By paNOW

P.A. mayor pitches Loonie idea

Jun 23, 2017 | 1:53 PM

Prince Albert’s mayor is proposing to sell vacant infill lots for the hefty price of a dollar each.

The 11 plots of land, all in the West Flat area, were acquired by the city over a period spanning two decades. One lot has been in the city’s possession since 1991. The mayor’s proposal would write-off more than $104,000 in total taxes owed to the city as well as the two district school boards.

Mayor Greg Dionne is suggesting a selling price of a dollar, but developers will also have to provide a $10,000 deposit, refundable upon completion, and a written commitment the development will be completed with a year’s time. If approved, the vacant lots will be put up for a draw through the city’s website and advertising.

Dionne said the vacant lots are troublesome because the city is responsible for upkeep, and its costing money. He would like to see homes on those lots and mentioned some are large enough to accommodate duplexes.

“They aren’t doing us any good. We’ll put them on the market for a dollar and we hope to attract people to build on those lots,” he said.

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Dionne explained sometimes cities have to give incentives for developers to build. He suspects if the lots are developed, they could generate roughly $2,000 in taxes per year for the city.

“Right away we got $22,000 more a year in taxes,” he said. “When we approached the province and the school boards they loved it because at the end of the day it is building the tax base. It’s not about getting $2,000 or $3,000 for a lot. We can get that in taxes in two years.”

Having spent roughly 15 years on council, Dionne said he’s not aware of the city offering incentives like this in the past. He added his benchmark for the success of the proposal will be if at least five lots are sold off.

The proposal will be heading to city council on Monday for further discussion.

Jeff.labine@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @labinereporter