The city has a downtown plan that is intended to encourage private investment and revitalize the center of Airdrie. They may have found a way to help fund the project in the form of a levy. 

The City of Airdrie is approaching "Downtown Differently" by analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of its central business district and suggesting local initiatives and incentives to help accelerate renovation and revitalization.

The province created a tool known as a Community Revitalization Levy (CRL) to enable municipalities to construct any public infrastructure or take any other actions required to encourage private investment by using the provincial portion of tax income from assessment increases in the same region.

This is a map of the potential CRL:

CLRThe screenshot was provided by the City of Airdrie.
 

The taxes that property owners pay are unaffected by a CRL. Instead, when assessed property values rise in a specific CRL region, the municipal revenue and the share of the property tax collected for provincial education are used to fund public improvement initiatives in the CRL area.

The following approaches are suggested for using the CRL funding, should they be approved by Airdrie City Council and the Minister of Municipal Affairs:

  • 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 leverage private redevelopment.
  • beautification and evaluation of Main Street within the downtown core to achieve the desired combination of economic support and amenity support.
  • space for community and education uses in the new, planned Downtown Library and Multi-Use Centre that strengthen a growing knowledge-based economy.
  • municipal financial assistance or action to address contaminated areas.
  • integration of the environmental amenity of Nose Creek as part of placemaking and public gathering efforts within the downtown; and.

On December 28, at 6 pm, the council will have a special meeting to discuss the proposed CRL bylaw and hold a public hearing to receive feedback from the general public.

If Council approves the proposed CRL Bylaw, it will be forwarded to the province by December 31 for ministerial approval. The CRL Bylaw takes effect on January 1, 2023, and CRL projects start in 2023 if it is approved.

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