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Challenging the U of A: Leading with purpose in housing and land use planning

City Council recently approved a rezoning across the street from the U of A and it got me thinking about all the underutilized or unused space on the U of A main campus.

The expression I often hear at city hall is “highest and best use of city land” – in other words, land that brings benefit to the community (eg, a park or public space) or land that generates revenue for the city to offset taxes and pay for services (Industrial, commercial, residential in that order) 

But what if the University of Alberta could generate revenue and mitigate the housing and climate crisis? The university already has the vehicle: the U of A Properties Trust, an arms length development corporation that pays dividends back into the U of A through innovative developments and land leases.

What I'm Hearing About the Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been meeting with several different organizations, attending meetings, door knocking, and responding to emails about the Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy.

I wanted to share a bit of what I have been hearing and manage expectations about timelines. You can read and review the full draft plan here: https://www.edmonton.ca/sites/default/files/public-files/Old-Strathcona-Public-Realm-Strategy.pdf?cb=1713376450

April 8th City Hall E-News

  • LAUGH, CRY: April fools Joke Recap: The joke was funny. The provincial government funding cutbacks less so.
  • RSVP: Edmonton Live Show: Sandy And Nora Talk Politics: (3:00PM Saturday April 20th)
  • READ Suburban Developers have profited over $1 Billion in the last decade. We must curb sprawl.
  • SHOP: Pleasantview Les Causeries Playschool Fundraiser: Everything-For-A-Dollar Kids Clothing Sales
  • TUNE UPS!: Bike Day at Strathcona Community League - (Saturday April 13th)

Plus, more reading and videos from around town...

 

Confiscation and Sale of Provincial Property

EDMONTON, Alberta: (April 1st, 2024) Edmonton City Councillor Michael Janz gave orders to commence the seizure and sale of Government of Alberta property in order to offset the over ~$60 million in property taxes that Premier Danielle Smith and Jason Kenney have failed to pay over the last five years, despite numerous warnings. 

"It's a real shame that it has come to this, but we're starting with Government House. Next, we might proceed with confiscation and sale of the $30 Million dollar "War Room", or, ultimately the provincial legislature." said Councillor Janz.

Since 2019, Premiers Kenney and Smith have failed to pay the grants to cover the property taxes on Government of Alberta buildings. Since over 60% of the provincial government property is in Edmonton, this disproportionately harms Edmontonians who pay higher taxes to offset this provincial cutback.

In Estimates last week, Minister Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver indicated that, unlike the hundreds of millions set aside for the billionaire owner of the Calgary Flames for a new rink, the provincial government had no plans to pay their back taxes owed to Edmontonians.

"We urge the premier to pay her outstanding property taxes so our capital city afford to pay for the high-quality public services for Edmontonians."

As background, in December 2023, Councillor Janz penned an oped about the provincial tax arrears in the Edmonton Journal that he urges you to read and share: https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/michael-janz-alberta-govt-needs-to-pay-its-property-taxes-too

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Coming together for the housing emergency: Chamber of Commerce Recap

It was really promising to see the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce pull together a sold-out room today of community and business leaders around a "housing first" strategy, building on the best-practices already demonstrated by Murray Soroka (Jasper Place Wellness Centre) and Bridge Healing creator Dr. Louis Francescutti. I want to share a few highlights...

2023 Vital Signs Check-up: Let's talk about local food, food waste, and ensure every child is well-nourished.

On Thursday, November 9th, I had the privilege of sitting in on the 10th annual Vital Signs report to the community about the health and well-being of the Edmonton community. This report is a partnership of the Edmonton Community Foundation as well as the Edmonton Social Planning Council, and many other partners. Read on to learn more about their work as well as see some very challenging infographics.

Connect with Michael

Email:
Phone: 780-496-8146
Address: 1 Sir Winston Churchill Sq, 2nd Floor, Edmonton, AB T5J 2R7