TAMRMS#: B06
4.2
Information Item Only
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Lakeview Business District Overview & Update
Presented by:
Mike Erickson, Director, Economic Development
Dawny George, Director, Engineering Services
Patricia Nicol, Manager, Investment Attraction & Growth, Economic Development
Jordan Betteridge, Manager, Asset Management, Land & Int Infrastructure Services, Engineering Services
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SUMMARY
The report provides an overview and update on work completed, underway, and planned to advance development in Lakeview Business District.
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL DIRECTION OR MANDATORY STATUTORY PROVISION
On October 15, 2024, Council passed the following motions:
AR-24-403
That the Capital Charter entitled “ENGS-05” in the amount of $62.7M, provided as Attachment 1 to the agenda report entitled “Lakeview Business District Servicing”, dated October 15, 2024, be approved.
BL-24-026
That Bylaw 26/2024, being a borrowing bylaw for Lakeview Business District Servicing Bylaw, be read a first time.
On January 21, 2025, Council passed the following motions:
BL-25-01
That Bylaw 26/2024, being a Borrowing Bylaw for Lakeview Business District Servicing, be read a second time.
That Bylaw 26/2024, be read a third and final time.
On April 15, 2025, Council passed the following motion:
CB-25-022
That the Lakeview Business District Development Acceleration Program be approved, to be funded through: $1,600,000 from stabilization reserve; and $800,000 annual transfer of assessment growth to begin in 2025; commit this annual transfer in the Growth Stabilization Reserve until a total balance of $8 million is reached.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Background
The City has been planning for and investing in the Employment Lands and Lakeview Business District for approximately 15 years. In that time, more than $190 million has been invested or decisions made to invest in capital projects that enable growth in West St. Albert, which encompasses 1,035 hectares (2,557 acres), and which includes the roughly 250-hectare (617 acres) Lakeview Business District.
In 2011, the City conducted a Future Industrial Land Study and in 2015 added an Industrial Market Expansion Area Assessment. Both reports concluded a need to increase the supply of serviced industrial land available in St. Albert and highlighted the benefits of increasing the industrial tax base, both from a financial and local employment perspective. These studies also noted the degree to which St. Albert can capitalize on additional industrial lands will depend significantly on the development competitiveness of the lands.
In 2014, the City purchased approximately 71 Hectares (176 acres) for $3.7 million, banking lands for future municipal use.
In 2015, an Employment Lands Concept Plan was developed for these lands. The plan established 3 concept plans, with different uses: 1) light industrial and office park 2) business commercial with entertainment uses, and 3) Knowledge-Based Industries and Research Park. Each concept presented various opportunities and challenges. The Light Industrial and Office Park concept was identified as requiring the shortest expected time to develop fully and the lowest development risk. However, it was noted as having medium economic benefits and the lowest quality of built form. In contrast, the Knowledge-Based Industries and Research Park concept was projected to take the longest time to develop fully and have the highest development risk. It was also expected to have the highest economic benefit and the highest quality of built form. The Business Commercial with Entertainment Uses concept was typically scored between the other two concepts, however it was identified as having the lowest employment benefits and lowest ability to help improve the tax split.
In 2016, Council approved development principles for the Employment Lands. Council also approved $40 million for Phase 3 North Interceptor Trunk Line Project (Project 9) which was subsequently reduced to $24 million in 2019. The total project cost came in lower than expected at $21.93 million and is fully recoverable through offsite levy.
In 2020, Council approved an investment of $25 million, which was subsequently increased to $30 million in 2021, for the North Interceptor Trunk Phase 2B (Project 8) and Community Amenities Site (CAS) servicing, enabling a sewer trunk to be constructed under Ray Gibbon Drive that connects to Project 9, in addition to storm, sanitary, water and RR260 upgrade to future CAS with the goal of accelerating plans for development in west St. Albert, including the Future Community Amenities site, and enabling long-term jobs in Lakeview Business District. To date, the cost for this partly off-site Levy funded and grant funded project is approximately $23.9 million and is estimated to be under $24 million at completion and closure of the project except for RR260 scope. RR260 scope, which was originally approved as part of the $30 million investment, is planned to be constructed as part of the future Community Amenities project yet to be approved, and hence placed in the 10-year Capital Plan for an estimated cost of $ 4.11 million under a different project charter.
In 2019, the City also initiated a cost-sharing agreement with the Government of Alberta to twin Ray Gibbon Drive. Phases 1 and 2 are complete with a total investment of just over $35 million. Phases 3 and 4 are in various stages of progression to which the Province will contribute 50% towards the newly estimated total for all four phases, which is $70.1million.
Through the 2024 budget, Council approved the Investment Attraction & Marketing Lakeview Business District business case. The $452,000 project provided 3 years of funding for both marketing and promotion of the district, as well as temporary staff resourcing specific to attracting industrial development and businesses.
On September 3, 2024, Council approved St. Albert West Area Structure Plan, which includes the lands designated as Lakeview Business District.
On October 15, 2024, Council approved the Lakeview Business District Servicing project charter and new Land Use Bylaw. The project charter included an overall budget of $62.7M, with the offsite levy (OSL) portion being $47.7M (76%) and the non-OSL portion being $15.0M (24%). Following the project charter approval, on January 21, 2025, Council approved the Lakeview Business District Servicing Borrowing Bylaw. The borrowing bylaw was set at $78,375,000, which includes a 25% borrowing contingency. The intent is to fund this project’s borrowing though Alberta Treasury. The City is responsible for 100% of the repayment of the project, of which 76% of the cost is offsite leviable and 24% is non-offsite leviable.
On April 15, 2025, Council approved the Carrot Creek Erosion Protection project, budgeted at $4,030,000 with 70% of the project costs being funded through the Province’s Drought and Flood Protection Program. This project will protect this natural drainage asset that is responsible for the sustainability of St. Albert’s stormwater management and ongoing drainage needs.
On April 15, 2025, Council approved that the Lakeview Business District Development Acceleration Program, which establishes an $8 million dollar fund aimed at catalyzing inceptual development within the district.
In 2025, the City completed the Neighbourhood Plan for City-owned lands in Lakeview. At the time of this report, a business case to complete neighbourhood planning for the entirety of Lakeview is included in the proposed 2026 municipal budget and is subject to Council approval. If approved, these combined plans will amount to an investment of approximately $600,000.
Lakeview Servicing Project “Opening Lakeview”
The Lakeview Servicing Project will enable development of the Lakeview area, bringing the essential general services to the cusp of the property lines. The project scope targets the completion of upgrades or new transportation and utility infrastructure, including engineering, design, and construction. The servicing considerations for Lakeview are based off the Area Structure Plan with final details being determined through detailed engineering.
Prior to this Lakeview Servicing Project, roadway preliminary designs were brought to 60% engineering design completion through the ENGS-082 Transportation Preliminary Design project charter. The Lakeview Servicing Project picks up from that point, bringing those identified roadways to 100% engineering design completion.
Specific scope for Lakeview Servicing Project includes the design and construction of:
• Range Road 260 from TR540A to Meadowview Drive
• Meadowview Drive from Ray Gibbon to RR260
• Sanitary mains (within RR260), including a lift station
• Stormwater mains and stormwater management facilities (oversized with some capacity to service private lands)
• Water mains (within RR260)
Additional project scope includes:
• Land acquisition
• External approvals/agreements (environmental, pipeline, railways, franchise utilities, other utilities, etc.)
• Preliminary design on both TR540A and Meadowview Drive, from RR260 to Carrot Creek
It is anticipated to have the detailed design scope completed by Q3 2026, along with right of way acquisition. Tendering for construction would commence afterwards with tendering and construction planned from Q4 2026 to Q4 2030 pending obtainment of all required regulatory approvals. It is important to note that initial construction through the winter months of Q4 2026 and Q1 2027 would be limited only to activities that can be conducted through winter and ground frost.
The timelines above are approximate and construction may be completed in prioritized stages, in consideration of any initial development commitments.
Given the scale and scope of the Lakeview Servicing Project, the project team is progressively identifying and mitigating risks that could impact the scope, budget, or schedule. Some notable risks, common with this scale of project, include land acquisition, third party approvals, cost escalation over a multi-year project, and uncertainties around development phasing. The project team has risk mitigation strategies in place and are continually reevaluating risks and strategies as the project gets evolved through the planning and execution phases.
Lakeview Marketing & Promotion
While promotion of opportunities for industrial development and businesses in Lakeview has been ongoing since 2020, marketing and promotion has ramped up in parallel with the development readiness of district.
In 2025, Administration, developed a formal marketing plan, initiating the product launch of Lakeview Business District. The plan is founded on increasing awareness of Lakeview’s value proposition, accelerating development by qualified developers, and providing first-class development and business support. Some of the marketing plan tactics that have been implemented to date include creating the Lakeview brand, signs, and website, holding the groundbreaking ceremony, and initiating a campaign targeted at industry events and publications.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS OR ENGAGEMENT
Stakeholder engagement has occurred at various stages, including during land use planning open houses, public hearings and Council meetings.
Additionally, Administration has been in communication with landowners in the district and/or their agents at various stages over the years.
ALIGNMENT TO PRIORITIES IN COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN
Strategic Priority One: Economic Prosperity
• Expand opportunities for employment and economic growth with land development that attracts a mix of industries and businesses. This strategy includes advancing the development of Lakeview Business District and completing the plans for the recently annexed lands.
Strategic Priority Five: Financial Sustainability
• Continue to explore opportunities to diversify revenue sources, advance investment in long-term, net positive revenue-generating infrastructure, and support alternative service delivery.
ALIGNMENT TO LEVELS OF SERVICE DELIVERY
• B.4.1 - Business Retention & Expansion - Activities that retain existing businesses in St. Albert and help them grow.
• B.4.2 - Investment Attraction - Activities that attract new industrial and commercial businesses to St. Albert.
• C.5.1 Stormwater Drainage Service - Operation and maintenance of the storm water collection systems, management facilities and outfalls that support the flow of rainfall and snowmelt through the city to the Sturgeon River.
• C.5.2 Water Supply and Distribution Management - Supply, operation and maintenance of the distribution of drinking water and other water systems within the City of St. Albert
• D.2.1 - Off-Site Levy Program - Support growth and development by administering City's off-site levy program for essential infrastructure needed.
• D.4.2. Long Range Land Use Planning - Management of long-range land use plans including the Municipal Development Plan (MDP), Statutory and Regulatory plans and future growth policies.
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Report Date: December 9, 2025
Author(s): Mike Erickson; Dawny George, Jordan Betteridge
Department: Economic Development; Engineering
Department Director: Mike Erickson; Dawny George
Managing Director: Adryan Slaght
Chief Administrative Officer: William Fletcher