City committee supports rezoning for potential Nutana office structure

Saskatoon’s municipal planning committee has approved the rezoning of a portion of the Nutana neighbourhood for the potential construction of a commercial office building.

The property at 509 12th St. E. has been vacant since 1988 and has been functioning as a leased community garden space by the Nutana Community Association.

The proposed development would have street-facing commercial retail units on the main floor and commercial and office space on floors five through eight. An indoor parking structure would occupy floors one through four with approximately 100 spaces.

The proposal showed the potential for four residential units inside.

“We have been in touch with the neighbours, the community, prior to the application for rezoning to get some feedback,” said Modus Ventures Corp president Devin Stus. “We took in what we heard from the community and made our application to the City of Saskatoon.”

Stus said most of the feedback from their community engagement surveys has been positive.

“It’s a sensitive site because it’s the Remai Community Gardens so we were not overly sure what we were going to be up against, but the Nutana Community Association has always known it is a development site.”

If approved, Stus said the planning and design period would take a minimum of six months and the company could begin requesting permits mid-2024. Construction would take about 18 months.

City administration said the development would fit in Nutana as it’s a walkable neighbourhood near bridge connections, a future Bus Rapid Transit station and the Meewasin Trial.

It also points out that the development would align with recommendations from the Broadway 360 Development Plan.

“At eight storeys, the building is in line with the recommended nine-storey maximum for the Broadway district,” the proposal outlined. “There is an existing concentration and diversity of activities, including other office buildings within the Broadway district. While formally outside the City Centre, it is directly adjacent to its boundary.”

City administration said that while policies are not explicit enough to prevent consideration of the proposal, there is concern about building office spaces outside of the downtown area.

Administration also noted that the building would be located in the Corridor Growth Area, but the corridor plan for the Nutana area hasn’t started.

For the proposal to be considered, the city must first amend the City Centre Boundary to include 509 12th St. E. and rezone the area from a Planned Unit Development zone to the B5B Broadway Commercial District.

Modus Ventures is also requesting the property be redesignated from High-Density Residential to Special Area Commercial, according to the OCP map.

City administration recommended in the proposal application that council approve the amendments and the municipal planning committee agreed.

Concerned Nutana resident Kieron Kilduff said it would be a shame to destroy the community garden and take away housing density in the area.

“This should be protected for residential development given the large increase in interest by residents of Saskatoon to live in this part of the city,” Kilduff said.

He added if the proposal was for a high-density housing structure, he would feel differently.

“This rezoning will forever and a day, preclude residential development here, which is critical if the city is going to grow to 500,000,” Kilduff said. “It actually injures the downtown by allowing an office to be built here.”

Kilduff claimed the 100 parking spaces that are proposed would actually discourage the use of the future Bus Rapid Transit system and other residents next door to the structure would be driven away.

Despite voicing his concerns to the municipal planning committee at the proposal discussion on Tuesday, the committee said it supports the application and the amendments should be approved.

The proposed amendments will be presented before City Council in August for the final decision.