| Rivers district revitalization begins
City council is moving ahead with what alderman Madeleine King describes as one of the largest urban renewal projects in Canada.
On April 16, city council voted to borrow $135 million to upgrade infrastructure in an area the city is now calling the Rivers district. The area, east of city hall and bounded by the Bow and Elbow rivers, includes the East Village and Victoria Park. The Rivers district is known for its high crime rates, drug use and prostitution. The $135 million will be used to upgrade water and sewer lines, raise roads because the area is on a flood plain, do sidewalk and streetscape improvements and upgrade the river pathway system.
The city is adopting a tax increment financing (TIF) system for the district. Under TIF, a municipality borrows money to fund community improvements with the expectation that developers will be attracted to the area. If TIF is successful, the borrowed money will then be repaid through higher tax revenue derived from redevelopment. The City of Calgary is using the term community revitalization levy instead of TIF.
The city has created the Calgary Municipal Land Corp, which will oversee redevelopment plans and will sell city-owned land to private developers. The city currently owns 46.6 per cent of the land in the Rivers district.
Brad Stevens, general manager of corporate properties with the City of Calgary, says the goal of the community revitalization levy is the "elimination of blight" and "creating opportunities for private sector development and redevelopment. We believe this will be the start," he says, "it will be the catalyst for an area that is in desperate need of specific attention."
Future projects that could be funded by the new community revitalization levy include a new 4 Street Connector that would link Victoria Park and the East Village. The communities are currently separated by railroad tracks. The funding could also be used for a new public library, a new police headquarters, a new parking structure, development of new parks and environmental remediation of former industrial sites.
Pembina wants overhaul in oilsands tenure
The Pembina Institute, an environmental think-tank, says the government needs to change its "outdated" method of handing out oilsands tenure to companies. The organization argues that the government doesn’t give enough consideration to harmful environmental and social impacts when it grants companies rights to develop oilsands properties.
The institute points out that the province has already awarded leases over 49,973-square-kilometres, an area larger than Vancouver Island.
The Pembina is calling on the government to place a moratorium on further oilsands leases until it establishes a new management plan that would require the government to consider cumulative environmental impacts of oilsands development and whether proposed projects are in the public interest.
Meanwhile, the Alberta government is holding its second phase of province-wide consultations on oilsands development. Calgarians who want to give input can participate in a public forum on April 23 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Telus Convention Centre.
Homeless summit
The Calgary Committee to End Homelessness is holding a community summit on solutions to the homeless crisis on April 23 at the Palomino Room at the Roundup Centre from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The summit will include presentations from international experts on homelessness. |
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