City Council Highlights

Below are some of the highlights from the August and September 2024 Council and Committee meetings. The full reports can be found at saskatoon.ca/meeting.

Downtown Event and Entertainment District Funding Strategy

Council approved the Downtown Event and Entertainment District Funding Strategy. This approval will allow City Administration to pursue funding from other orders of government as well as other financial tools like a hotel accommodation tax and tax incremental financing. These would help create a sustainable funding model that would allow for the project to go forward. Like all major city projects, we need to be ready to go when other orders of government announce major infrastructure projects.

It is important to note that this decision is not a go-forward decision to build the District and does not allocate funds towards the building of the District.

The reality of a project like this is that the planning and development has to span across Council terms. I don’t want to have future Council’s look back and say – why didn’t the leaders of the past do something when it was clear that the planning needed to start for replacing our existing facilities.

All of the work that we have done so far provides a foundation for the next Council to make decisions. It provide options for our growing city to continue to have great gathering places and host world class events, as the existing facilities come toward the end of their useful life.

We have set up the next Council to have a project that is closer to being ready for when funding can be secured. This project will not go ahead without approval from City Council and a fully funded plan. At this time, it is unknown when a fully-funded plan may occur and if approved, a completed project is years away. It is also likely that the project will proceed in phases.

Saskatoon’s City Centre and District Plan

City Council passed a new 10-year plan outlining the vision and strategic initiatives to support the Downtown Event and Entertainment District and the broader City Centre.

This is an exciting and very important plan that brings together many of the new developments and proposals for the downtown area into one unified vision. This includes the DEED, the Bus Rapid Transit Plan, the New Central Library, Downtown Festival Site, National Urban Park, Imagine Idylwyld, new downtown green spaces and a festival street on 22nd where the DEED will be.

While there has been significant attention on the DEED, having this wider plan for the downtown is essential for achieving the goals of getting more people living downtown and keeping the heart of the city strong as we continue to grow and change.

The goals of the plan include: Reconciliation by honouring Indigenous Peoples, histories, languages and culture; A distinctive identity through placemaking; Reliable and efficient transportation options; Downtown density with a focus on housing; Leadership in sustainability and resiliency; A robust and diverse economy; and a healthy and safe community.

Affordable Housing Incentives

Saskatoon is facing an affordability crisis. These incentives will help provide housing to families, seniors, and students who are being priced out of the current housing market. Affordable housing units keep people safely housed and off the streets in our city, yet they continue to be a gap in the housing continuum. It is our priority to provide housing options for people of all income levels and abilities in Saskatoon.

Within a year, Admin and partners have been able to make massive changes to zoning, get an incentive package together, and approve projects that will help fund almost 500 new affordable units. This is one of the most extraordinary pieces of work I’ve seen the City do along with partners, particularly in a short time frame.

It remains a priority to have more balanced growth while addressing the affordable housing crisis which is more acute than ever. Nearly 30,000 people moved to Saskatoon in the last two years, with less than 6,000 units built. These incentives will help developers make a more viable business case to be able to build badly needed affordable housing.

Removal of Municipal Reserve – 1635 McKercher Drive

City Council approved the removal of part of the Municipal Reserve at 1635 McKercher Drive to allow for an anticipated 75-150 unit-housing development as part of the Housing Accelerator on city-owned land. This location is one of four city-owned sites identified through the Housing Accelerator Fund process that are well suited to accommodate housing.

With the approval, Administration will proceed with the subdivision of the site, relocation of the existing community garden, bringing shallow utilities to the site, relocating parking, planting trees, and bring the site to market. A call for proposals for the sale of the site is anticipated before year end.

There will be eligibility requirements for those who want to occupy these units. While a proponent has not yet been selected and will through a call for proposals, this proposed site intends to allow for affordable housing units. There will be a minimum 20-year operating agreement to ensure the units remain at an affordable level.

The cost to build housing is currently high. Cities are able to use land as a tool, which is why we’ve looked at sites and have brought some forward that are usable and can bring costs down for developers.

Emergency Residential Shelter – 210 Pacific Avenue

Council approved 210 Pacific Avenue as an Emergency Residential Shelter for up to 18 months. This site will be operated by The Mustard Seed and will have room for 30-40 beds. That means 30-40 fewer people trying to navigate our harsh winter without a roof over their head.

While this site is in operation, the City will continue to work with the Provincial Government to create a permanent shelter site. We need the Provincial Government to continue investing in solutions that close the gaps in the housing continuum and allow people to live more stable lives. The only way we’ll accomplish this is to keep working together. More work is needed urgently to find more spaces to help house and keep people warm this upcoming winter.

Our staff looked far and wide and considered dozens of sites in the last year. This site is the first one that was agreed upon by both the City and the Province since the former Sutherland Fire Station was rejected. I also appreciate the concerns of nearby residents and business regarding safety. I’m glad that Administration listened to the concerns of the community and made adjustments to the site plan to increase the safety of the children and everyone working, living, and seeking services in those areas.

And More…

The Bylaw to enact free child fare was officially passed which will allow children in grade 8 or younger to take transit for free.

The Assiniboine Drive CN Rail Pedestrian Crossing will be constructed as a legal crossing that is safe and accessible for residents to use. This crossing has long been used by residents crossing the CN railroad tracks along Warman Road at Assiniboine Drive. Inflationary costs and a re-design to add more safety features, as required by CN Rail, pushed the costs of this project higher than the initial assessment. In order to fund this project, some others will be deferred to a future year, and this long-awaited safety and crossing pathway will soon become reality.