The city is creating an opportunity for groups of condo owners in Grande Prairie to create a better sense of community. Changes to the Neighborhood Enhancement Matching Grant program will now allow condo associations of 250 units or greater to take advantage of that funding.
Councillor Rory Tarant says the city wanted to make it possible for condo associations to utilize that funding, with some limitations.
“We suggested that maybe there is a way that we could allow condo associations to serve a dual function as a neighborhood association in areas where it does make sense. We’ve kind of given some guidelines.”
One such limitation is that the money can’t be used on improvements to private land.
“So the funds wouldn’t be allowed to go to private uses, but they would be able to access it for some public programming. We offer some money if groups want to do community barbecues or do events with children and whatnot.”
Tarant says the change came as a result of a request from the Creekside Manufactured Home Community Condo Association, which is currently the only condo group that would be able to qualify for the grant funding, but he says it does open the door to similar future developments.
“At this point I’m not aware of any other condominium associations that would qualify. Creekside is sort of a unique situation, but it does open it up so that should there be future developments like Creekside, that they would be able to access it.”
Condo Associations will be considered on their merit for school partnerships or program development when requesting access to the matching grants.