The Lloydminster Agricultural Exhibition Association is in the process of buying land from the city to expand their future operations. The $2.3 million sale will see 51.08 acres of land being transferred to the Lloyd Exh, including a currently leased property.
A 99-year lease agreement is in place for approximately 27 acres north of the existing exhibition land with the city. This new agreement will see that agreement erased, as well as the city getting rid of their old shop property. Mayor Gerald Aalbers says the exhibition reached out to them to purchase city-owned land.
“The exhibition through their expansion plans to move forward someday in the future to add on to what they have today felt they needed a parcel land where they have that room to move. They thought they could use the city shop for their purposes.”
The land sale is conditional upon a $1 million grant the exhibition is applying for from the Alberta government that will be used to purchase the land from the city. Aalbers says this was a great opportunity for the city to partner with the exhibition and have both operations grow.
“The exhibition is a place where both rural and urban meet. It’s important that our neighbours have the opportunity to do commerce in our city and this is a place that that happens. There’s social activities, weddings, funerals all sort of things that encompasses the whole region.”
The city will also see 5.81 acres coming back to them in the deal that will be used in the Area Structure Plan for the northeast corner of the city.
“The bottom line is the city will come ahead $1 million at the end of the day. That’s what we’re really getting out of this, $1 million for a piece of land that’s been sitting vacant for some time,” says Aalbers.