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Foundations for Growth: A Candidate Mixer for City Builders

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The built environment is at the heart of Edmonton’s identity and future prosperity. Our members—developers, builders, property managers, and real estate professionals—play a vital role in shaping skylines, driving economic growth, creating jobs, and contributing to city revenues. Foundations for Growth is a candidate mixer that brings together industry leaders and municipal candidates to discuss critical issues facing Edmonton, from taxation and permitting to downtown vibrancy, safety, and long-term infrastructure planning.

See below for the full briefing notes or download as a PDF to learn more about the priorities and actionable solutions our industry is putting forward to support growth, investment, and prosperity in Edmonton.

The built environment is all around us. Critical commercial places and spaces are developed, constructed, and managed by our members.

SKYLINES AND STREETSCAPES MATTER

  • FOR BRANDING, major cities are defined, branded, and marketed by their unique built environment. Our members shape our city and are instrumental to investment attraction.
  • FOR GDP, in Alberta, real estate ranks 2nd after oil and gas as a top contributor to GDP, and construction is 3rd (Alberta Economic Dashboard). We account for 10% of Edmonton’s GDP, too. Our members drive prosperity and are foundational to Industrial, commercial, and institutional development, construction, and management, which are foundational to urban economic health and account for over 10% of Edmonton’s GDP.
  • FOR JOBS, our industry is a major employer in Edmonton, accounting for more than 10% of jobs, and both small mom & pop operations and major global brands like PCL, Stantec, QuadReal, and BGO. Our members are essential contributors to job creation and labour attraction.
  • FOR CITY REVENUE, commercial taxes as a whole fund more than 50% of the City’s operating budget. Our members contribute significantly to city revenues.
  • FOR GROWTH, development, construction, and building renewal = growth. New infrastructure, renewal of aging assets, and investment in building, managing, and servicing local infrastructure and buildings mean Edmonton can grow to serve the citizens of our city. Our members are driving growth.
  • FOR SOCIAL GOOD, philanthropic contributions are difficult to track, but our members’ monetary support and their volunteerism are foundational to art and culture and human services in Edmonton. Our members give back…big time.

As goes the development, construction, and real estate management in Edmonton, so goes tax revenue, housing supply, public services, infrastructure, public and private investment, migration, and the quality of life in our city.

AGENDA

  1. WELCOME
    Brookes Merritt
  2. CANDIDATE Q&A – QUESTION 1
    Developers, builders, and real estate professionals are committed to being active partners in growing Edmonton’s future. How do you see the private sector’s role in achieving your vision for our community, and what will true partnership look like under your leadership? Can you share an example of a successful collaboration you’ve led—or one you believe the City must pursue to drive growth here?”
  3. CANDIDATE Q&A – QUESTION 2
    Taxes account for more than 50% of the City of Edmonton’s budget. Non-residential owners pay a higher share relative to residential owners and receive fewer services. What will you do to address fiscal gaps and make Edmonton a fairer, more attractive place for businesses? Would you support a financial task force of private and public experts to tackle Edmonton’s financial challenges together?
  4. CANDIDATE Q&A – QUESTION 3
    Commercial property owners are footing a disproportionate amount of the bill for safety in our city. BOMA’s annual Downtown Safety and Vibrancy survey showed that in 2023, properties paid on average $200,000 more per year since COVID on security, property vandalism, and training to work with vulnerable populations. Tenants are paying an average of $30,000 more. What will you do to address the impact of crime and safety on Edmonton businesses?”
  5. CANDIDATE Q&A – QUESTION 4
    Edmonton is a city under tremendous growth pressure, and congestion doesn’t just happen on roads—it happens with services, and the places and spaces we all spend time in. We’re concerned by suggestions that building needs to pause. How can you differentiate your position on city building and reassure Edmontonians that our city will grow on pace with our population?
  6. CANDIDATE Q&A – QUESTION 5
    Permitting, utility coordination, and right-of-way access can add cost and delay. What reforms will you implement to improve schedule certainty and value for money—such as single-window coordination, digital permits, or service-level guarantees—and how will you hold the City accountable for results?”
  7. CLOSING NOTES
    Conclusion of the formal program.
  8. NETWORKING

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

BOMA EDMONTON AND NORTH

BOMA Edmonton and North is part of the global BOMA network, the world’s longest- standing commercial real estate association brand, focused on the performance of existing buildings, including industrial, retail, multi-family, public, medical, and office. From the boardroom to the boiler room, we serve professionals and emerging talent across the Edmonton Region, Northern Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon. Our priority areas include building performance, skilled and diverse talent, fair taxation and policy, and safe, vibrant communities.

NAIOP EDMONTON

NAIOP Edmonton is the voice of commercial real estate development in the Edmonton Region, connecting developers, stakeholders, thought leaders, and decision makers. We support responsible development, efficient regulation, and long-term regional prosperity.

EDMONTON CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION

Edmonton Construction Association (ECA) is Western Canada’s oldest and largest construction association, representing over 1,000 member firms. We view the City of Edmonton as one of Canada’s most preferred clients in public sector procurement, and we advocate for innovative, collaborative, and sustainable infrastructure development that supports Edmonton’s growth.

PRIORITIES AND ACTIONABLE SOLUTIONS FOR CANDIDATES

BUILD

  • Engage early and often to improve planning, contracts, and infrastructure decisions.
  • Prioritize projects that create new revenue, unlock investment, and deliver returns.
  • Transparent and predictable planning and budget for maintenance, renewal, and growth.
  • Clear communication on scope, timelines, and impacts, with support for businesses during construction.

DEVELOP

  • Co-develop long-term, market-responsive infrastructure strategies with industry.
  • Partner with community builders to align infrastructure with market needs and unlock new investment.

MANAGE

  • Grow and diversify the non-residential tax base.
  • Support intergovernmental initiatives to attract, train, and retain investment, businesses, and skilled workers.
  • Overhaul the City’s approach to revenue and expenditures for financial sustainability. Address tax rates, ROI of property taxes, development fees, utility costs, and downtown levies.
  • Reassess the commercial assessment system for fairness, transparency, and competitiveness.