Tsuut'ina development plans generate excitement on and off reserve

The Tsuut'inaFirst Nation unveiled proposals on Monday formore than a billion dollars in commercial and retail development in three centres on the city's southwestern edge. It's generatingexcitement both on and off the reserve.

• Tsuut'ina First Nation plans major commercial development at Calgary's southwest edge

After years of talks with the Tsuut'ina, the president of the Lakeview Community Association said she's excited to see its plans for development.

"We're quite thrilled with the success and the staging that the Tsuut'ina is going through and I'm actually quite glad that they're taking 20 years to do a development properly and not rushing it," said Allie Tulick.

Traffic modelling

Area councillor Brian Pincott saidtraffic will be a concern for some nearby residents,but the city has time to plan.

"Now we have a better idea of what they're looking at which means we'll be able to better refine that modelling," he said.

Jyoti Gondek at the University of Calgary'sHaskayne School of Businesssaid the full impact of the Tsuut'ina plans could depend on its originality.

"It's important to consider how this could be a draw, how it could be a destination in a way that's different than many of the other things we have in Calgary and the surrounding areas," she said.

The Tsuut'ina plans tie into the southwest portion of the Calgary ring road. Construction on the road starts this fall.

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