Commercial Growth

Please take some time to review this section on plans for Chestermere. They are actual and now with the changes Minister McIver has made, are in severe jeopardy of being realized.  - Jeff Colvin, ex-Mayor of Chestermere

It is imperative that Chestermere develop its Commercial Tax Base. Prior to being elected our Tax Base ratio was approx. 96% Residential & 4% Commercial. A Cities target ratio should be 40% Residential & 60% Commercial. 

With in two years, we have $4.24 Billion dollars of commercial projects in process, under contract and being negotiated on. This will translate to approx. $25 million dollars of commercial tax dollars paid annually. This will bring our commercial tax base well over what is required to operate the city and we can cut our residential taxes by another full 25% ($4M) and use the remaining  funds and add money to recreation, a Heritage fund and debt.

 Chestermere has never seen results like this. We need to work the plan and allow all these areas to be rebuilt on strong foundations, NO MORE BS!

It takes a council with business experience to change what the focus and rebalance the risks of having to low of a ratio. Our Strategic Advisory Group had just set up a top skilled Team of experts for Economic Development, that had many more leads and huge potential to add to and enhance these in progress Commercial projects.

Past Chestermere, Councils have not understood what it takes to attract businesses. I've heard past Councils say:

•  "Build it & they will come" - With who's money are they doing this and what experience do they have to understand it? 

  • This is how we got Webster Industrial, approx. $35M blunder by a Council that had no experience as evident by the mistakes that were made. Location, cost of services, timing of development, market interest. They gambled $35M and missed and we fixed it! 10 years later.

  • How we got Lift Station 13, complete debacle. $8.5M jumped to $24M. Our City currently uses only approx. 4% capacity. So massively overbuilt it speaks to incompetence and corruption.

 Economic zones identify areas that are the workhorse for our financial return to us all, the owners of our City. It is important that these economic zones provide dual purpose. Not only do they provide a commercial tax base or a return to us citizens, they provide access to amenities and services that we all want to make our lives easier and more enjoyable. 

There are three primary economic zones we are focusing on at this point in Chestermere's growth cycle. Some we are late on and should have had years ago, some are becoming more essential and some will take Chestermere and its residents to the next level, which not many City's are able to obtain.  

1. Restaurants & Retail

2. Business Districts

3. Medical

Please, take the time to review the successes this council has achieved in a very short period within these economic zones that will reshape the fabric of our culture, economic landscape and enhance all our quality of life.

Lower taxes, increased amenities, stores, retail, restaurants and improved recreation, increased support for social programs, community sponsorships and a stronger long term foundation for the Community.

New Commercial Development In Progress, Under Contract & In Negotiations

$400m Clearwater Medical Campus

$950m of Value, $32M of land revenue, Serenity Medical District 

$100M  of Value, $20M of land revenue to City, Westcreek Business Campus

$250M of Value, $19M of land revenue to City, Little Italy, Restaurants, Retail & Professional Centre

$260M of Value, $25M of land revenue to City, Entertainment  District & Boardwalk 

$80M of Value, $12M of land revenue to City, Main street Restaurants, Retail

$1 Billion of Value, Clearwater Business Park 

$200M Clearwater Pedestrian Street Mall

$1 Billion of Value,  Centron Industrial Park 

$4.24B of Commercial Development, with $108M of land revenue to the City.

In summary, Approx.  $25M of new Commercial Tax Revenue per year to the City and the City will earn approx. $108M of land sale revenue.