Ogilvie Ridge - Building Housing Choices

Latest

For the most current information on this project, please visit HomeEd’s project page.

In October 2022, following a competitive property listing process, City Council approved a recommendation that the Ogilvie Ridge Building Housing Choices’ site be sold to HomeEd, an Edmonton non-profit organization committed to developing quality and affordable housing solutions.

HomeEd plans to develop the site with a mix of affordable and market units with environmentally sustainable and accessible features. They hosted two interactive workshops on November 23 and 24, 2022. They will also lead engagement on a Good Neighbour Plan.

Building Housing Choices

Edmonton is facing a critical shortage of affordable housing options. Nearly 1 in 7 households struggle to find housing that is affordable, safe and well-maintained. To address this gap, the City works with housing providers to create a range of affordable options through grants and land sales, including the use of surplus school sites through the Building Housing Choices program.

Background

In 2015, Council approved the 0.8-hectare surplus school site at 915 Ogilvie Boulevard NW for an affordable housing development. In 2020, City Council approved the relocation of the development to the southeast corner of the site.

In Spring 2021, residents, businesses and organizations in Ogilvie Ridge were invited to share input on the criteria for selecting a developer/operator to build and manage the development. This community feedback was summarized in a What We Heard’report and included with the competitive property sale listing completed in 2022.

The remaining 3.63 hectares of planned open space surrounding the housing development will be retained by the City and continue to serve sport, recreation and community uses as identified in the original Neighbourhood Structure Plan.

Site Visuals

Alternate building site approved in 2020

Project Updates

Following a competitive property listing process, City of Edmonton administration is recommending that the Ogilvie Ridge Building Housing Choices’ site be sold to HomeEd, an Edmonton non-profit organization committed to developing quality and affordable housing solutions. HomeEd plans to develop the site with a mix of market and affordable units with environmentally sustainable and accessible features. This proposed sale will be considered by Executive Committee on Sept. 28, 2022.

More information is available on the City of Edmonton’s Council and Committee Meetings’ web page, including the report on this proposed sale.

Once a developer/operator has been selected, they will lead engagement on design concepts and a Good Neighbour Plan.

Learn More

Affordable Housing

There is a critical shortage of housing to meet the needs of all Edmontonians. Residents of all ages, including low-wage workers, retirees, single-income families, newcomers, and people who need income support, are struggling to cover their housing costs.

Increasing the supply of affordable housing will ease this financial strain and help us build an inclusive city where everyone can enjoy the safety, stability and opportunity that housing provides.

View our FAQs about Affordable Housing.

Community Engagement

Engaging with the public is a priority for the City of Edmonton. City Council and Administration believe that active, engaged Edmontonians make for a more vibrant, positive and welcoming city, while also leading to better decisions.

Public engagement creates opportunities for people to contribute to the City's policies, programs, projects, and services, and communicates how public input is collected and used.

Highlights

Spring 2021 — Due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City used digital engagement methods to gather community input on draft developer/operator criteria in spring/summer 2021. An Engaged Edmonton page and survey were available to all Ogilvie Ridge residents from April 1 - June 6, 2021.

What We Heard Report

June 21, 2018 — The City held its third Community Conversation, at Earl Buxton School, providing residents an opportunity to share feedback and perspectives on the building site location and hear about next steps.

June 8, 2016 — The City held its second Community Conversation, at George H. Luck School, to share feedback from the previous public meeting, share new information, receive input, and answer questions.

November 16, 2015 — The City held a Community Conversation at Whitemud Creek Community Centre, the first of a series of public meetings on this project, to share information, receive input and answer questions.

Whitemud Creek Homeowners Association

The Whitemud Creek Homeowners Association has been serving as an advisory committee to share community viewpoints on the project.

Highlights

Spring 2021 — Virtual meetings were held with representatives from the Ogilvie Ridge Community League and Whitemud Creek Homeowners Association.

May 2018 — City staff met with the Whitemud Creek Homeowners Association to review and provide comments on draft materials prepared for the June 21, 2018 Community Conversation. The suggestions provided were incorporated into the final open house materials.

June 2017 — City staff met with the Whitemud Creek Homeowners Association to discuss potential impacts of their building site location preference, and the broader community’s desire for the development to be seniors’ housing. City staff agreed to review these requests and explained that any exemptions or deviations from Council policy requires Council approval.

November 2016 — The City reached out to the Whitemud Creek Homeowners Association to discuss working together to develop the criteria that will be used to solicit proposals from potential builder/operators.

May 2016 — The City met with the Whitemud Creek Homeowners Association to develop an understanding of the project and review the engagement process for the June 8, 2016 Community Conversation. Suggestions provided were incorporated into final open house materials.

Council Reports

Oct 3, 2022 — Council approves an agreement for the sale of land (Item 7.6).

Sept 28, 2022 — Executive Committee approves City Administration's recommendation that the Ogilvie Ridge Building Housing Choices site be sold to HomeEd (item 7.1).

November 30, 2020 — Executive Committee approved City Administration's proposal to relocate the development to the southeast corner of the site (item 6.6).

Background:

At the June 21, 2018 Community Conversation at Earl Buxton School, community members expressed a strong preference for the development to be moved to an alternate building location within the surplus school site. The feedback received was compiled into a What We Heard document.

In response, the City explored the technical and economic feasibility of moving the development from the approved north-central portion to an alternate portion on the southeast side. The feasibility study was favourable and the City acted on the community’s request to relocate the development to the southeast corner of the site.

May 23, 2017 — City Administration brought an information report to Executive Committee on the ‘ancillary use’ provision in Policy C583 (item 6.9). This provision allows housing developments on former school sites, including the site in Ogilvie Ridge, with the opportunity to include secondary uses that might complement the development and/or benefit the immediate neighbourhood, such as hair salons, coffee shops or convenience stores.

April 19, 2017 — City Administration brought an information report to Urban Planning Committee containing a status update on the Keheewin and Ogilvie Ridge surplus school site housing developments (item 6.3).

July 2015 — City Council approved Policy C583, providing development guidelines for mixed-market affordable housing on undeveloped surplus school sites.

Seniors Designation

Early community feedback indicated a desire for the site to be designated as affordable housing exclusively for seniors. At the August 21, 2018 City Council meeting, Councillor Cartmell made the following motion:

That Administration, as part of the competitive development process for the Ogilvie Ridge surplus school site, include the following conditions:

That only development proposals focused on seniors housing will be considered
That only development proposals for the alternative building location be considered
That if a sufficient number of acceptable proposals are not received within 120 days, conditions 1 and 2 will be removed and the competitive process proposal deadline will be extended

The motion did not pass and the site will not be designated as exclusively seniors housing. The City will proceed with obtaining Council approval for the alternative site and proceed with public offering.

Next Steps

Developer/Operator Selection and Public Engagement

A developer/operator will be selected through a property listing posted on the City's website and multiple listing services (MLS).

Having a developer/operator on board will allow the City to provide more detailed information that many residents have been seeking around building and site design, and ongoing operation and maintenance.

Design Concepts and Public Engagement

The selected developer/operator will develop and share initial design concepts with the community for input. The concepts will take into account the community's earlier feedback on development scenarios. Additional feedback received will be used to refine the final design concept.

The developer/operator will also collect input on a Good Neighbour Plan, a tool for developing and maintaining a positive relationship between an affordable housing development and the community it is joining.

Rezoning

A proposal to rezone the site based on the final design concept will go before Council for a decision. There will be opportunity for residents to share their views on the land use with Council when the proposed rezoning goes to public hearing.

For More Information

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Building Housing Choices

Ogilvie Ridge - Building Housing Choices

Latest

Building Housing Choices

Background

Site Visuals

Project Updates

Project Timeline

Learn More

View our FAQs about Affordable Housing.

Background:

For More Information

311 Contact Centre

Building Housing Choices