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Downtown

CRLs and their respective investments are inherently and fundamentally created to leverage future (tax) uplift and perpetuate the snowball by reinvesting in infrastructure to support additional development. While it is noble and important to focus on access to public washrooms and non-market housing, this is a very slippery slope to consider and one that is likely to raise provincial eyebrows.

While one could argue that both may directly or indirectly lead to a more inclusive, inviting and successful Downtown, does this motion align with and adhere to the original intent?
 
IanO said:
CRLs and their respective investments are inherently and fundamentally created to leverage future (tax) uplift and perpetuate the snowball by reinvesting in infrastructure to support additional development. While it is noble and important to focus on access to public washrooms and non-market housing, this is a very slippery slope to consider and one that is likely to raise provincial eyebrows.

While one could argue that both may directly or indirectly lead to a more inclusive, inviting and successful Downtown, does this motion align with and adhere to the original intent?
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one could easily argue that an investment that keeps our sidewalks and storefronts clean and sanitary and safer is as good an investment in additional development as a dog park...

it also needs to be noted that that additional investment can just as readily come from higher occupancy rates and higher rents and the resulting higher property taxes than a new project.
 
Purpose:
The purpose of this bylaw is to impose a levy in respect of the incremental assessed value of property in a community revitalization area to raise revenue to be used toward the payment of infrastructure and other costs associated with the redevelopment of property in the community revitalization levy area.

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kcantor said:
one could easily argue that an investment that keeps our sidewalks and storefronts clean and sanitary and safer is as good an investment in additional development as a dog park...

it also needs to be noted that that additional investment can just as readily come from higher occupancy rates and higher rents and the resulting higher property taxes than a new project.
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Not disagreeing with you, but it certainly opens the door for a wider conversation around what can be or cannot be considered; perhaps it all can be captured?
 
IanO said:
Not disagreeing with you, but it certainly opens the door for a wider conversation around what can be or cannot be considered; perhaps it all can be captured?
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we just went through that for the “new” 103a avenue pedway/tunnel. this would be no different. it could also be considered part of making downtown green and walkable.
 
occidentalcapital said:
I agree CRL is not well-suited to affordable housing.

Affordable housing is a provincial gov't responsibility. Why would the City fritter away its precious and limited CRL money on housing? Bonkers. Sacrificing parks, streetscape, lighting, landscaping improvements to instead build a handful of halfway houses is nonsensical.
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Well I can tell you that halfway houses is a terribly inappropriate characterization of affordable housing.

What I do know is that there is the existing Affordable Housing Investment Program that the City manages to incentives affordable housing development City-wide. I don't think amending the CRL will do much to create new affordable housing Downtown as there are existing programs in place that developers can utilize.
 
occidentalcapital said:
Edmonton doesn't have an affordable housing problem. We are the last affordable major city in Canada.


What Edmonton has is a social disorder problem.
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Which supportive housing (a form of affordable housing) can definitely address, but the City would likely be hesitant to build any Downtown since there's already a high concentration of affordable housing in the adjacent Boyle Street, McCauley and Central McDougall neighbourhoods.
 
Avenuer said:
Which supportive housing (a form of affordable housing) can definitely address, but the City would likely be hesitant to build any Downtown since there's already a high concentration of affordable housing in the adjacent Boyle Street, McCauley and Central McDougall neighbourhoods.
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And we have seen several of such developments be poorly managed and themselves become magnets for more, not less, social disorder.
 
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