Woodman Avenue facing north from Third and Fourth streets. (1914)--Photo courtesy Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre
It’s easy to overlook just how much Medicine Hat has transformed over the years. The neighbourhoods we know today are the result of continuous change – shaped by both new development and thoughtful redevelopment of existing areas.
Take Riverside, for example. Once a stretch of sparse homesteads between the CP Rail line and the South Saskatchewan River, it has grown into a vibrant residential neighbourhood.
A short walk from the downtown core, the Southeast and Southwest Hill community features a blend of single-family homes, multi-unit dwellings, and apartment buildings – offering a broad range of housing options.
The River Flats has evolved from dirt roads, greenhouses and other industrial factories into a mixed-use area where commercial and residential spaces coexist, with traces of its historic roots still visible today.
What these communities have in common is their shared story of transformation. Change has not only been inevitable – it has been essential to Medicine Hats growth.
The City of Medicine Hat has long played a foundational role in shaping this urban landscape. As a part of that ongoing effort, the land and real estate department presented a comprehensive five-year strategic plan to city council on May 26. This plan outlines the department’s approach to land ownership, management and development, with a focus on creating value through strategic land use, remaining adaptable to market opportunities, and proactively marketing and selling city-owned land.
At the heart of this strategy is a commitment to balance – between greenfield growth on the city’s edges and infill development within established neighbourhoods. This approach aligns with the vision set out in the Municipal Development Plan, which emphasizes sustainable growth, efficient use of infrastructure and the creation of inclusive and livable communities.
Infill development (the redevelopment of vacant or underutilized land into something new) in particular, offers significant potential for the city to grow in a sustainable way. By redeveloping underutilized land within its existing footprint, the city can grow the tax base without expanding its footprint. This helps keep property tax increases in check and reduces the need for expensive new infrastructure like deep utilities, roads and sidewalks.
However, realizing this potential isn’t always simple. Aligning available land with the needs of builders and developers can be a challenging match to make, layering in location, infrastructure capacity and project viability.
It can also highlight a neighbourhood’s resiliency and reveal differing community values. Views on development are going to vary – some may prioritize how well a new project fits the character of a neighbourhood, while others may value the opportunity it brings, such as increased housing options in a community they’ve long-hoped to join.
A visible example of this transformation can be seen today in the River Flats on Second Street SE, just east of Athletic Park and at the entrance of Lions Park, where a new apartment building is under construction.
In the early 1900s, the area was homesteads and in proximity to the Rosery Flower Company, later named the Medicine Hat Greenhouse. The property under construction was once owned by the city in the 80s and was a single-family home. The home was demolished following the 1995 floods, and the property was brought to the market in 2007 through an expression of interest process.
This sparked a variety of proposals over the years about its potential.
The adoption of the River Flats Area Redevelopment Plan in 2011 provided a guiding vision for the neighbourhood’s future. For redevelopment to move forward, the right conditions had to align – balancing feasibility of a developer’s project with the community’s planning goals.
In 2018, the property was sold, and today, 70 new units are being built. This progress is the result of time, patience, and private investment.
While the change didn’t happen overnight, in time, this new building will blend into the neighbourhood, becoming a familiar part of the community – just like many other infill developments across the city.
As Medicine Hat continues to evolve, each development project – whether a new subdivision on the edges of town or the redevelopment of an existing property – serves as a reminder that meaningful and sustainable change takes time and leans on community resiliency and patience.
A property that was once a single-family home will now offer a home for many, while offsetting the costs of growth. Change isn’t new for our community; it is how our neighbourhoods have come to be what they are today.
The story of transformation may be gradual, but its impacts are lasting and far from over.
Randi Buchner is manager of the land and real estate department for the City of Medicine Hat
