City to consider buying Eagles Club for homeless shelter

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A report from city administration released Friday is asking the City of Regina to purchase the current Eagles Club to convert into a permanent homeless shelter.

The charity group’s building, located at 1600 Halifax Street, is the second proposed shelter location brought to city council this summer.

The location will be discussed next week by executive committee, with a yes-or-no decision to be made by city council at its Sept. 25 meeting.

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Per the administration’s report, the site comes with the approval of Regina Treaty/Status Indian Services (RT/SIS), who were consulted as a core stakeholder.

RT/SIS currently handles operations at the temporary shelter, New Beginnings, located downtown inside the Nest. The city is also looking to approve offering a contract to RT/SIS, without a public offering, to operate the permanent shelter.

The Eagles Club, in its current state, contains enough square footage and amenities to make it a viable option for a shelter site.

At 10,000 square feet, the building is already quite large and there is room on the lot to expand, says RT/SIS. The building has multiple washrooms, a commercial kitchen and space for beds and programming.

“(RT/SIS) have however expressed a need to expand the sleeping area and add space for a laundry area and heat treatment room,” reads the report.

The Heritage neighbourhood building is also located near public transit connections and “other human services on 11th Avenue,” and within range of the Regina Street Team.

Though the report does not specify how many beds could be included, New Beginnings currently has 55 spots. City staff have previously said they want to maintain service levels in the new space.

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The total cost to convert the Eagles Club’s building is estimated at $5.6 million, less than the $7.5 million price tag floated to pursue the Albert Street site.

Of that, the purchase price is $2.6 million and renovations are tagged at $3 million. The city would also have to provide another $400,000 to revert the Nest back to its original state once the shelter has moved.

That $6 million total price tag would be covered entirely by funding provisions from other levels of government.

The provincial government is still offering the same deal negotiated with the last location: $3 million, in the form of a 10-year forgivable loan through the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation.

The city has already secured the other $3 million as a one-time housing and transit grant from the federal government.

The first site recommendation came in June, identifying a pair of retail properties on the 1400 block of Albert Street as a viable option. City council rejected the sites in a narrow 6-5 vote that caused division amongst councillors.

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Later, in August, city council put a pin in reconsidering the rejected Albert Street site, after city manager Niki Anderson promised another site would be coming forward in September.

Administration has reviewed more than 90 properties since the start of 2023, in the search for a permanent location.

According to a map included in the report, potential locations primarily were in the city core, but branched out to consider sites in the north industrial area, Coronation Park, Albert Park, Hillsdale and east of City Centre.

Mayor Sandra Masters confirmed the properties on Albert Street were still available, as of August, should city council be unsatisfied with the new option and want to reconsider.

Nearby property owners within a 75-metre radius of the Eagles Club have been notified but broad public consultation has not yet been done as the property is only at the option stage, says the report.

Casino Regina, the Regina Police Service and affected community associations have also been notified.

New Beginnings opened in 2023, and the City of Regina’s lease agreement with the Nest is set to expire in July 2025.

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Administration has warned the option currently placed on this new property expires on Oct. 15, requiring a decision from city council on Sept. 25.

lkurz@postmedia.com

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