Despite economic headwinds and now a full-blown pandemic, the Battleford West development continues to forge ahead.
Battleford West Properties Ltd. president Dean Kupchanko has big plans to move forward with the next portion of the project. It is Country Estates, an acreage subdivision along Highway 40 and Sunset Boulevard in Battleford.
Kupchanko has announced that it is now taking deposits on 10 acreage lots in Country Estates. The lots are touted as enormous in size compared to what you would find in most city or town lots in Battleford or North Battleford.
Eight of the lots are half-acre lots that are 115 wide by 200 feet deep.
“The average city lot would be 50 by 100 ft, so it would be double that size,” said Kupchanko.
There are also two one-acre lots being offered that are 150 feet wide by 285 feet deep.
Kupchanko is touting the acreage-size as a big selling point.
“Where else can you find an acreage style lot within a municipality like the town of Battleford — so you have all the services and yet you’ve got this fantastic sunset view, you’ve got sunrise view, existing trees. It’s just really hard to find virtually anywhere else.”
The Country Estates project has been in the works for some time. It had long been planned as part of the Battleford West project that has been developed over the past dozen years to the west of Highway 4 South.
Battleford West broke ground in the spring of 2008 and the actual design work for Country Estates was done in 2007.
The engineering drawings were done in 2018 and the intention was to seek deposits on 33 lots in Country Estates back in 2018. Kupchanko noted they received 23 deposits for lots, but the project then stalled due to the real estate bust of 2018.
Kupchanko explained that “the economy just wasn’t enough to support people selling their own houses,” so they didn’t have the support to go ahead in 2019.
So “we went back to the drawing board with the engineer,” and figured out they could offer 10 lots on the east side of the subdivision.
He said the land there starts on a high elevation on the east and then slopes down toward the river, so they can drain back into the existing sewer system. As a result they don’t have to build a highly expensive lift station
Now, the intention is to go ahead this year but with a phased approach. The initial 10 lots next to Sunset Boulevard are included in phase one, which would be completed by mid-2019.
Afterwards, phase two would see another 10 lots developed along Country Estates Drive alongside highway 40, and phase three would see 13 lots developed just to the north of where Phase One and Two are located.
The 10 lots in Phase One will be connected to the Town of Battleford water and sewer system, and the roadways will be paved, with paved access to each lot. New evergreen trees will be lined on both sides as well.
The half-acre lots are going for between $84,900 to $89,900 while the two one-acre lots go for $94,900 to $104,900.
Kupchanko is asking for $1,000 deposits to reserve a lot, and the balance of the deposit equaling 10 per cent of the lot price is due by Sept. 15 of this year. The balance will be on completion of construction, which is expected by July of next year.
His hope is to get deposits on at least six of the lots by then. If that happens, they will proceed with the water and sewer infrastructure and road/ditch grading this year.
Then in the spring they will do the roadwork, planting of trees and streetlights. By this time next year the project should be complete.
Kupchanko believes now is a good time to proceed despite the whole COVID-19 pandemic situation. He feels the economy is now ready to go on an upswing again and further believes “life carries on.”
What’s more, he noted the “continued growth” of Battleford and the Battlefords region. He cited census numbers showing growth of 10 per cent in each of those five years.
“We anticipate that it will continue to grow, there will be demand,” said Kupchanko. He noted they did get 23 deposits for Country Estates two years ago, and a lot of people liked what they were offering in Battleford West.
“You’re out kind of in the farmland, but yet you’re within the town and in walking distance to Tim Hortons and the Co-op and the Sobey’s liquor store and the related pizza offerings in Battleford Crossing,” said Kupchanko. Kupchanko adds those services will only continue, and he is promoting a new building that he hopes will mean even more retail for the area.
“We’re going to press on,” said Kupchanko. “With any luck we hope to be breaking ground in the spring.”
