LAC LA BICHE - Earth-moving equipment that is trenching and levelling two municipal properties along 91 Avenue toward Lac La Biche's Bold Center is part of a one-million dollar commitment by the County to prepare the land for future development.
Back in February of this year, Lac La Biche County councillors approved a $1 million budget for capital expenditures to level and grade 12 acres of land alongside 91 Avenue, between Nipewon Road and Beaver Hill Road. Lac La Biche County council has included the same land in a formal Request For Proposal that is currently out for tender. The request is looking for companies to create concept designs for the area along 91 Avenue that includes privately-owned property as well as municipally-owned lands.
Land sale
The areas where most of the construction work has been taking place over the last week, west of Nipewon Road, includes an acre parcel that the municipality has already sold to a potential developer. The sold land is in the southwest corner of the development area near the Bold Center digital signboard.
Lac La Biche County councillors or administration cannot comment on what company has purchased the piece of land since discussions are ongoing. But because the land was sold for below market value, municipal officials had to make the sale part of public documents. The property was sold for $325,000.
Municipal lands closer to the Bold Center, on the east side of Nipewon Road, where construction activity is also taking place are part of a dirt-moving project, says Lac La Biche County spokesperson Jihad Moghrabi.
"Existing topsoil piles are being hauled to a different site north of the Bold Center to clean up that area," explained Moghrabi when asked by the Lac La Biche POST newsroom last week about the construction activity.
Moghrabi added that the projects are taking place at the same time as a cost saving measure.
"We had equipment available as part of the... grading project, and it was cost-effective to complete this work at the same time," he said.
The activity along 91 Avenue follows last week's confirmation by by Lac La Biche County Mayor that a Tim Horton's location is being built on property adjacent to the grading and dirt-moving areas.
The budget for the concept proposal request is $50,000. The tender document has a closing date of Aug. 15. Once a proposal has been accepted, the final draft of the plan — including utilities, curb, gutters and roadways for the area — is expected by the end of October.
