Council is reviewing a 2009-11 capital budget this fall. Here are some highlights from year two.
Total spending: $37.3 million
- Grants: $20.2 million
- Reserves: $5.7 million
- Taxes: $2.9 million
- Debt: $8.5 million *
* Debt proposed to rebuild fire hall No. 1
What's in
Fire hall No. 1, $9.5 million *
This would pay to rebuild or renovate (it's about the same cost, apparently) the city's fire hall on Sir Winston Churchill Avenue.
Riel Park redevelopment, phase two, $6.5 million
This is related to landfill remediation work that's in the utility capital plan (another $6.3 million between 2009-12). The remediation work includes capping and grading. This returns the area to its previous state.
Transit replacement plan, $3.5 million
Replaces three of the 18-metre extended buses, plus other equipment.
Heritage sites plan, $1.5 million
This continues work from the 2005 heritage sites master plan, for the river lot area adjacent to the Meadowview ball diamonds.The city and Arts and Heritage Foundation want to create a European and Métis settlement using historic buildings currently sitting empty on site. This plan determines how to service the area and where specifically everything will be located. (There's also $150,000 in the 2009 budget for this project).
Far north transit park 'n' ride, $500,000
Buys land needed for a future park 'n' ride station north of Wal-Mart. It won't be built until 2016, according to the 10-year capital plan.
Lion's Park refurbishment, $400,000
Spiff up the park and winterize the washroom facility so it can be used as a warm-up site during winter.
What's not
There's quite a few in 2010.
St. Albert Road urbanization, $15 million
With annexation complete, council needs to determine if it wants to narrow the right of way for the section of Highway 2 in the new limits, making it consistent with the rest of St. Albert Road. This would improve intersections and storm water management.
Branch library, $14.2 million
As stated in the 2009 post, the city's looking at three potential sites: Erin Ridge North (an undeveloped area planned by Landrex), the Badger site (west of Wal-Mart and currently home to the compost yard), and the future Hole's development in South Riel.
South transit park 'n' ride construct, $4 million
The city has dollars to buy the land in 2009, but funding is lacking to complete the work. (I missed this when I posted yesterday about $500,000 paying for all of the work in 2009. My apologies.)
Transit priority implementation, $2 million
Study that will determine ways to improve transit reliability and speed.
Former public works yard clean up, $1.5 million
The city sold this Riel Park land years ago, but it's still contaminated with road salt. Legally, the city has to pay for it at some point.
Servus Place fitness and wellness expansion, $550,000
There's $200,000 in the 2009 budget to come up with an expansion plan, but there are no dollars allocated for the actual work. Perhaps it's just a coincidence, but the city is projecting the 2008 Servus Place deficit will be less than anticipated, leaving an extra $551,000 at the end of the year. (The expansion is needed to alleviate the prime-time workout space crunch.)
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