Fredericton Makes List of Renovator-Friendly Cities
Fredericton, NB (February 27, 2009) - Fredericton has been named one of the "Top Five Renovator-Friendly Cities" in Canada by Canadian Contractor magazine. New Brunswick's Capital City joins Calgary, AB, Barrie, ON, Maple Ridge, ON, and Woodstock, ON on the list. An honourable mention was given to Airdrie, AB.
"This is a really nice honour for Fredericton," said Mayor Brad Woodside. "We have enjoyed record-breaking development over the past few years and new housing starts have been high. Despite all that, residents have continued to show pride and invest in their homes by carrying out renovations."
Fredericton was recognized not only for its recent record-breaking building activity, but for creating a renovator-friendly environment by identifying and establishing heritage preservation areas. Eight such neighbourhoods were identified in 1997, as part of the City of Fredericton Municipal Plan. The St. Anne's Point Heritage Preservation Area was established in 1984, and has approximately 350 privately-owned residences.
With some of the country's oldest housing stock, there are always homes to renovate in Fredericton. The heritage preservation area designation comes with a high set of development standards. The magazine goes on to indicate that with the heritage and cultural affairs division being part of the Development Services Department, the process of obtaining a heritage building permit has been streamlined.
With the federal government's new tax incentive for home renovations, and the downturn in the economy resulting in a decline in new housing starts and a refocusing on urban redevelopment, heritage preservation and improved efficiencies, Canadian Contractor set out to find the most renovator-friendly cities in Canada.
After six weeks of research and 50 interviews, the magazine tracked down dozens of cities willing to share their renovator-friendly stories. The list was eventually narrowed to the top five cities. The complete story appears in the February/March issue of Canadian Contactor magazine (www.canadiancontractor.ca).
Fredericton is one of the Top Seven intelligent communities in the world for 2009 and is a leader in green technologies. The municipality proudly supports heritage and culture initiatives and is a Cultural Capital of Canada for 2009. Residents enjoy an enviable and balance lifestyle.
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Media Contact: Doug Overbo, Manager, Bylaw Enforcement & Building Inspections, City of Fredericton, 460-2499.
