Two plots of land in the Quarters area will be sold to affordable housing developers following a unanimous decision by Edmonton’s executive committee on Wednesday.
The city said this will help it reach its goal of building 2,700 new affordable housing units by 2026, including about 400 new supportive housing units.
Each year the city identifies city-owned land that it can sell or lease at below-market value to non-profits. The city obtained the two plots of land between 2008 and 2018 using funds from the provincial government that were earmarked for affordable housing.
The first site is at the intersection of Rowland Road and 95 Street and consists of six individual lots.
The city said the number of affordable housing units that could be built on this lot is up in the air and would depend on the proposals from potential buyers.
The second site is a half-acre lot with a historical building, The Koermann Block, on it. It faces onto The Armature at the corner of 96 Street and 102A Avenue.
The city said the buyer would need to rehabilitate the building and allow for retail, restaurants or other pedestrian-oriented spaces to open on the main floor. A mix of affordable and market-rate housing would be on the higher levels.
The gravel parking lot surrounding the Koermann Block could also be developed for housing, the city said.
Ward O-day’min Coun. Anne Stevenson said the redevelopment of the lot is an opportunity to not only contribute to affordable housing needs in the area but to the revitalization of the Quarters.
“It’s a prime location, right on the armature, has a heritage building on site and there’s just a great opportunity to put that land to better use than how it’s how it’s currently being used,” Stevenson said, adding that having more people living in the area will contribute to a sense of safety.
Under its current zoning, the lot can have up to 75 units of housing, but the city said it expects the lot will be rezoned once it is bought.
The city said the full range of affordable housing will be accepted in proposals for the two lots, meaning there could be a mix of market-rate and affordable housing. However, city staff said the more affordable the units, the more likely the proposal is to be accepted.
The city said the Boyle Street neighbourhood has a greater concentration of affordable housing than the rest of the city. It currently has an affordable housing ratio of 18 per cent, more than the target of 16 per cent the city set five years ago.
“I’m certainly not concerned by what’s being proposed in the Boyle Street community, particularly recognizing that that ratio exists in the absence of a lot of housing that we hope will be developed in future years,” said Stevenson.
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