City council votes to restrict commercial development in Regina's Wascana Centre

Regina is one step closer to having the Wascana Centre protected from future commercial development.

During Monday's city council meeting, councillors voted unanimously in favour of three recommendations to help restrict future commercial development in the centre, also referred to as Wascana Park.

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The recommendations include city council committing to protect Wascana Centre from "future commercial development that does not directly serve the needs of, or benefits those using the park."

The motion also recommends city council oppose future commercial development in the centre that does not meet the city's Master Plan and has not undergone public consultation, as well as city council requesting a public consultation from the Provincial Capital Commission (PCC) regarding the centre's future.

"Our residents have spoken in a near unanimous voice," said Bob Hawkins, who has been outspoken about restricting commercial developments in the centre. "This is our chance, perhaps our only chance, to protect the park."

"I call on the premier to hear your voices. I call on the Regina MLAs to speak for all of us. I call on the opposition to insist on transparency and accountability," he said.

Mayor Michael Fougere emphasized his support for the motion but called it "symbolic," saying the city does not have the authority to direct PCC decisions. 

Developments in Wasanca Centre are decided by the PCC, which is a board comprised of three representatives from the province, one from the University of Regina, and one from the City of Regina.

Fougere also said the city does not have the authority to control or undo projects already in the works.

Delegations

There were 14 delegations scheduled to speak at the meeting, nearly all of whom spoke in favour of the motion with the exception of Vianne Timmons, president of the University of Regina.

She expressed concerns the motion would limit the university's development, saying the U of R is the biggest developer in the park.

"We have to undertake development on our campuses from time to time, as we have always done," she said.

The university currently enrolls about 15,000 students, as well as over 3,000 faculty and staff, according to Timmons.

"We need to develop and enhance our facilities to meet growing and demanding needs," she said.

In a deal with Conexus Credit Union, the U of R is receiving $8.25 million from Conexus Credit Union for building upgrades to their College Avenue Campus, which sees about 8,000 students every year.

In exchange, Conexus is building an 80,000-square-foot office building on park land transferred to the U of R from the city. Timmons said Conexus has a 90-year lease and will be paying rent to the U of R.

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Timmons also addressed concerns about tree removal in the centre, saying Conexus will plant three mature trees for each tree removed during construction.

According to city officials, Conexus is projected to pay about $160,000 per year in property taxes.

Councillor Jerry Flegel was also hesitant on the motion.

"I don't see any teeth in it. All I see is words and we have those words with the provincial government already," he said.

Flegel pointed out the centre is largely controlled by the provincial government and recommended people reach out to their MLA's regarding concerns about Wascana Centre.

He did, however, end up voting in favour of the motion.