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One obstacle for buyers is the tougher borrowing rules introduced last fall to keep the Canadian market from overheating, Chaput said later.

The slow pace of sales needed before a new building can be constructed affects purchasers who might be stuck for years with a deposit on a place that doesn’t exist, he said.

“Our condo market has never really recovered from the condo craze of 2006-07,” he said, referring to a time when prices rose about 40 per cent and people lined up overnight to put deposits on some developments.

“There’s investors left holding the bag from those days, and it’s never really recovered.”

One bright spot is the Ice District around Rogers Place, where luxury condos offer proximity to the arena and hotel amenities unavailable elsewhere in Edmonton, Chaput said.

Another issue for the city is the challenge of attracting and keeping companies that could be lured to surrounding counties to save on taxes and other costs, said Evelyn Stolk, associate vice-president, industrial, at Colliers International.

“Primarily, it’s economically driven, when you’re taking a 400,000-square-foot building and right across the avenue in the county taxes are lower.”

She know of a group looking at coming to the region that will need up to 800,000 square feet, but isn’t sure if it will set up in the city or outside.

“Can (the city) get creative? Can they postpone taxes or provide deferments so landlords can get competitive?” she asked.

“It’s interesting to see how it gets addressed, or will we continue to lose industrial?”

gkent@postmedia.com

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