By COLLIN GALLANT on July 18, 2020.<\/p>\n
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com<\/a><\/p>\n A new proposal to use the Maple Avenue Firehall for an expansion of the food bank to a community food centre will be brought forward to city council on Monday, the agency announced late Friday.<\/p>\n And that might not be the biggest news coming forward from the citys land department in the near future.<\/p>\n The citys two-year-old plan to focus on marketing excess properties is also expected to ramp up, with a recent report noting that 40 such properties are under consideration.<\/p>\n The expanding Invest Medicine Hat office at city hall is also seeking a real estate specialist.<\/p>\n The plans goal is to spur private sector development in mature communities an effort to add tax base without adding costs. Revenue is also nice.<\/p>\n To this point the effort has seen a half-dozen lots go up for sale. Some have brought controversy such as the green space near Primrose Drive. The fire hall-food bank swap seemingly nips a conttroversy in the bud Hill residents didnt want the facility to go into the former Central Park School, but that huge, S.D. 76-owned lot is now a question mark in a mature community. It will be empty this fall, when francophone students of cole Les Cypres move to a new school in Saamis (which is almost complete).<\/p>\n Another city land sale last year, the News revealed this week, will see a Starbucks sprout up by late next year at he intersection of Altawawa and Parkview drives.<\/p>\n The locally owned, private development company behind that commercial building (four store fronts, and pad building for drive-thru coffee service) tells the News the final budget could be $2 million, including the cost of land, $371,000.<\/p>\n Cash rolling<\/p>\n After previous few details about a provincial plan to boost spending and jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic flu, the announcements are starting to come in.<\/p>\n Twinning a portion of Highway 3 for $150 million is the headline item of local note in a billion-dollar program that was only outlined in April.<\/p>\n Medicine Hat College got $860,000 this week for electrical upgrades at the campus, and the press release reveals the infrastructure boost for post-secondary facilities will be about $98 million. That about doubles the post-secondary spending his year on upkeep across the province, but is half allocated after this week saw about $20 million each go to the Olds Agricultural College and the University of Lethbridge.<\/p>\n A look ahead<\/p>\n The municipal planning commission meets Wednesday to discuss a slew of land use changes meant to bolster infill and redevelopment in mature neighbourhoods, including provisions to allow more secondary suites,live-workspaces, residential construction on smaller lots and other measures.<\/p>\n 100 years Ago<\/p>\n Young Robert Babber of Medicine Hat won the UFAs gopher contest, bringing in a total of 590 tails to win $8 grand prize in the competition, the News rerpoted in July 1920.<\/p>\n The first year of the competition brought in a total of 2,145 tails, the recently formed Medicine Hat branch of the United Farmers movement announced.<\/p>\n The group was also raising funds to bring in Rainmaker Hatfield and would join a group of promoters along the Crowsnest rail line to pay the rainmakers $11,000 fee.<\/p>\n In Ottawa, Arthur Meighen became Prime Minsiter folowing the retirement of Robert Borden.<\/p>\n Three autos, including one belonging to the Alberta Provincial Police, were stolen from the downtown area in Medicine Hat over the weekend, leading to a statement from authorities: When vehilce is left unwatched, first remove the key.<\/p>\n Collin Gallant covers city politics and a variety of topics for the Medicine Hat News. Reach him at 403-528-5664 or via email at cgallant@medicinehatnews.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n You must be logged in to post a comment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Go here to see the original: <\/p>\n City Notebook: Land, lots of land, and more news coming - Medicine Hat News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By COLLIN GALLANT on July 18, 2020. cgallant@medicinehatnews.com<\/a> A new proposal to use the Maple Avenue Firehall for an expansion of the food bank to a community food centre will be brought forward to city council on Monday, the agency announced late Friday Continue reading