Five commercial buildings under construction in Sierra Springs

Airdronians wanting to shop close to home will soon have more options.

Five new buildings with a total construction value of $13.8 million are being constructed north of Walmart in the commercial district of Sierra Springs. The projects, which will be ongoing this summer, will fill approximately one-third of the area between Tim Hortons and Walmart and contain a number of businesses.

“It is exciting,” said Kent Rupert, of the City’s economic development department. “We are starting to see lots of activity in the whole Sierra Springs area.”

The projects include Airdrie’s first London Drugs, a second Scotiabank branch and a Burger King. Two other multi-bay commercial buildings will host a number of businesses, most of which have not yet been confirmed.

The land is owned by Hopewell Development Corporation and plans for construction of a non-residential hub have been in place since 2006.

However, the recent recession, which started in 2008, delayed the company’s start.

The City has worked closely with Hopewell in planning the lands to provide increased services for residents, said Rupert.

“By adding more services, it gives more opportunity for residents to shop in their local community and support their local businesses,” he said.

The projects will also contribute to Airdrie’s non-residential tax base.

According to Rupert, City council’s vision is to achieve a 70 to 30 split in residential to non-residential assessment values in Airdrie. Currently, the split is 84.3 per cent for residential and 15.7 per cent for businesses.

“When you are growing at an average (residential rate) of eight per cent annually, it is always a challenge to keep up (non-residential tax base),” said Rupert. “But the timing is right.”