St. Albert Minute: Nouveau Neighbourhood, Mall Sale, and the Housing Accelerator Fund

St. Albert Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of St. Albert politics

This Week In St. Albert:

• On Tuesday, at 9:30 am, the Standing Committee of the Whole will meet. The agenda includes a preliminary analysis of the Province’s 2025 Budget, a one-year review of the St. Albert Downtown Business Association, and a 10 Year Capital Growth Plan Update.
  
  
• Also on Tuesday, the Policing Committee will meet at 6:30 pm. The Committee will have a Strategic Plan Review Update and discuss the Community Safety Plan. There will also be a couple of Community Engagement Updates regarding the Lifestyle Expo and the Farmer's Market.
  
  
• St. Albert will receive $11.8 million from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund to fast-track its housing strategies. The funding will support seven projects, including zoning updates, public land redevelopment, and the launch of an online building permit system. Mayor Cathy Heron said the grant will help the City act more quickly on initiatives that would otherwise take much longer to implement. City officials highlighted the urgency of tackling the city's low affordable housing vacancy rate, currently around 1.8 per cent. The goal is to create 302 additional housing units beyond the typical yearly output by 2028.

Last Week In St. Albert:

• Council approved a redistricting plan for the Nouveau neighbourhood, allowing for new residential and commercial developments. The redistricting will convert land from Future Urban Development to medium-density residential, small lot residential, and neighbourhood commercial zones, enabling the construction of townhouses, apartments, and services like health offices and retail. A 2.8-hectare public park will also be created in the area. No concerns were raised during the consultation process, and the motion was unanimously approved.
  
  
• Council also approved updates to its off-site levy bylaw, introducing new rates and making permanent a 30-day deferral program for developers. This change is expected to generate over $10 million in annual recoveries for infrastructure projects. The deferral program allows developers to delay payment of levies for up to 30 days after a development agreement is signed, with a $500 fee to cover administrative costs. Updated levy rates include increases for water, sanitary, and storm infrastructure, with some costs rising significantly depending on the area. Developers dedicating land for arterial roads will now receive $350,000 per hectare, up from $300,000.
  
  
• St. Albert Centre, the city’s largest shopping mall, has been sold for $60 million to Leyad, a Montreal-based real estate company. Leyad, which also owns Edmonton’s Londonderry Mall, now lists St. Albert Centre among its national property holdings, though it mistakenly identifies the mall as being in Edmonton. Primaris had owned the mall since 2012 and cited the sale as part of its strategy to focus on high-growth markets. Despite the change in ownership, the mall’s plan to install Tesla Superchargers later this year will move ahead as planned.

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