Things are looking up in Airdrie

There are a lot of perks to living in Airdrie.  Living in a town with a healthy business climate is one of them.

The City of Airdrie has released from figures from 2015 which indicate that despite the economic downtown affecting the province as a whole, construction and business development at the local level held steady.

Specifically, 351 new businesses opened last year, creating nearly 400 new jobs.  Of the new businesses, 300 were home-based.

Even the City’s economic development department was happy with these numbers.

The number of business license issued increased by 8% over 2014, from 3,325 to 3,584. 

It would appear that construction in Airdrie is also healthy, with an estimated value of close to $50 million.  That includes commercial, public buildings and residential projects that are scheduled to begin and those currently underway.

The government of Alberta is partly responsible for some of that construction, with the largest projects in progress being King’s Heights and Cooper’s Crossing Schools. These two sites are on the books for $12.6 million and $8.9 million.

A large grocery store is being constructed on Airdrie’s south east side at a cost of $8.8 million.  A large storage facility in the Gateway commercial district of south west Airdrie is underway with a $6.8 million price tag, as well as an auto body shop in this same neighbourhood with a $2.5 million budget.

In keeping with new residential communities, there are several strip malls being built in King’s Heights and in a new section of the downtown area called The Village.

The City of Airdrie is also constructing a new $3.9 million fire hall in Williamstown.

On the residential side, permits to build new homes dropped by just 81 permits from near record numbers in 2014.  Builders are opting to build fewer single-family detached homes and more attached homes, such as duplexes and town homes.

City of Airdrie officials still say that the local economy is good and that people are still moving to Airdrie.

Thinking of starting a home-based business?

Home businesses are big businesses in Aidrie, a city with 1,270 registered home-based enterprises.

If you’re thinking of moving your business to your home or starting one, you’ll likely need a Residential Occupation permit from the City of Airdrie.  

How do you know if you need one?

• Will you store goods required for your business in your home?
• Will customers and clients come to your home for meetings or to purchase goods?
• Will you hire someone to work in your home?
• Will you be receiving goods shipped to your home address?
• Will you be manufacturing or assembling products within your home?

If you responded “yes” to any or all of these questions, you’ll need to contact the City of Airdrie.

If you responded “no” then chances are you just have an office and you may only need a licence as opposed to an occupation permit.

If your business involves food, health care or personal services such as hair, nails or other esthetics, you’ll need further approvals from a provincial authority.  Contact Alberta Health Care for information on advanced approvals.