Blatchford is a bold urban development project that has long-term sustainability goals as a key factor in the business case. Located on the site of the former City Centre Airport, Blatchford will transform this area to a vibrant central community.
With recent discussion on zoning, budgets, and densification goals, many residents often bring up two concerns regarding Blatchford including the pace of development and home prices.
While the project is outside of the Ward Anirniq, it is a notable City project that generates a lot of interest. So I wanted to shine a spotlight on a recent report that discussed a third-party review of how Blatchford is building out and ways progress can be accelerated.
The appraiser found that the sale prices of land to developers was reasonable and home sale prices and rates were also reasonable in comparison to current market prices. Additionally, the price of lots is comparable to other surrounding communities.
However, due to the unique requirements in Blatchford construction timelines are slightly longer (12 - 18 months) whereas typically under 12 months in regular development. Even with this, the findings show that there is significant interest in developing diverse product types in this community.
In short, pace and pricing is comparable with other communities, especially when considering the preparation and infrastructure that needs to be included.
As a response to the report, the Administration will explore further options to accelerate development and help housing affordability including lot sizing, selling larger bundles of land, and reviewing Blatchford-specific development criteria and processes to continue to improve the development potential of this area.
