Railyard Renewal Project, growth goals for Regina mayor in 2017

Developing a big chunk of land along the Dewdney strip figures to be the top priority for Regina’s mayor in 2017.

Just because some of the city’s biggest projects in history are nearly finished doesn’t mean Michael Fougere will slow down in the new year.

He said seeing the Railyard Renewal Project continue to progress is one of the items he’s looking forward to the most.

“This is the heart of our downtown … that’s a blank slate. We can do whatever we want with that. Most cities don’t have that opportunity anymore, it’s already been completed. This is fantastic. This will be really a signature event for our city,” he explained.

The new stadium and sewage treatment plant are substantially complete, which means they’re basically done but testing continues.

Fougere said he wants to see those through to full completion in 2017.

“There are major projects we have that we want to see to conclusion to make sure they come out on time and on budget.”

The mayor is also aiming to continue the city’s fight on eradicating homelessness.

As well, it’s the city’s plan to do another core services review. It’s been long talked about, with the last review conducted over a decade ago in 2006. It looks as if 2017 will be the year the city evaluates its services to find out if they’re as efficient as possible.

“It’s not glamorous, but it’s showing people that tax dollars are going to be spent wisely and efficiently,” said Fougere.

Growth won’t be taking a backseat either and the mayor believes Regina is on the right path forward to accommodate new housing, businesses and increased strain on current infrastructure.

“Our new communities and new neighbourhoods are built with the idea of further growth,” he explained.

“Our growth plan is sustainable and again you’re going to find a lot of congestion everywhere, and it’s not an excuse to say we don’t do anything. There are ways to alleviate some of that.”

With a civic election held just this past October, and the addition of four new councillors to the table, it’ll be up to this revamped team to lead Regina into the new year.