The City of Yorkton's slogan is Where Good Things Happen, but what are those things? Mayor Bob Maloney spoke at a recent Chamber of Commerce luncheon to talk about what's happening in the city right now.
The growth the city is experiencing is not slowing down. The enrollment in the Good Spirit School Division is up, and there were $5.7 million in building permits, which includes a 29 unit apartment building on Allanbrooke Drive. "It shows that the boom that Yorkton is experiencing has certainly not bottomed out," Maloney says.
One of the projects getting planned for the near future is the Broadway redevelopment, something Maloney describes as potentially being the second-largest project the city has undertaken. The plan is to go from 7th Ave. to the Gallagher Centre and replacing the in-ground infrastructure under the street. Right now, Maloney says, the city is working with engineers to assess the scope of the work required, as well as how to minimize the impact on area businesses. He says it could go as high as $30 million, depending on how much work is needed.
There will also be plans for deep trunk water mains to service lands east of the city. Unlike the Broadway project, this will be a project that is done in phases. It will be a large expense, Maloney warns, but if the city is going to grow it's an expense that needs to happen.
"In order to service new development on the east of the city, we have to do this, we do not have capacity in our existing system," Maloney says.
On the subject of water people don't want, he says that storm sewer system upgrades are continuing apace, with the ponds being developed and work being done to improve the system. Maloney says that since storms are becoming more common, it's a system that's becoming increasingly necessary.
The Parkland College's new Trades and Technology center was also mentioned as a positive for the city, and Maloney says that as it costs more to send kids to post-secondary, he sees the college having an increasingly important role in the city, as well as having more programs.
"Support them in their efforts to grow our college because it's going to be huge in the future of our city."
The concern right now is getting lots ready for development, and pricing them at a rate people can afford. Maloney says that while the price of lots might look concerning, the city only makes about six per cent on the lots. The lots themselves are selling at a rapid rate.
There have been many different businesses built in the last year, the mayor points out, and there is other development happening in the near future. He says this new business is good to see, and the city needs to keep on top of the infrastructure needed to keep Yorkton a place where businesses want to invest and develop.
