Minister of Municipal Affairs and Airdrie Council announce Community Revitalization Levy

January 25, 2023 / For immediate release

AIRDRIE, AB: Minister of Municipal Affairs, Rebecca Schulz, was in Airdrie January 25 to announce, alongside Mayor Peter Brown, the commencement of the Community Revitalization Levy (CRL) - a new tool to help fund revitalization in the Downtown area.

“This levy empowers Airdrie to improve its downtown core, which will attract investment, boost economic growth and create jobs. New development will strengthen Airdrie’s tax base, and help revitalize this area of the community, which will benefit the city in the long term,” said Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Municipal Affairs

“We appreciate the support of the province to help us fund revitalization projects associated with Airdrie’s Downtown Plan over the next 20 years,” says Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown. “This is an innovative funding mechanism that helps our community reach our vision for the Downtown without putting additional pressure on taxpayers.” 

Airdrie has grown rapidly, doubling in size over the last 10 years. Airdrie is currently the fifth largest City in Alberta and on track to be the third largest within 15-20 years. The projects the CRL will enable Airdrie to complete will help bring lively community gathering spaces that reflect our mid sized City status and prepare for something larger.

Funds from the CRL are proposed to be used in the following ways:

• comprehensive environmental site assessment to determine the extent of any soil contamination or other hindrances to redevelopment;
• municipal financial assistance or action to address contaminated areas;
• community spaces in the new Downtown Multi-Use Facility and Library that strengthen a growing knowledge-based economy;
• construction of municipal parking structures in strategic locations to address current parking issues and prepare for future parking needs;
• integration and beatification of Nose Creek in the downtown area that will make it a focal public gathering place within the downtown; and,
• beautification and evaluation of Main Street within the downtown core to achieve the desired combination of economic supports

The CRL was developed by the Province to allow municipalities to use the provincial portion of tax revenues from assessment increases in a particular area for municipal projects.

A CRL is not an additional property tax — it does not change the taxes paid by property owners. When there are increases to assessed property values in a defined CRL area, the municipal revenue and the provincial education portion of the property tax collected on the increased value is spent on public improvement projects in the CRL area. It’s a funding mechanism that means Airdrie property owners will pay less for the public improvement projects that will make the Downtown a place that people love.

The City of Airdrie has been working on the proposed CRL since the Province relaunched the program in July. Provincial officials recently accelerated the final approval process, so City Council held a Special Meeting December 28 to debate a new Bylaw to enact the CRL. With the approval process now complete, the long-term value for Airdrie can be maximized.

To find out more about the CRP and proposed projects, and see a map of the CRL area, go to airdrie.ca/CRL

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Media Contact
Stephen Utz
Stephen.Utz@airdrie.ca
403.948.8800 ext 8471