PROGRESS REPORT 2019 edmontoncdc.org

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PROGRESS REPORT 2019 edmontoncdc.org
PROGRESS REPORT 2019
edmontoncdc.org
PROGRESS REPORT 2019 edmontoncdc.org
PREFACE
We were in the process of writing this report when COVID-19 became a world-wide pandemic. Like you, we have adjusted our personal and professional
lives to ensure optimal safety of our staff and board members. All of us at the Edmonton CDC hope you, your loved ones, and your neighbours are
healthy and safe.

Executive Summary
Edmonton CDC began its operations in January 2018 when Executive             We had setbacks, too. Due to austerity measures brought in by a new
Director Mark Holmgren was hired. Our start-up phase lasted for about        provincial government and the loss of any federal representation in
six months, during which we outfitted our office and began to address        Edmonton, the ArtsCommon 118 project in Alberta Avenue could not
considerations of financial management, accounting, and board                continue as originally envisioned. We began the process of rethinking
governance. Meetings took place during that time with community              the project in the last quarter and are continuing to seek a viable, go-
members and key representatives from governments, the development            forward development.
sector, and funders.
                                                                             Capturing our community development work does not fit neatly in
Karen Gingras came on board later that year as the CDC’s Director            annual reporting segments. Capital development on large parcels of
of Neighbourhood Development. Community engagement work                      land takes time, especially when engaging neighbourhoods in visioning
began with respect to parcels of land provided to the CDC by the             what they want to see built on CDC land assets. This report identifies
City of Edmonton in the Alberta Avenue, McCauley, and Fraser                 work accomplished in 2019 and ongoing into 2020.
neighbourhoods.
                                                                             Our work could not be possible without multi-year funding from the City
In 2019, we saw significant progress in our Fraser and McCauley              of Edmonton, Edmonton Community Foundation, United Way Of The
projects. Later in the year, we adapted our work to support the              Alberta Capital Region, Homeward Trust, and the Stollery Charitable
McCauley community’s successful efforts to purchase a long-time              Foundation. Project funding has also been provided by the City, the
problem property, The Piazza (a six-bay commercial strip mall in the         Alberta Government, and the Alberta Real Estate Foundation. Thanks as
heart of the neighbourhood).                                                 well to the City of Edmonton for its commitment to provide $10 million
                                                                             of land to Edmonton CDC.

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PROGRESS REPORT 2019 edmontoncdc.org
QUICK HIGHLIGHTS
    McCauley residents/stakeholders invest $1.1 million to purchase
    a community asset
    As a founding member of the McCauley Development Cooperative
    (MDC), the CDC is one of 91 member-owners of The Piazza, a six-bay
    strip mall in the heart of McCauley. The CDC invested in the project,
    served as the backbone organization, and is involved in its operations
    as a member of the MDC board. Purchase price was $2.9 million.

                                                                               Partnerships are underway with three groups interested in bringing
                                                                               to the site a basketball league, a climbing wall business, and a coffee
                                                                               shop. The key goal of the community is to have a place to gather, to
                                                                               participate in sports, to attend classes and programs, and to see the
                                                                               site as a place for social and recreational interaction.

                                                                               Update on ArtsCommon 118
                                                                               Austerity measures brought in by the UCP government and the loss of
                                                                               local champions in the last federal election prompted a major rethink of
                                                                               this exciting project on 118th Avenue (on either side of 92 Street).

                                                                               We are currently exploring a phased approach to developing the lands,
    Three development options identified for the Paskin Site in                as well as a smaller development than originally visualized. Spaces for
    McCauley                                                                   artists and creatives are still a focus, and we are investigating whether
    Working with a neighbourhood-led design team of residents and              one or both sites can include housing that is affordable for artists, most
    business owners, the CDC identified three design concepts: a Food          of whom are low-income.
    Emporium, a Makers’ Space, and a Hardware Store. Plans to engage
                                                                               Eastwood land assets
    the community at large in selecting a go-forward development were
                                                                               Beyond our focus on the developments above, we also began early
    delayed until 2020 to allow sufficient staff time to work on The Piazza.
                                                                               consultations with the Eastwood Community League in 2019 to discuss
    Fraser community chooses a Community Hub as its preferred                  what to build on the Eastwood lands provided to the CDC by the City of
    development                                                                Edmonton.
    In 2019, the CDC engaged 1,300 residents and partners in identifying
                                                                               Other initiatives and projects
    development options: housing, a food market, and a community hub.
                                                                               Later in this report are details on City grants related to a land parcel,
    The community opted for the community hub option with some space
                                                                               our inaugural Social Enterprise Bootcamp, Mobile Food Markets, the
    for a food market, if possible.
                                                                               Affordable Housing Innovation Initiative, and several other projects.
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PROGRESS REPORT 2019 edmontoncdc.org
PROJECT UPDATES
PROJECT: The Piazza                                    NEIGHBOURHOOD: McCauley
Type of                Details                         Capital           Status
Development                                            Budget

Commercial Strip       Six commercial bays             $2.9              Purchase completed. ECDC co-owner with community investors.
Mall                   employing 12 people (est.)      million
                                                                         The ECDC sits on the board governing this development.
                                                                   2019 Details

The CDC partnered with McCauley community leaders, community investors, the Social Enterprise Fund, and Lizotte Realty to purchase The Piazza
as a cooperative. This strip mall is located in the heart of McCauley on 95 Street and 108A Avenue (across the street from Giovanni Caboto Park).

Ninety-one investors (including the CDC) contributed $1.1 million to put down on this $2.9 million purchase.

The McCauley community formed an opportunity development co-op, a legal entity that can seek investments, including RRSP and TFSA transfers.

Here’s what we did:
  • We hired experts to ensure that Edmonton CDC and our neighbourhood colleagues understood the legal and regulatory requirements of seeking
    and reporting on investments made by residents and stakeholders.
  • Bylaws were drawn up by our consultants in concert with the founding co-op members and the McCauley Development Co-op (MDC) lawyer.
  • We created pro forma scenarios for the Co-op to consider.
  • The CDC joined the Board, and our Director of Neighborhood Development took on the role of Treasurer.
  • We teamed up with a realtor to approach the owner; the property at the time was not listed for sale.
  • We worked with the lender to arrange financing.
  • We coordinated the offer of purchase and due diligence activities.
  • The Co-op board created marketing collateral with guidance from our consultants, and the CDC worked with the Board and consultants to create
    the offering memorandum.
  • Our Director of Neighbourhood Development was on the team that approached investors; her efforts alone brought in $300,000 in investments.

2020 Work:             The CDC will continue to serve on the board of the MDC and to participate as an investor in and member of the Co-op. We are
                       also developing materials and workshops for communities interested in forming their own investment co-op.

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PROGRESS REPORT 2019 edmontoncdc.org
PROJECT: Paskin Site & Laydown Site                                         NEIGHBOURHOOD: McCauley
    Type of                Details                                              Capital         Status
    Development                                                                 Budget

    Three commercial       Three options: Food Emporium, Makers’ Space, or      Estimated at    Design options and engagement plans to test options with
    options identified.    Hardware Store.                                      $7 to $10       the larger community were identified. The engagement was
    Possible mixed-use                                                          million.        delayed to allow us to focus staff time on The Piazza.
    with housing on top.   A Greenhouse is envisioned on the Laydown site.

                                                                        2019 Details

    Working with a community-led design team, the CDC led engagement strategies to identify three options for
    development on this site (located on 95 Street on either side of 106 Avenue): a food emporium, a makers’
    space, and a hardware store. A commercial greenhouse was identified to be located on the laydown site
    across the street. Broad community engagement to solicit feedback about the community’s preferred option
    was delayed in 2019 to allow for the concentrated effort required to undertake The Piazza project.

    Depending on the option chosen, there will be up to six commercial bays, up to 20 jobs developed on the
    Paskin site, and one or two operators of the greenhouse/grow facility on the laydown site.

    Artist Concept Sketches, left to right: Food Emporium, Makers’ Space, and Hardware store.

    2020 Work:             Engagement of the broader community about these options begin in May 2020. Partner tenants will be sought to participate in the
                           development of this site. Predevelopment work will begin later in 2020. Rezoning will be applied for in late 2020 or early 2021.

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PROGRESS REPORT 2019 edmontoncdc.org
PROJECT UPDATES continued
PROJECT: Fraser Site                           NEIGHBOURHOOD: Fraser
Type of                Details                 Capital         Status
Development                                    Budget

Community Hub          Engaged 1300            Estimated at    Initial work began in 2019 to form partnerships with tenants wanting to locate at the
                       residents and           $7 million to   hub: a basketball association, a climbing wall company, and a café.
                       stakeholders. Now       $9 million.
                       working with three
                       tenant-partners.
                                                                    2019 Details

In 2019, the CDC partnered with the Fraser Community League, the City of Edmonton,
Communities United, and the C5 Hub to engage approximately 1300 residents and stakeholders
about development options for CDC’s 1.5-acre land parcel located in the heart of a residential area.

Engagement activities included events at the Community League, an event on the land, small group
meetings with a wide variety of stakeholders, door-to-door engagement, and a survey that solicited
feedback and ideas about what to build on the land.

Based on the engagement, three options were considered: housing, a community hub, and a year-
round market. The community decided that it did not want more housing in the area. Instead, they
asked the CDC to develop a community hub and, if possible, include in that hub a year-round market.

Based on community direction, the search began for tenant-partners who would join us in an
Integrated Project Development approach to bringing this development to life.

We ended 2019 with partners identified, and pre-development work commenced in 2020.

2020 Work:             We will undertake development using an Integrated Project Delivery approach. Partnerships with a construction company and
                       an architect are being explored. We are working with our partners to identify online approaches to pre-development and to
                       adjust our timeline in the context of COVID-19.

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PROGRESS REPORT 2019 edmontoncdc.org
PROJECT: ArtsCommon 118                                                   NEIGHBOURHOOD: Alberta Avenue
    Type of                 Details                                           Capital         Status
    Development                                                               Budget

    Creative hive/hub.      A total of 800 residents/artists have been        TBD             Undergoing a major rethink of the project.
    Housing is being        engaged in the visualization of this project.
    considered.

                                                                            2019 Details

    The austerity measures brought in by the UCP government and the loss of local champions who lost their seats in the most recent Federal election
    prompted a major rethink of this exciting project on 118 Avenue on either side of 92 Street.

    We are exploring a phased approach to development and looking into alternative funding and financing models. Spaces for artists and creatives are
    still a focus, and we are investigating whether one or both sites can include housing that is affordable to artists, most of whom are low income.

    Land shaded in yellow is owned by the Edmonton CDC for this project. Land shaded in red is land provided by the City for this project.

    2020 Work:              In 2020 we will identify our go-forward approach to this project.

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PROGRESS REPORT 2019 edmontoncdc.org
PROJECT UPDATES continued
PROJECT: Eastwood Land Parcels                                        NEIGHBOURHOOD: Eastwood
Type of               Details                                         Capital      Status
Development                                                           Budget

TBD                   Initial meetings took place with the Eastwood   TBD          In the process of finalizing the land contract with the city for
                      Community League and with potential                          three parcels. Land contract is in place for the other parcel.
                      development partners.
                                                                  2019 Details
We began early consultations with the Eastwood Community League in 2019 to discuss what to build on the CDC’s Eastwood Lands provided by the
City of Edmonton. We also began discussions with several builders who may wish to partner with us on the development of these lands.

                                                                                 Left: Located on both sides of 77nd Street and South of 119th
                                                                                 Avenue, these parcels of land are zoned RA9, which allows for the
                                                                                 construction of high-rise apartments. Yellow area is 35,777 ft 2
                                                                                 and consists of empty lots. Green area is 31,215 ft 2, and red area
                                                                                 (16,100 ft 2) has some homes/structures. We are working with the
                                                                                 City to finalize the land transfer for these three parcels.

                                                                                 Right: These lots are to the East of 76 Street and South of 120th
                                                                                 Street. Previously used for overflow parking for Coliseum events,
                                                                                 this parcel is currently paved and zoned DC2.

2020 Work:            Further engagement with the community league and other stakeholders and partnership discussions with builders are taking
                      place in 2020.

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PROGRESS REPORT 2019 edmontoncdc.org
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
    City of Edmonton Grants                                                      There are now 12 Mobile Food Market sites, with more to come. In
                                                                                 March of 2020, the CDC became a formal partner in this initiative,
    In 2016, the City identified lands across the street from the Stadium        investing funds and human resources to support mobile food markets.
    (112th Avenue and Stadium Road) to transfer to the CDC. In 2019, the         We are in the process of locating a warehouse for operations and
    City identified that significant remediation was required and withdrew       exploring the feasibility of an alternative grocery store.
    these lands from the transfer list. Thankfully, the City agreed to grant
    the CDC $1.15 million in lieu of the land transfer, which we will be
    using for other development projects.                                        Affordable Housing Innovation Initiative

    The Laydown Site associated with the Paskin development also                 The CDC was a catalyst for the development of this initiative, with
    required remediation, and the City agreed to fund this work at               MacEwan University’s Social Venture Institute, the University of Alberta,
    approximately $400,000.                                                      the City of Edmonton, and as partners. This initiative intends to use
                                                                                 research and community conversations to better understand and
                                                                                 prototype more cost-effective ways to develop affordable housing. The
    Social Enterprise Bootcamp                                                   initiative is now underway (in 2020).
    As part of our capacity-building mandate, we offered our first Social
    Enterprise Bootcamp, which had 23 participants who, after the ten-           Other 2019 Highlights Still Ongoing in 2020
    week course, left with a clearer understanding of the feasibility of their
    social enterprise ideas and activities. We partnered with the City of        We began discussing with a local dental clinic the potential to relocate
    Edmonton’s REVITE team, which provided subsidies to local residents          their operations to the Alberta Avenue District.
    in Revite neighbourhoods. Our 2020 Social Enterprise Bootcamp is
    underway and is being delivered online to 21 participants.                   We have served as a resource to city planners and others with respect
                                                                                 to the Quarters, River Crossing, the Exhibition Lands, Station Pointe,
                                                                                 and the Indigenous Wellness Centre projects.
    Mobile Food Markets
                                                                                 Our Board Chair and our Executive Director continued to serve on End
    We identified in our strategic plan an intention to launch mobile food       Poverty Edmonton’s Stewardship Round Table.
    markets in Edmonton, but as we began engagement, we realized
    that Fresh Routes from Calgary was already working on bringing their         We began working with City and non-profit partners on a pilot that
    mobile markets to Edmonton, so we joined that effort. We assisted in         would see derelict buildings in McCauley and Alberta Avenue being
    fund development work, and our Executive Director agreed to sit on the       redeveloped.
    project’s advisory committee.

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PROGRESS REPORT 2019 edmontoncdc.org
Vision
Neighbourhood residents and stakeholders collectively influence their community’s
future to attain a quality of life that is socially and economically healthy, sustainable
and attractive.

Edmonton CDC is the community’s development company.

                                      Mission
Edmonton CDC engages and collaborates with urban core neighborhoods to
understand their needs and aspirations, and to help build community capacity to
further their economic and social development. The Edmonton CDC works to foster:

   •   adequate income,
   •   affordable and relevant housing,
   •   attractive local businesses,
   •   enhanced employment opportunities, and
   •   supportive social programs.

9613 - 111 Ave NW Edmonton AB T5G 0A9 780-306-4456 info@edmontoncdc.org
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