Urban Strategies worked with Amacon to develop a revised master plan for an aging shopping centre in St. Albert, Alberta. Amacon acquired the site in 2008 and secured approvals for a mixed-use redevelopment including some 1,200 units. Urban Strategies worked closely with Amacon to revise the approved scheme to better reflect market trends in retail and residential products, improve the urban design and public realm conditions, and to reflect the evolved municipal policy context. Urban Strategies had recently completed a Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan for St. Albert, and was strategically positioned to support Amacon in developing an excellent plan for the site.
The final master plan was based on an assessment of market conditions and involved public and political consultations to build support for the project. Urban Strategies created a phasing plan that allowed Amacon to begin construction of the first phases of the project ahead of a full rezoning of the site, and the first phases are now under construction. Urban Strategies managed the consultant team supporting the municipal approvals process, including transportation, fiscal, engineering, and architectural analysis. Municipal planning approvals were secured in April 2016.
