A new home for Airdrie Housing Ltd. (AHL) is on hold until a new tenant can be found for the second floor, according to Managing Director Shelley Sweet. Finding a new tenant became an issue when North Rocky View Community Links (NRVCL) pulled out of the project in March.
“It was a surprise to us,” Sweet said. “But we’re now working with a potential new tenant. We just need to give that (process) time to work itself out.
“Of utmost importance to the (AHL) Board is that the building retains its social philosophy of remaining a welcoming community space. We’re in early negotiations with a potential partner for the second-floor space that would meet that definition and greatly add to the community component of the building.”
Sweet was unable to name the potential partner, and said starting construction of the building would wait until a new tenant for the second floor was secured.
“That’s just the most prudent way to go,” she said.
Brenda Hume, executive director of NRVCL, said the organization’s board made the decision in March.
“The board has decided to move the agency in another location,” she said. “We’re staying at our south office location which is the one above the Salvation Army (store). We’re in the process of redesigning our space to bring over our north office staff by June 2017.
“It was an economic decision. They looked at all the finances involved with everything and it was the best decision for Community Links to stay where we’re at. We totally still support Airdrie Housing.”
The new three-storey, 36,000 square foot building will include a minimum of 15 affordable housing units including two barrier-free units, and include 12,000 square foot of retail space.
The project got a much needed push in the right direction when Airdrie City council approved a debenture bylaw and loan bylaw benefiting AHL, which provides affordable housing to Airdrie residents, at its Dec. 7, 2015 meeting.
Under the debenture and loan bylaws, the City will loan $8 million to AHL. The total cost of the project is estimated at $10.17 million with the additional $2.17 million coming from a provincial Municipal Block Funding capital grant.
Sweet updated the members of Airdrie City council at its June 20 meeting, and said the AHL Board was grateful for the debenture.
“We’d like you to feel confident that no monies will be accessed without council’s full approval of the project,” she said.
“There’s no doubt that the loss of the second-floor tenants has been a setback but it has also been an opportunity, an opportunity to review, rethink and recharge.”
“I have no doubt that you’ll be able to find somebody soon,” Councillor Candice Kolson said.
Mayor Peter Brown pushed Sweet to commit to a time frame for when the new partner might be announced, however, she said the new partner has its own stakeholders and process to go through before it can commit to the AHL project.
“It’s going to take a little bit of time but they are keen. They understand that we are basically a shovel-ready project and that is in our favour,” she said.
