City of Regina takes first steps toward revitalizing Taylor Field site

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Revitalizing the old Taylor Field site has been 14 years in the making, but this week the City of Regina came closer to realizing that vision.

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The vacant 15-acre parcel of land — previously occupied by the home of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders — is expected to be split into two parts for redevelopment, with 10th Avenue running through it. The south segment is to be designated for a community park and the north section transformed into residential blocks.

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“It’s very seldom that cities have the opportunity to build so close to the downtown,” said Bill Neher, who works with the city’s Indigenous relations and community development department.

Along with the nearby rail-yard property — known as The Yards — Neher views the old Taylor Field site as an “extraordinary” opportunity to enhance the area.

“We are excited and sometimes overwhelmed by the possibilities and the responsibility of it,” he added. “But it also allows us to do our best work in imagining sort of what these new areas could be and how they could contribute to the fabric of the community.”

An annual report on land and real estate was approved by city council on Wednesday. It carried recommendations for city-owned property, including zoning the old Taylor Field site and putting $1 million toward its design from the Land Development Reserve.

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Nestled into the nook of Lewvan and Saskatchewan Drive, the site has been a project on the radar of the Regina Revitalization Initiative since 2011. The former Riders stadium was torn down in October 2017 and the land has remained a vacant, fenced-in lot ever since.

Plans have been put forward to redevelop the area, including visions of affordable housing, but none have come to fruition. Some developers have said it is too big of a parcel for one prospective company to take on, but the city plans to address those concerns by subdividing the residential section and making it attractive to potential residents.

“Between the (proposed) indoor aquatics facility and the park south of 10th — those are two great amenities that really would improve the desirability in that neighbourhood for existing residents but also make it more attractive for future residents,” said Chad Jedlic, the city’s director of land, real estate and economic development.

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The residential segment, comprising roughly nine acres, is to be divided into blocks for what will likely become a mixed-income neighbourhood. The city intends to find private partners that align with the vision of nearby residents.

The six acres of city-owned community park is to include the new aquatic facility — it’s hoped that construction will begin later this year and the facility can open by 2028 — while council is expected to determine a detailed plan for the rest of the park at a future date.

Neher, a manager with the city’s housing branch, has been working on the North Central Revitalization project in conjunction with a youth task force, North Central Strong. The task force works with city administration to try and improve socioeconomic conditions in the neighbourhood and will also help determine the vision for the old Taylor Field site.

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“It’s creating opportunities for North Central to thrive,” says Claire Tuckanow, who helps bring youth members of North Central Strong together in her role as a co-ordinator with Growing Young Movers, a non-profit group based at the mâmawêyatitân centre.

“You’re putting these young people in the forefront because they have such strong voices and they know what they want. When you have leaders and organizations to back that up, they can really go far.”

Emily Webber is a part of North Central Strong and has grown up in the neighbourhood. She’s seen the fenced-off area of Taylor Field sit empty for the past several years and described it as a “waste of potential.”

When Webber considers what she would like to see take up the space, she names a medical centre, addictions support and help centres with affordable food and groceries.

“It is so strong,” Webber said of the desire to improve the area. “Like, everyone has such a big heart (and is) so eager to make things better for this entire community.”

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Upgrades are needed for underground water, wastewater and stormwater utilities on the property as well as developing the road running east to west through the site, the city says.

Construction is projected to start in 2026.

Over a period of five weeks, we are chronicling our community’s place in the country, the promise of greater prosperity, and the blueprint to get there. See the “How Canada Wins” series intro here, followed by Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.  

— with files from Larissa Kurz

nyking@postmedia.com

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