The “old town hall land” has been endorsed by town council for a new Big Hill Lodge. It’s also asking the Cochrane Society for Housing Options to explore the feasibility of affordable housing co-existing on the same property.

Approximately 2.5 acres, the property is located off Hwy. 1A between 2nd Ave. and Centre Ave. and has been vacant for a number of years. In 2016, a deal had been struck to sell the land for $2.7 million but fell apart in September 2018. The Rocky View Foundation made replacing the Big Hill Lodge its top priority in spring 2023. A funding application this spring was unsuccessful, but efforts persist in securing the funds.

Susan Flowers, the town’s representative on the Rocky View Foundation, says the idea of exploring the possibility of the seniors lodge and an affordable housing project sharing the land falls in line with the direction the province is going in awarding funding.

“The possibility of partnering could make it easier to get funding,” says Flowers. “With the way the province is looking at innovation and partnership, I think could be helpful and we’ll be able to address more than one need at the same time. “

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The decision closes the book on including the new seniors lodge on the town’s 15.3-acre 5th Ave. parcel. It was one of the recommendations of a tri-site task force struck in 2018 to determine the use of three pieces of publicly-owned downtown properties. “The utilities were really expensive (on the 5th Ave. location), and there was controversy about where it should be,” explains Flowers.

She was concerned there wasn’t enough land for both the lodge and affordable housing on the old town hall land, but research indicates it will work. The possibility of underground parking is being explored as a way to save space.

Flowers says the next deadline for funding applications hasn’t been announced yet. In the meantime, having a proposed location as close as possible to being shovel-ready is a priority.