Battleford town council has approved a municipal tax abatement for owners of the Canada Post building as the town looks to make a policy regarding downtown tax abatements.
Fieldstone Holdings Ltd. recently requested an abatement for the upper two floors of the post office, which council granted last year.
According to an administrative report, “the owner of the building is currently in the design phase to develop upper floors.” The upper two floors are currently not rentable or able to generate revenue.
The matter is relevant in regards to tax incentives for businesses. Downtown revitalization through tax incentives is something council is looking into.
One idea is to create a policy around downtown tax incentives, although specifics are yet to be determined.
Councillor Susan McLean Tady said she struggled with the proposal from Fieldstone Holdings.
“I appreciate that they’ve taken that building on, and brought Canada Post back,” McLean Tady said, although she said abatements regarding building improvements should be subject to a policy.
Councillor Judy Pruden characterized the situation of abating taxes before a policy is in place as “piecing it together.”
Future plans for a business-friendly Battleford, Chief Administrative Officer John Enns-Wind said, include “engag[ing] the downtown and the highway commercial area about what we can do.”
