Moose Jaw city council approved more subdivisions on River Street West on Monday as it continues to correct lot boundaries and pave the way for a new hotel.
At issue were the lots on the north side of the zero block of River Street West and a parcel of land on the southeast corner of the intersection of First Avenue Northwest and River Street West.
Council voted unanimously to consolidate the lots on the north end of the block while removing the tie between the north and south parcels of land at the intersection of River Street and First Avenue. The vote did not include Coun. Jamey Logan, who was absent, and Mayor James Murdock, who declared a conflict of interest due to a financial interest in the project.
Manager of planning Kam Vosough clarified that this again cleans up some of the boundaries left over from a previous project.
“The area includes portions of a former street parcel that was originally created for a roundabout project that was never constructed before,” he said.
Vosough added that, at this point, service connections are not needed for the hotel project.
“Infrastructure connections will be handled at the development permit stage, and moreover, we haven’t received any kind of concerns from other utility providers and companies during our circulation,” he said.
The subdivision will leave a large 0.35-hectare lot to the north on River Street and a 0.2-hectare standalone lot to the south.
Dubbed the “Brunswick Hotel” project, during executive committee on July 14, council approved a five-year, 100 per cent tax exemption for the development, commencing the following Jan. 1 after it opens, subject to approval from the province for the education tax.
Council also agreed to waive the $49.60 per gross acre development levy and landfill fees for up to 3,000 tonnes of non-contaminated materials associated with excavation and construction.
The city also plans to allocate a portion of the community services capital budget — up to $250,000 — for the design and implementation of streetscape enhancements to the zero block of River Street West, as outlined in the Downtown Local Area Plan.
The city has previously confirmed that a group of local businesspeople has purchased the land and plans to build an All-Suites Hilton Tapestry Collection hotel across the street from Temple Gardens Centre.