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Arbutus Properties will pay “whatever is reasonable and justifiable” to get its visionary solar-powered community off the ground in Saskatoon.

Jeff Drexel, president of the Vancouver-based developer, made the statement in an interview after he appeared before city council’s governance and priorities committee on Monday.

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The committee was presented with a report that estimated that accommodating the $1-billion project could cost as much as $64 million.

Most of those costs would be covered by levies charged on lot sales; about $7.6 million would need to be covered by property taxes.

“We understand that there are costs, but the levies are there to pay for those costs,” Drexel told the committee.

Drexel said in the interview that the company is not intimidated by the $7.6-million figure, but did not offer a number the company thought was reasonable.

Arbutus has urged city hall to set aside its schedule for development on the eastern edge of the city to allow the neighbourhood of about 7,000 residents to proceed.