DIDSBURY - Council is looking forward to consulting with the public regarding future plans for the AG Foods property, said Mayor Rhonda Hunter.
"Council wants to be clear this was purchased to be an asset to the town," said Hunter. "Once we've purchased this, community engagement is going to be the key. When we say to watch for opportunities for engagement we're very sincere that we have a facility now that's an asset."
Town officials announced recently that council’s July 9 motion approving the “expenditure for a deposit of $100,000, subject to the conditions of the agreement being met” was in relation to the town’s acquisition of the 20th Street property.
The motion did not include mention of the property or the town’s intent to buy it.
Some details of the acquisition were made public in a press release issued by town officials on Sept. 30. The town is purchasing the property for $1.1 million. The sale was contingent on a building inspection and environmental assessment, both of which town officials say had successful results.
The purchase, according to town officials, was made to help facilitate AG Foods’ move into Shantz Village.
Buy-Low Foods -- the grocery store’s parent company -- is leasing, not buying property in Shantz Village, the company confirmed last week.
It was not known at press time whether a building permit had been issued for a 25,960-square-foot build-to-suit store for AG Foods in the commercial area of Shantz Village, but plans are to open in 2020.
Hunter said the town won't pay the remainder of the $1.1 million for the 20th Street property until it takes ownership, which won't happen until AG Foods moves into Shantz Village.
The property could be repurposed by selling it to another commercial business or used to expand Town of Didsbury services, town officials said.
Hunter addressed speculation that the library would move into the building by saying it's one of several possibilities.
"If that's the library that the community wants the direction in we listen to that," she said. "As with any engagement, we take the ideas that help make the decision to which direction to go in. It could be a resale. It does have a bigger value than our purchase price."
Hunter said that having an anchor tenant in the commercial area of Shantz Village is huge for the town.
"Who doesn't want development in Shantz," she said. "We really need development over there. The group that owns the property is really committed to it and they really want to see it succeed. They really needed that anchor tenant.”
