Page 32 - 08-Nov-Dec-2024

Partner Feature
The Suite Life
From the penthouse suite to the garden suite, infill is everywhere these days
A COLLECTIVE OF CITY builders is leaning into the opportunities afforded through Edmonton’s new zoning bylaw, and building more homes for more people in more places. For the uninitiated, building infill within already mature neighbourhoods is a challenging, but exciting prospect that requires bravery and boundless creativity.
Michael Plamondon, a partner with Ackard Contractors, feels a sense of pride and accomplishment as he sees neighbourhoods and the homes he shapes being well-loved and well-used.
“Living spaces in garden, garage, and basement suites provide opportunities for people to age-in-place, for property owners to subsidize their mortgage, and for people to find attainable housing,” he adds.
Kevin McKee, CEO with Pangman Development Corporation, agrees, noting, “properties are transforming over time to better serve the needs of a modern city. Plots of land that once accommodated four single- family homes are now being reimagined as multi-unit apartment complexes to house upwards of 50 families.”
While The City Plan has a vision for two million people with infill listed as a core component of growing the population sustainably, there’s more to it than the numbers.
“Edmonton has such a friendly spirit
and welcoming vibe that makes it feel like a close-knit community, even with over a million people,” says Sydney Bond, Vice-President
of Residential with Rescom. And even with its northern climate and the challenges inherent in building efficiently with our dramatic temperature swings, Bond affirms, “Edmonton is becoming one of the most innovative infill markets and I’m excited to be pushing the envelope with creative projects.”
People on the outside are beginning to look inwards as Edmonton continues to define best practices — with a national advertising campaign calling on people to flock our way, and policies and processes that increase speed-to-market for developers and homebuilders.
At this point, you might be asking, why wouldn’t all builders and developers want to get into the infill game? If it’s all creative projects, bolstering mature communities with new families, and high-quality eye candy on tree-lined streets as a result, what’s holding projects from moving ahead?
Bond explains, “as Rescom focuses on redeveloping established neighbourhoods, it’s common to encounter ambiguous and costly
processes related to upgrading basic infrastructure.”
These surprises can stall or stop even the most well conceived infill renovation or new build.
“Implementing programs that alleviate these burdens and streamline processes will empower developers to undertake more projects and contribute positively to community growth and sustainability,” says Kalen Anderson, CEO of BILD Edmonton Metro.
“To achieve the City’s infill targets, industry needs support from the City on streamlining processes versus greenfield development, and help with complex and aging infrastructure systems. We are encouraged by programs like the Infill Infrastructure Fund and early signals that technological improvements are being introduced.”