Prince Albert 15th Street Site Brownfield Redevelopment

The City of Prince Albert will perform a site assessment and develop a remedial action plan for a 30 acres centrally located former industrial property in order to bring it back into productive use and compliance with provincial soil standards. The redevelopment framework will follow LEED for Neighbourhood Development (LEED ND) guidelines in hopes to create a mixed use sustainable development that will address community housing needs while providing an example for future brownfield projects within the city. Preliminary Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments (ESA) revealed the following conclusions; contamination migration from adjacent wood treating facilities has resulted in the presence of creosote and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil and groundwater; historical use as a snow and fill dumping site has left road salt, petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), asphalt and general waste on site. Prince Albert will undergo a supplementary Phase II ESA in order to confirm a risk model and develop a site specific Site Management Plan with remedial options. A Corrective Action Plan, as required by Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment for changing land-use, will also be part of the site management plan documentation. It is expected that through capping and consolidation of contaminated soils, much of the remediation can be conducted on-site leading to a cost-effective remedial strategy with additional environmental benefits such as diversion of an estimated 5,000 m3 waste from landfill and a reduction of over 70 tonnes of GHGs from reduced vehicle usage. The City’s choice to revitalize central brownfield sites over peripheral greenfield development is consistent with and in support of the Prince Albert Official Community Plan and Housing Action Plan Strategy as well as the proposed Public Transit and Parks and Master Recreation Plans. Through use of the LEED ND framework, identified goals for the site’s redevelopment include; optimizing efficiency with regards to energy use, providing diverse transportation options, incorporating passive solar design, stormwater retention through greenscaping and solid waste management practices. The City of Prince Albert is a member of FCM’s Leaders in Brownfield Renewal Program (LiBRe). As part of step one of the LiBRe framework, the City has established an internal brownfield working group comprised of various municipal departments. This group has and will continue to lead a neighbourhood planning public consultation initiative which includes presenting redevelopment scenarios of the 15th Street property. The reporting schedule to City council will be on a monthly basis. The knowledge value in the initiative can be found in Prince Albert’s willingness to address growth by proactively combining several practices and prioritizing ways in which the City can develop responsibly. This type of project could be modeled by many municipalities, particularly cities of similar size that face pressures from population growth and recognize the need to develop in more adaptive, efficient and socially responsible ways. (Project description from original funding application)