Saskatoon developer says downtown core is 'dying'

Death of Saskatoon's downtown? WATCH: A Saskatoon developer argues the city's downtown area is 'dying' and outlines the ways he thinks it could be 'fixed.'

In a letter to city council, a Saskatoon developer argues the city's downtown area is "dying" and outlines the ways he thinks it could be "fixed."

Mid-West Group of Companies President Ken Achs said he believes the city should work to relocate the downtown bus mall, Lighthouse Supported Living and the Saskatchewan Social Services Income Assistance office.

Achs' letter was accompanied by a request to speak at a meeting of the city's planning, development and community services committee.

"The core has just slid into a terrible place of decline," Achs told councillors during Monday's virtual meeting.

"I know that there's been a lot of work put in by the city, by the administration, by governments, with studies and looking at all the various options for the downtown core," Achs said.

"We're talking about the elephant in the room. The Lighthouse, the welfare office and the bus mall," Achs said.

He told councillors at the meeting that as a lifelong Saskatoon resident, he's seen a vibrant downtown core deteriorate.

Achs suggested the city could use its zoning powers to move the Lighthouse and the Social Services office.

Mayor Charlie Clark said there is a "growing sense of tension and concern" downtown when it comes to homelessness, mental health and addictions.

"I heard a consensus that people all agree what we need to do — we won't be able to arrest our way out of the situation. We need to work to come up with better services for people," Clark said.

"As we speak we are actively identifying with the province and service providers alternate locations to the downtown core to try and provide these services."

While Clark did not provide any detail, he said the timeline to put the "pieces" in place for such changes was "a matter not of years, but of months."

He suggested Achs' knowledge as a developer could be an asset to help "identify what locations are going to work best for the people who need services and in terms of reducing the conflict with neighbouring properties."

As for the bus mall, Clark said the city's long-planned bus rapid transit system could make the current downtown Transit hub obsolete.

"The bus rapid transit plan that we have is very much based around the idea that we get rid of the downtown bus terminal concept and we move to a more frequent service transit along 22nd Street and First Avenue, and 25th Street through the downtown​," Clark said.

In responding to Achs' remarks, Ward 2 Coun. Hilary Gough warned against placing too much emphasis on where services are offered for vulnerable people.

"I appreciate that there is tension around specific areas in our downtown and specific areas in our city," Gough said.

The tensions will "simply be moved" if the root causes such as poverty, trauma and health issues are not addressed, Gough said.

"It comes down to seeing all neighbours as neighbours — seeing everyone in our community as a neighbour and a friend and worthy of the support and the work that is needed to help move somebody into stability."

Achs wrote a similar letter to council in 2020 and another letter last fall was critical of "very unsightly" properties along Saskatoon's main roads.