Downtown Housing Study
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Armin A. Preiksaitis & Associates Ltd. led an interdisciplinary consulting team including Kindrachuk Agrey Architects, Nichols Applied Management, and UMA Engineering in preparing a Downtown Housing Study for the City of Saskatoon.

The Study was commissioned in January 1998 in response to a desire to stimulate residential development in Saskatoon's downtown area. Downtown housing is a key element of Saskatoon's overall goal of achieving a more sustainable community, and an increasingly popular phenomenon in Canadian cities.

The study included:

	developing a 'vision' to guide programs and regulations encouraging downtown housing
	determining demand for downtown housing
	identifying opportunities and constraints
	identifying infrastructure improvements required to attract and support more downtown residents
	recommending appropriate financial incentives to encourage construction
	doing a case study for the adaptive re-use of a historic warehouse

The Study recommended that Council approve a Five-Year Downtown Housing Initiative, including marketing initiatives, infrastructure improvements, zoning changes, financial incentives, and demonstration projects.

Opportunities for stakeholder involvement in the Study included key person interviews, focus groups, a vision building workshop, and an open house.

Client: City of Saskatoon
Completion: November 1998