Bold, modern and uniquely St. Albert: that sums up the city’s latest foray into downtown revitalization, the first update to the downtown area redevelopment plan (DARP) in 20 years.
The plan, which goes to council during a public hearing Monday, calls for more density, stricter land-use and architectural controls, narrowed streets, revamped parking, wider sidewalks and trails, and a renewed emphasis on the Sturgeon River. It also features improvements like a new civic square in front of St. Albert Place and a redesigned Millennium Park, both of which could host cultural events and festivals.
The new plan aims to take over where the previous DARP bylaw failed. Instead of a mini Whyte Avenue with restaurants, cafes and boutiques, downtown St. Albert today is more akin to a professional district with scores of offices and vacant lots and little activity once those dentists and lawyers close up shop for the day. Though the 20-year-old DARP actually did much to improve the downtown and contained similar bold visions, the new version has one element that could spell success for the downtown: critical mass.
Building upon the city’s recent failed flirtation with smart growth, the new DARP bylaw calls for substantially higher housing densities than has ever been contemplated for the area, up to 25 storeys in some parts. The higher densities and mixed land uses would help the city move closer to new regional density targets in an area more suited to intensive development than the outskirts of the suburban fringe, as was the case with smart growth. Adding that kind of population would ensure downtown is no longer a ghost town after 6 p.m., potentially opening the doors to a healthy business sector and unique nightlife.
The way the density would roll out is another winning attribute of the plan. Downtown would be split into four character areas, each with its own unique look and density. The area with the highest density, Gateway on the Trail would be located along St. Albert’s busiest thoroughfare, giving downtown business leaders the visibility they’ve long desired. Density and characteristics would evolve moving west toward St. Albert Place, with a main shopping area, the Perron District, a new urban neighbourhood in Millennium Heights, and the Riverfront, home to picnics, recreation and cultural pursuits.
The plan also addresses some of the common complaints of downtown — too little parking and poor architectural and zoning controls. It calls for a new parking strategy with a focus on fewer sprawling surface lots in favour of underground or aboveground parkades or screened parking areas. Other changes like ensuring some areas have at least 70 per cent main-street retail on the ground floor look to add vibrancy instead of professional offices.
Though an exciting vision, cost could prove one of the drawbacks to the new DARP. The bylaw does not get into specific dollar amounts, but does acknowledge the potential need for development levies, a community revitalization levy and budget requests on a project-by-project basis, in addition to several potential costly follow-up studies. Levies could be a difficult hill to climb initially, especially with a relatively shallow population and business pool on which to draw. And, with sensitivity to property tax increases always an issue, future councils could have a hard time getting the public onside new spending for an area some residents don’t even know exists. The only solace for taxpayers is the plan is meant as a long-term vision where costs could be spread out across numerous years and perhaps decades.
Ultimately, any plan is little more than a piece of paper if there’s not a concerted push to achieve the vision. Given past DARP failures and the fact the only current project that has the potential to revitalize the downtown, the Grandin mall redevelopment projects, is on the shelf indefinitely, council may have to consider playing a direct role to kick-start action. The city is already involved with the seniors’ club’s plan to create a new community centre, and other city holdings like the parking lot and vacant lot across from city hall and the former RCMP building could provide the leverage to get things rolling. The vision is there, now it’s up to council to ensure downtown has the bright future it deserves.
