Report to finance committee suggests moving city yards a good idea

The City of Saskatoon will present a report on Monday, to the standing committee on finance, outlining a recommendation that the city yards be relocated from the downtown area to the northern edge of the city.

The report recommends the purchase of two properties; one at 3815 Wanuskewin Road, and an adjacent property at 3802 Arthur Rose Avenue. According to the report, the price of the properties would be $16.8 million, with an eight-year leaseback of one property. The net purchase price would be $7.8 million.

The money would come from gas tax funds and the sale of surplus city assets and borrowing.

According to Dan Willems, director of technical services, moving the yards will improve operations in northeast and northwest Saskatoon, and provide more space for personnel and equipment.

Currently, the downtown city yards are used for fleet vehicle maintenance and storing equipment for road maintenance, sewer and infrastructure, and garbage collection.

“Phasing operations out fo the downtown city yards allows for the redevelopment of north downtown in the longer term,” said Willems.

He adds that moving operations to the two sites in the city’s north will allow for significant future growth.

It will take some time, however. The city yards in the downtown area have been there since the 1940s and the move wouldn’t take place until 2028.

According to the terms of the potential sale, city council must approve it by September 30, 2020.