Despite the wet weather delaying its advance, the Anthony Henday is slowly moving closer to St. Albert's door.
The northwest section of the provincial ring road began construction three years ago and its completion deadline is fast approaching, a deadline the project's managers insist they will meet, despite the soggy spring and summer.
When completed, the 21-kilometre stretch of the road will run from Manning Drive to Yellowhead Trail. It will involve 29 bridge structures and will have interchanges at Ray Gibbon Drive, St. Albert Trail and Campbell Road.
Earlier this year the province announced the last stage, running from Manning Drive to link up with existing sections in the south. Completing that stage will create a road that rings the entire capital city.
Economic boom
The road is already making its presence felt economically in St. Albert. Ivan Mayer, president of the Riel Park Business Association, said having access to the whole region is great for business.
"Once they open up at completion, it will be great. It will be something that we have needed for many, many years."
Mayer recently built a $2.5-million industrial building with 10 bays for lease in Riel and said he was shocked at how quickly he filled them with tenants.
"I started marketing those bays in March and in less than two months they were all gone."
He said he believes that is a clear indication the city needs more industrial land, which would also help balance the city's taxes.
"This experiment really shows that the City of St. Albert needs more land of that type."
With access to the Henday via Ray Gibbon Drive, Mayer said it is already easier to get around the region, which is good for deliveries, staff coming to work and dealing with other companies.
"I have been here 17 years and I can tell you how long it used to take to get from here to the south side of the city of Edmonton and how long it takes now."
Mike Keating, a commercial realtor with Colliers International, said the change in the business climate in the Campbell Business Park has been incredible with long-dormant parcels being snapped up.
"We have been marketing those, with limited success, for quite some period of time, but just in the last 60 days we have closed on five lots in the area," he said. "On top of that we have got lots of inquiries from people."
Keating said prior to the road's construction St. Albert seemed disconnected from the rest of the region, but businesses owners don't see it that way anymore.
"They were reluctant to get their staff to drive out to St. Albert and now it isn't a problem and it won't be a problem."
Keating said at the rate those lots are moving today, he expects all of the available space in Campbell will be gone within a year of the road opening up.
Larry Horncastle, St. Albert's director of economic development, has also seen growing interest. He said the city passes along all of those calls to developers in the area, so he doesn't know exactly how many people are calling or what they are looking for. He said they are being told the road ties the community into the region
"What we are hearing is that the Anthony Henday brings St. Albert that much closer."
With a pick-up in activity in the oilsands, St. Albert could be an option for some companies who do businesses there; the Henday allows easier access to Highway 28 and through to the north.
"If we are looking at companies that service the resource industry in northern Alberta, transportation is huge."
St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse said he certainly welcomes the road and believes it will be good for industrial development, but is a little less bullish, expecting modest growth in the city.
"They know that the Anthony Henday is there so people have been talking about this for two or three years," he said. "I don't think it is going to be a boom."
Citing the Avenir development, Erin Ridge North and the proposed commercial development east of Highway 2 on the city's northern edge, Crouse argued it is more than just the road that is bringing people to the city.
"You have to ask the question why? The why is because we have created a good business climate, with good infrastructure, good road network … all of that stuff."
Room to grow
Both Mayer and Keating are concerned the road will quickly outstrip the industrial land the city has and new businesses will go elsewhere.
Mayer said the city needs more industrial land to accommodate the city's needs, especially larger parcels.
"We have no large tracts of land for the clean industrial or the light industrial."
He said the city's bylaws are also too restrictive and are turning some businesses away.
"It is not that the price isn't right, it is the land use bylaws that people are being turned away because they can't set up businesses there."
Keating said the freeway is going to be good for the city, but said St. Albert is not going to be the only beneficiary, with areas of neighbouring municipalities also gaining access.
He points to land just south of Campbell Park in Edmonton, where he expects to see major growth.
"That is right on our border as well and it is getting geared up and it is going to be very successful."
He said if the city doesn't open up more industrial land, especially bigger parcels, some established business might have to leave because they have no room to grow.
"There are rumours out there that some of the larger tenants that are out there in St. Albert and have no room to expand are going to end up there."
City council is studying that issue now, looking at what the city's needs might be for industrial land in the future. A recent report suggested adding as much as 900 acres of industrial land to the city.
Council accepted that report for information and is expecting to make a decision in August.
Crouse said he believes the city will need more industrial land, but he is not sure about the amount.
"We will expand, I don't know how many acres. That is up for debate," he said. "I think that is what the land study is for."
