council agenda package, although the city declined to provide The Gazette with an estimated range of what the current market value for the plots are.
The city will use funds from the Municipal Lands and Facilities Reserve to make the purchase, which has a current balance of about $4 million.
