In support of the project schedule, Green Line continues to prioritize land acquisition in advance of main construction. All impacted property owners along the alignment have been informed of the project requirements and of Green Line’s interest to begin negotiations.
Green Line’s construction is being planned to minimize the impact on existing lands, properties, and other infrastructure. However, a project of this scale requires a significant amount of land for its construction. The City has been purchasing land for the Green Line’s construction since 2014 and continues to review land requirements along the proposed route and keep property owners informed of updates.
Where land acquisition is necessary, The City is committed to fair and respectful land-purchase negotiations. In some cases, where negotiations are not successful or if the project timelines require land by a certain date, The City may need to acquire properties, or identified interests in properties, through the expropriation process. However, for The City and Green Line, our goal is to reach negotiated agreements with landowners wherever possible without resorting to expropriation.
If you own property that is being considered for acquisition, we will reach out to you and explain the negotiation process in detail. The following is an outline of the general process.
A letter will be delivered to impacted property owners that identifies:
A land agent will arrange for an initial meeting with you. This allows you to:
The land agent will arrange a site visit to help prepare a valuation to establish the market value of the property. The valuation will be completed either by qualified staff or an independent appraisal firm The market value may not be the same as your Property Assessment. It will consider things like:
The land agent will negotiate with you to reach an agreement. This allows for an open dialogue around the specific terms and conditions of the proposed purchase. It can include:
All negotiated, agreed-upon transactions between property owners and The City are subject to corporate approval.
When entering land acquisition negotiations, the City of Calgary has established a negotiation process based upon the following principles:
Negotiations for the acquisition of lands in the Beltline and Downtown are progressing and are expected to be completed prior to start of construction.
These expenses will form part of the individual negotiations between The City and impacted property owners.
Although market value will form the basis of all negotiations, The City will work with property owners with an understanding that each property is unique and distinct.
We rely on qualified staff to determine market value with consideration to current market activity, the individual property characteristics and standard industry practices. Where appropriate, The City also consults independent third-party appraisers to help establish market value.
Yes, this is one of the reasons why The City requires access for the land agent or assessor to each of the properties.
The process of determining assessed values is carried out using mass appraisal, mass review of sales data and typical value as of a specific valuation date. Valuations conducted for property acquisition are specific to each property and include a recent site visit and more direct analysis of comparable sales to determine market value.
The type of impact to the property and specific details related to the lease agreement will assist in determining if you will be contacted. The City will initially contact the owner (landlord) and work with them to determine the impact of property requirements to their tenants.
If agreement is not reached it may be necessary to commence expropriation proceedings as set out in the Expropriation Act (Alberta). Expropriation is never The City’s preferred method of acquisition. We would much rather negotiate openly and fairly with each impacted property owner and reach a mutually acceptable agreement.
The City of Calgary’s land acquisition process is established through Bylaw 52M2009 – Real Property Bylaw and the Sales, Acquisition, Leasing and Encroachment (S.A.L.E.) Policy. All details pertaining to specific land negotiations are confidential under Section 25 (1) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP).
If your property is close to the Green Line but does not need to be purchased, you may still be impacted. In Calgary and other areas, properties close to rapid transit stations (within 800 m) saw their market value go up. The value increase depends on the property type and distance from the station. It is expected that Stage 1 will create $2B in potential property value uplift by 2040.
