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Photo by Curtis Galbraith.
By Curtis Galbraith
City Hall

Incentives for new apartments discussed by City Council

May 21, 2025 | 6:00 AM

Incentives to have more apartments built in Grande Prairie took up some discussion time at Grande Prairie City Council’s meeting on Tuesday.

Council approved amendments to its Development Incentives and Grants Program that will see the addition of tax breaks for developments with 125 units or more.

This would see such developments pay zero per cent in taxes the first year, 10 per cent in the second, and continuing until full taxes are paid in year 10.

Mayor Jackie Clayton says projects like this “bring significant opportunities to our community.”

“We know that we hear from industry on a regular basis that when they’re looking to expand that they need to be able to have places for people to rent.”

“We know our vacancy rate is close to zero per cent, so adding different configurations of property sizes, whether it’s a four-plex, a 30-plex (or) a 125 apartment (building), there is a need for all of them in our community.”

Council also asked administration to prepare a report on vacant lots downtown that can hold a four plex or larger building.

“With that, I think council from there will decide where is that number, that sort of minimum number for a multiplex that makes sense in incentivizing the downtown core,” adds Clayton

Clayton says the city put $44 million over four years into improving the streets and infrastructure downtown and now, council “wants to see residential be a priority in the downtown core.”

Clayton also says having this information can lead to discussion of other possible incentives.

“And once the information comes back of what is available downtown, council will have a better understanding and lay of the land and really, from there, make some decisions on other opportunities on a tax incentive on multi-families in the downtown core.”

This grew out of a presentation from a delegation wondering about incentives for converting former office space downtown into residential units.

Park Property Management Group talked to council about possible incentives for converting office space to apartments. The delegation talked about plans to establish 15 units of residential in old office space in O’Brien Place, located at 101 Avenue and 102 Street.

by Curtis Galbraith