Property owners in a section of the downtown area could be faced with a bill from the city estimated at anywhere from $3,217 to $28,956 per property.

That would happen if council moves forward with plans to rebuild Wheeler Street from Fourth Avenue to the escarpment and some smaller portions of streets around it.

Assistant city engineer Taylor Eshpeter presented the potential project to council at its meeting Monday night.

He brought forward a recommendation that council pass first reading on a local improvement charge. Property owners would pay for the work to rebuild the street, including the underground infrastructure.

If council passes first reading next week, those who own land fronting the area would be mailed ballots and get to vote on whether they want the work – and thus the local improvement charge (LIC) – to go ahead.

The residential LIC rate would be set at $633.33 per metre of frontage. Commercial property owners would pay $1,266.67 and government owners would pay $1,900 per metre of frontage.

Payments could be aromatized over a 15-year period with the interest rate being determined after it’s decided if the project is going ahead.

When Coun. Rob Fendrick brought up the issue of interest rates, Eshpeter said current rates would put it at more than six per cent.

A total of 55 properties would be affected, with the average frontage being 15.3 metres.

As Eshpeter explained in his report, Wheeler Street is one of 15 downtown areas that need reconstruction. The city has received numerous requests from property owners to move forward with the work.

Over the summer, the city held two meetings and a survey on the issue, with 30 attending the sessions and 20 filling out surveys.

“While strong support has been expressed for the project, some opposition has also been indicated,” Eshpeter said.

“Concerns generally relate to the proposed local improvement charge that would be applied to properties.”

The vote on the improvement charge would determine if there is enough support to move ahead, with the city requiring more than 50 per cent of the vote to be in favour in order to allow the LIC and thus the work.

Along with the improvements to Wheeler Street, sections of Fifth, Seventh and Eighth avenues from Wheeler Street to Black Street would be also see reconstruction.

A to-do list of the work includes:

• replacing water and sewer mains to meet current infrastructure standards and increase capacity;

• installing a recirculation system for water to deal with frost protection and improve efficiency;

• improved street lighting and landscaping;

• installing sidewalks on the north side of Wheeler Street between Sixth Avenue and the escarpment and on the east sides of Seventh and Eighth Avenues;

• putting in new asphalt on the streets and removing soil that is more frost-susceptible below the roadways; and

• constructing concrete curb and gutters that would improve drainage in the area.

Coun. Roslyn Woodcock questioned how much energy savings there would be for the city with the plans.

Eshpeter noted that while it’s clear the recirculation system would be more efficient, he didn’t have the estimates at hand. He said he would get back to city council on that.

With a total cost of $5.15 million, approximately $660,000 would come from the improvement charges paid by property owners with funding from the federal Build Canada having been secured for the remainder.

If council approves first reading next week, ballots would be sent out, with property owners having until Nov. 29 to get their votes in.

Along with the vote, there would also be a public hearing at council’s Nov. 21 meeting where anyone can address the city on the plans.

A report on the public hearing and results of the vote would be presented to council at its Dec. 5 meeting with second and third readings then coming forward at the following meeting.

Even if council votes to go ahead with the work, the city would still have to confirm the plans as part of next year’s capital budget.

Councillors Samson Hartland and Jocelyn Curteanu were absent from Monday’s meeting.