It stands to reason the housing shortage that plagues this country will require a building boom the likes of which most of us have never seen. It also stands to reason this boom will encounter many challenges, some of which will be due to the fact that certain areas don't have adequate space, are too expensive or simply aren’t desirable places to live.
To really flourish, this building boom needs areas that have abundant acreage, are still relatively affordable and are viewed by most people as attractive landing spots. Given the Calgary region fits the bill on all accounts, it’s only logical that it would be a preferred location for developers looking to address, and capitalize on, the predicament this country finds itself in.
I guess that explains why it seems like every time I turn around these days there’s something happening on a large-scale housing proposal in these parts.
Yesterday, there was a public hearing for the Highfield & Rowland Acres Area Structure Plan in the Aldersyde area. The proposal envisions neighbourhoods being built on either side of Highway 547 east of Highway 2 with a combined population of as much as 16,000 people.
Next week, an open house is being held for the Ridgemont Neighbourhood Area Structure Plan for land at the north end of town. That development could include 1,400 to 1,700 housing units and eventually be home to 5,000 people.
Earlier this month, the firm behind the Oxbow development in Foothills County that was narrowly defeated last year brought back a revised proposal that cuts the number of housing units from 4,000 to about 2,300 in a bid to earn approval this time around.
That’s just some of the stuff that’s on the drawing board, to say nothing of the building that’s currently taking place in the D’Arcy, Wedderburn, Air Ranch and Cimarron Country Estates neighbourhoods. And that’s before you even get to the Tillotson development on the southwest side of town that could almost double Okotoks’ current population on full build-out, although we’re talking decades down the road for that to happen.
And don’t forget about Colts Crossing, a proposed development that could have as many as 2,000 units at full build-out, which would effectively double the population in Diamond Valley.
It doesn’t seem to matter where you look, the pending building boom is at our doorstep thanks to a housing crisis that has been years in the making and will only intensify if the supply side of the equation isn’t addressed.
Suffice to say, it’s going to get a lot busier around here in the coming years, which is a good thing for those in search of housing, but might not be looked upon in the same way by those who chose this area for its quieter lifestyle.
Not everything proposed will end up being built, but there’s little doubt that enough will be constructed to materially change the look and feel of this region. Most people will say that won’t be for the better, and it’s difficult to argue with that sentiment, but it all has a sense of inevitability.
