Article content

The city’s controversial impact fee won’t be expanded to additional types of construction until after a court challenge against the levy wraps up.

Mayor Brian Bowman confirmed Tuesday that the fee, which currently adds $553 per 100 square feet to the price of new homes in some new neighbourhoods, won’t enter its second phase until after that point.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Expansion of Winnipeg's impact fee on hold till court challenge concludes Back to video

“We’re months away from the legal challenge being heard and we want to make sure that process plays out in the proper way,” said Bowman.

The Manitoba Home Builders’ Association and Urban Development Institute raised the legal challenge, which aims to stop the impact fee from being charged and alleges the city lacks the ability to impose it. The legal battle is expected to begin being heard in court this October.

Council originally planned to add on to its first round of impact fees, which began being charged in May 2017, with a second phase of levies applied to commercial, office, industrial and institutional buildings in the same areas. That was slated to begin no earlier than Nov. 1, 2018.