Town authorizes conditional payment to WHMB for Wheatland Lodge
By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Town of Strathmore authorized the payment of $463,389 for design work on the Wheatland Housing Management Body’s (WHMB) proposed 120-unit Wheatland Lodge.
This payment is aimed to help get the project to a “shovel ready” status for application to a provincial granting program. The funds approved to finance the payment are to come from the town’s financial stabilization fund.
It was specified that the transfer of those monies is contingent on all other funding partners for the project authorizing payment of their proportionate shares of the design work.
The request was clarified to council to not be for monies additional to the initial project budget, rather, it was a request for a portion of the initial project budget in order to complete design work, such that the project is shovel ready, prior to the province’s affordable housing partnership program intake for capital funding requests this fall.
“The $463,389 currently requested would be within the capital requisition of $566,625, variance on which is only subject to the evaluation of the town-owned lands to be donated as the proposed lodge site as part of the town’s contribution,” said Kevin Scoble, chief administrative officer with the Town of Strathmore. “Typically, the province either requires or more highly prioritizes shovel-ready projects, and that is our understanding of the WHMB’s request … is to take that to that shovel ready, to improve the prioritization by the province in awarding money.”
Mayor Pat Fule stressed the fact that the money being requested by the WHMB is strictly part of the $566,625 previously approved by council for the project in April 2023, contingent on other factors, and is not an extra money.
Regarding the Provincial Partnership Program Grant, the WHMB is lobbying the province for support, and a contribution in the amount of $7,140,000. The awarding of this grant is one of the conditions set out by the town as a contingent of their support.
According to information presented to council by administration, provincial funding for seniors housing has become expected to increase significantly, though with an impetus on shovel-ready projects.
The WHMB is aiming to advance the hospice building from a Class B Budget to a Class A budget, for which they are requesting contributions from all of their funding partners, totaling $1.4 million.
A Class B Budget is prepared when a project is at a “detailed design” stage, which is defined as having a finalized space program, as well as having the drawings and specifications for all disciplines complete to 99 per cent. At this stage, addendums to clarify certain aspects of the project may still be issued.
A Class A Budget refers to an estimate attained when the bids for a project have been received, evaluated, verified, and the award of the development contract has been made.
More information about the project is available via the Town of Strathmore council’s public meeting agenda for March 27, as well as via the public meeting posted to the town’s YouTube channel.