One of Swift Current's former school sites could begin being developed into affordable residential housing later this year if all goes as planned.

On Monday night, Swift Current city council voted in favour of selling the mostly vacant three-acre lot that St. Joseph's Middle School used to sit on to Sidney Tams, a developer, for $310,000. According to the City, that price will cover all the costs they've expended on the property. 

"There's been no taxes made on that property likely since its inception, it could be 60-70 years, I'm not sure when the separate school got that property but there's been no taxes paid on it," Swift Current Mayor Al Bridal said following Monday night's city council meeting. "So when he does take over he'll start paying land taxes on it as soon as he takes over."

The keys to the property are set to be handed over on August 1, 2021, and part of the agreement will see the full amount paid to the City on or before that date by Tams.

The City had completed concept designs for the site previously that would have 34 dwelling units on it, however, the new developer's idea will reduce that number to 24 with a larger focus on single detached homes (20 in total), with four fourplexes on each corner of the property. 

"When we went through some of the community consultations with the neighbours, the responses were affordable housing would be really supported," Swift Current's General Manager of Planning and Growth Development Marty Salberg said. "Mostly single-family, maybe some multi-family but not large apartment-style complexes because of the density and increase in traffic... I think this type of project that's being proposed fits as well as it can within what the neighbourhood expects."

That plan will still have to be approved by council, after being reviewed at a public meeting by property owners within 75 metres of the lot.

Traffic on 2nd Avenue Southeast isn't expected to be impeded as the residential development unfolds, as the back alley will be used to bring in deep services (the City will provide these as part of the deal) and for garages. The only traffic slowdowns expect during the process would be on 3rd Avenue SE.

"On that particular property the developer might drop another $1 million into the sewer and water and things there, I'm sure he doesn't want to drop that much but it could be another million," Bridal said.

The developer anticipates the servicing portion of the development to be completed by late fall with a few houses and one fourplex built during the winter. He also expects the entire development to be filled out and done within three years.

"Serviced lots will be promoted to local builders or individual buyers while the developer intends on constructing 2-3 houses per year for resale," Salberg said.

A key part of the agreement between the City and Tams is a goal for the developer to have each house priced at $300,000 or less and he'd receive an incentive of about $8,000 per home or up to $160,000 for all 20. If that price tag isn't met, the individual that buys the home over the goal price could then apply to the City and obtain that lump some payment.

"I have absolutely no problem with the fact that we're doing some inventive things with our development policies," Swift Current City Councillor Ryan Plewis told the rest of city council. "In fact not only do I not have a problem with that I'm a great big fan of using tools like this to encourage development in our community."

And the four fourplexes will be subject to five-year tax assessment exemptions as part of the agreement too.

"One of the things I really like about this is that we're not developing property at the expense of taxpayers," Plewis said. "In the city of Swift Current, typically that's what we've done, is develop lots at the expense of taxpayers and that is done through this line of credit called property development which we pay back after we sell lots. Right now there's a third party out there that's going to take on that project."

Just over a quarter of the City's debt (around $22 million) is linked to past property development.

The city's new mayor played a part in Swift Current and Tams reaching an agreement on the lot, as he answered the phone at city hall when the first inquiring call came in. Bridal then met with Tams and his team three times afterwards sharing his insight on what kind of projects he felt would be approved by nearby residents and city council.

"I'm not one for patting myself on the back ever... It was just a little bit of back and forth and the real pat on the back goes to the people that are going to invest their money in Swift Current and I'm excited for that," Bridal said.

Part of Bridal's election platform was for more affordable housing to be added to the Swift Current market, preferably newer and not a century-old either.

"The last group of (new) houses that were sort of affordable were what Pioneer Co-op built on 6th Avenue West on the old St. Pat's School site or Dixon School site back about 20 years ago," he said.

There is one thing on the lot currently the City will have to relocate, the yard waste site and it appears they will be moving it to another former school site on the southside where the old École Oman School sat.