The appeal of infill living in Edmonton

New homeowning opportunities abound in Edmonton with the continued growth of new communities along its outer limits. Infill living, however, has gained a new appeal with the emergence of distinctive, forward-thinking developments closer to the city’s core.

Building a new home in some of the more established communities surrounding Edmonton’s downtown has always been perceived to be costlier compared to new homes in the suburbs. But with new developments like Village at Griesbach and Blatchford that are located nearer the core, there is a more appealing way of living the downtown lifestyle at a more economical way.

Infill development does speak to sustainability and Edmonton is serious about planning much of its future growth along established neighbourhoods and repurposed land or brownfield developments.

And the passing of Edmonton’s strategic land use plan last year paves the way for even more growth in the industry.
“The wonderful thing about living in an infill development is the proximity to establish shopping, transit and other mature neighbours,” says Georgette L’Hirondelle, CLC Marketing Manager, Village at Griesbach.

“Griesbach has poured life into the mature neighbours by adding beautiful greenspace, parks and lakes. Village at Griesbach housing types creates a diverse family-centric community, within a walkable community,” she adds.

Tom Lumsden, Blatchford Development Manager, agrees. “Infill living can be appealing to people for a number of reasons - it can allow them to live in a vibrant and urban community, purchase a new construction home and live in a central location,” he says.
“Blatchford combines the best of mature neighbourhoods — central living, connected streets, vibrant public spaces — with sustainable features that will make the community resilient, including renewable energy and low-impact design, paths and public transit, high building standards and a diversity of housing.”

The massive redevelopment projects of Village at Griesbach and Blatchford may not be traditional infill projects, but the repurposing of the land - the former used to be a military base and the latter was the city’s first airport – follow the tenets of sustainability and Edmonton’s vision for a revitalized urban core.

Future growth

The burgeoning infill industry itself is enjoying tremendous growth as more homebuyers are enticed by the lifestyle – of shorter commutes to work, established and plentiful amenities, and even the presence of mature trees.

Edmonton’s Infill Roadmap notes that supporting residential infill in established neighbourhoods is an important way to help everyone find the right homes in the right communities. It further states that supporting infill is also an important way to sustain established neighbourhoods maintain their vitality and make the best use of existing infrastructure.

Helping fulfill this vision is the Infill Development in Edmonton Association (IDEA), which provides the voice of the city’s infill development industry.

“Our purpose is to drive change toward people-centred communities, and we do so through a committed volunteer board and diverse membership, including builders, developers, consultants and community members,” says Chelsey Jersak, IDEA’s current president and founder and principal of Edmonton-based Situate urban planning firm.

What’s an infill?

“We commonly refer to ‘an infill’ as a skinny house, but ‘infill’ is actually a much broader term than most people realize. It refers to the creative reuse or transformation of land and buildings in existing parts of the city, and it can look like all kinds of things: new single detached houses, row houses, and apartment buildings in existing areas of the city are all forms of infill,” Jersak says.

With the approval of Edmonton’s strategic land use plan last year, Jersak says the city is poised more than ever to make big steps in the infill industry’s growth.

“City Plan encourages small scale infill throughout all parts of existing residential neighbourhoods, and mid and large-scale infill along key roadways and employment areas (like Downtown, Garneau/U of A, Kingsway, etc). Rezoning to allow for row housing continues to take place within neighbourhoods, and we’re seeing more and more rezoning applications for four and six storey buildings in strategic areas slated for intensification,” she says.

For example, Situate recently worked with Redline Building to rezone a site on Stony Plain to allow for a future six storey building, she adds.

Village at Griesbach

Village at Griesbach is a major redevelopment effort going on close to downtown, converting what was then the CFB Edmonton (Canadian Forces Base). Developed by the Canada Lands Company (CLC), the “Village” is ideally located 12 minutes from city centre at the intersection of 97 Street and 137 Avenue.

Its innovative “urban village” design is one of the world’s best examples of this development concept which places the health and happiness of people over the transportation efficiency of automobiles.

“Village at Griesbach works to create a vibrant community by contributing to the creation of revitalization with mature neighbourhoods through community development,” L’Hirondelle says.

“Griesbach provides open spaces, mature trees. As a master-planned development, Village at Griesbach promotes and provides a variety of housing options from condos to estate homes.”

Buyers have responded well to the Village with already 65 percent of the development complete. “We have another decade of building and development remaining. When Griesbach is completed, the community will contribute to the city by having over 13,000 residents in a variety of housing types,” she adds.

The “Village” offers both multi-family and single-family homes to appeal to almost all lifestyles. Offered are condominiums from the mid $200’s, to the mid $300’s for single-family townhomes, and up to over $800’s for a single-family attached garage and detached garage homes.

“In addition, a majority of the lots have been zoned for garage suites and basement suites. Homes start in the low $400’s. It is recommended to book an appointment with one of the builders to learn more about building a dream home in Griesbach,” she adds.

And there is more coming to be proud of, as CLC began construction on one of the community’s newest amenities, Maple Leaf Pond. “The newest park will include a lake shaped into a Maple Leaf, sitting, trails, picnic areas and a skating rink in the winter.”

Visit villageatgriesbach.com for more.

Blatchford

Blatchford sits on 536 acres of prime land in the heart of Edmonton. It used to be the site of the province’s first airport and is now being redeveloped into a modern community for 30,000 residents based on a sustainable lifestyle.

“Blatchford will play an important role in the City of Edmonton’s overall vision for infill development. It will be a key hub for the City’s goal of reaching 50 percent growth through infill,” Lumsden says.” By creating an energy efficient, high-density neighbourhood right in the city core, Blatchford will play a key role as Edmonton plans for another million residents in the coming decades.”

Blatchford will be made up of two primarily residential spaces on the east and west side of the site, along with a town centre that will be packed full of life, an 80-acre central park, plenty of additional green space and a civic plaza. With all your daily needs in easy reach, Blatchford will almost be a city within a city.

“Blatchford combines the best of urban living with local neighbourhood charm,” says Lumsden. “This master planned community will connect homes with shops, great parks, walkable streets and community amenities. By combining the best of ‘people-first’ design principles with leading sustainability practices, Blatchford will offer home buyers a truly unique lifestyle experience not available anywhere else in our city.”

He adds that Blatchford is aimed at Edmonton’s “missing middle,” flexible multi-unit housing available in urban centres around the world, yet missing in most Canadian cities. “Mixed-use spaces will also help Blatchford become a 15-minute neighbourhood, where all daily needs can be met without ever having to jump in a car.”

For more on Blatchford, visit blatchfordedmonton.ca.