City of Saskatoon assembles land for North Commuter Parkway

Today, Saskatoon city council is being asked to approve spending money on land for the North Commuter Parkway project, and some of it isn't coming cheap.

The majority of the costs will come from 11 acres the city is acquiring from the Akzo Nobel Chemicals Ltd.

The city estimates it will cost 3.5 million dollars to remediate, or clean up the contaminated land. It will also pay $660,000 to move a railway spur line, andthe plant's parking lot.

An additional $250,000 will be used to "reduce odours, improve appearance, and increase safeguards regarding hazardous materials consumed on the site."

In exchange, Akzo Nobel will transfer the lands to the City of Saskatoon.

The city will also be buying other small parcels of land in the area for just over $100,000.

The city estimates around 4.25 acres of the Akzo land that isn't needed for the parkway will be sold to developers for approximately $700,000.

Officials say the price of the land is included in the $252 million dollar cost to build the North Commuter Parkway and new Traffic Bridge.

Today, council will consider issuing a request for proposals for a so-called "private public partnership," or P3project to build the two new bridges.