It was a special day for the City of Airdrie as Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Municipal Affairs announced the Community Revitalization Levy (CRL) has been approved for Airdrie's downtown revitalization plan.

“We appreciate the support of the province to help us fund revitalization projects associated with Airdrie’s Downtown Plan over the next 20 years,” says Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown. “This is an innovative funding mechanism that helps our community reach our vision for the downtown without putting additional pressure on taxpayers.” 

The Province created the CRL to enable municipalities to fund municipal initiatives with the provincial share of tax proceeds from assessment increases in a specific area.

“This levy empowers Airdrie to improve its downtown core, which will attract investment, boost economic growth, and create jobs. The new development will strengthen Airdrie’s tax base, and help revitalize this area of the community, which will benefit the city in the long term,” said Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Municipal Affairs

A CRL does not increase the amount of property taxes that property owners are required to pay. When there are increases to assessed property values in a defined CRL area, the municipal revenue and the provincial education portion of the property tax collected on the increased value are spent on public improvement projects in the CRL area.

Funds from the CRL are proposed to be used in the following ways:

  • community spaces in the new Downtown Multi-Use Facility and Library that strengthen a growing knowledge-based economy;
  • municipal financial assistance or action to address contaminated areas;
  • beautification and evaluation of Main Street within the downtown core to achieve the desired combination of economic supports
  • comprehensive environmental site assessment to determine the extent of any soil contamination or other hindrances to redevelopment;
  • construction of municipal parking structures in strategic locations to address current parking issues and prepare for future parking needs;
  • integration and beatification of Nose Creek in the downtown area that will make it a focal public gathering place within the downtown; and,

Airdrie will join three others in Alberta where CRLs have previously shown to be beneficial additions. By the end of 2022, the first four CRLs established in the province will have raised and invested more than $415 million in total CRL income in regional revitalization.

The other CRLs are located in Cochrane, Calgary, and Edmonton.

To read more about what a CRL does, click HERE.

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