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A corner lot in North Central Regina, which has sat vacant since an explosion levelled a multi-unit house on the site in 2022, could soon be home to a social enterprise that has been putting young people from the neighbourhood to work.
At its Wednesday meeting, Regina’s executive committee is set to discuss a proposal that would see the land, currently owned by Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, transferred to Growing Young Movers, a youth development non-profit. It would become a hub for the group’s social enterprise arm, Building Futures Collective, which over the past year has been providing opportunities for young people, including Scott Collegiate graduates, to work in the neighbourhood maintaining city-owned property.
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Executive director Brian Lewis said the idea for the hub came out of conversations with youths who take part in Growing Young Movers programming.
“I really got thinking about all those stories of young folks that have told me about their living situations, or getting kicked out of this place, or moving here, or this place isn’t safe,” Lewis said in an interview.
“Could we potentially move into a space where we could help take some of these older houses that the city has in their land bank and maybe renovate them and get young people that work with us living in them? Because the young folks have told me over and over again they want to live in this community. They want to stay in this community.”
This rendering shows the workspace proposed for the lot. The group is also hoping to obtain an adjacent lot. (City of Regina)
The proposal has several components, including a one-time grant of $300,000 from the city’s Housing Accelerator Fund to help build the hub and a five-year property tax exemption. Lewis said the plan would include building a 2,000-square-foot shop to store equipment and potentially fabricate tiny homes. He added that talks are underway about acquiring the adjacent privately-owned lot as well.
He said he’s excited about the visibility of the location, as well as its proximity to the mâmawêyatitân centre.
“Everyone will see these young folks going to that hub, leaving for the day, going out in the community and making it better than it was, and I think that’s a powerful message.” Lewis said.
Lewis added that participants have been coming away from their work knowing the value of improving their community.
“We know that it’s making an impact, not only from graduation rates and thinking about kids graduating and moving on, but just their mental well-being and their being part of a community and a team, and feeling that belonging and feeling like they’re doing something good for their community,” Lewis said.
“Go on any comments in social media right now, and you’ll see all the negative comments about North Central this and North Central that, and they’re tired of that stuff and they’re telling a different story.”
If it’s approved at committee, city council would be asked to grant the proposal final approval at its Sep. 9 meeting.
