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Killdeer Park lots for sale as indicated in yellow. (Submitted photo/City of North Battleford)
Serviced lots available

City adjusting prices for vacant lots in Killdeer Park neighbourhood to attract buyers

Mar 30, 2021 | 3:02 PM

The City of North Battleford has adjusted the pricing for its 47 residential serviced vacant lots still available for sale in the Killdeer Park neighbourhood.

“There was a discount in the past that we are now just re-pricing into the lots. We’re just trying to obviously get more interest in the subdivision,” Mayor David Gillan said. “We’re always reviewing the pricing, making sure it’s competitive and it’s doing what it’s supposed to do which is attracting new residents. It’s an excellent place to live.”

The city is hoping the adjustments and continued incentives will help spur development in North Battleford, as revenues were down in 2020 for land sales overall compared to previous years.

There are 47 lots for sale in Killdeer. (City of North Battleford/Supplied)

The issue was initially discussed at the recent planning meeting.

In 2020 the city offered a 15 per cent discount for a limited time on the list price of available residential lots in the Fairview Heights and Killdeer Park neighbourhoods.

“While Fairview is beginning to fill in, Killdeer has remained basically vacant,” junior planner Brett Kitchen said in his report. “This is in part due to Fairview being cheaper.”

To encourage the sale of vacant lots in Killdeer, administration proposed adjusting prices from $14.28 per sq. ft. to $12.13 per sq. ft.

“This pricing aligns with the sale and the prices that were offered in 2019 and 2020,” Kitchen said.

Lots in Fairview currently remain at $11.38 per sq. ft., with only several lots still available for sale.

The city’s residential build incentive program is also available, which offers abatements of the municipal portion of property taxes, from 100 per cent in the first year to 50 per cent in the fifth year.

The committee also discussed repricing available vacant corner lots in Killdeer Park and Fairview Heights, which can be harder to move.

Council approved the following administration recommendations: to renew residential, downtown, and key corridor incentive policies for one year; remove the 15 per off residential land sales for Fairview Heights and Killdeer Park; re-price Killdeer Park lots from $14.28 per sq. ft. to $12.13 per sq. ft., and allow administration to re-price corner lots in Fairview Heights and Killdeer Park.

Mayor Gillan hopes the repricing and other incentives will lead to more development.

“With Covid going on, it’s a difficult time for everybody. But obviously we’re still trying to attract new home builders. So we are hoping for 2021 to be a lot better than 2020,” he said.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

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