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He expects residential and commercial construction to finish within the next two years.

Photo by Greg Pender / Saskatoon StarPhoenix

Originally planned as two neighbourhoods

Stonebridge, Hampton Village and Willowgrove were the first new neighbourhoods to be developed in about a decade. Stonebridge was originally pitched to the City of Saskatoon as two neighbourhoods, says Tim Steuart, a former city planner and manager of development review. At the time, the city aimed for new neighbourhoods to hold 5,000 people with a rough density of four units per acre. Stonebridge set the bar at around six units per acre.

“The newer neighbourhoods now, like Elk Point and Brighton, are up in that eight or nine units per acre. Stonebridge was that evolution in the neighbourhood of more density and greater mix of housing types,” Steuart said.

The Stonebridge plan called for 4,800 residential units — multi- and single-dwelling developments — to house 11,000 people on 850 acres (in addition to 110 acres of commercial space). As of 2013, the population stood at 6,774 in an estimated 2,464 dwellings, according to a City of Saskatoon neighbourhood profile.

“At the time, it was the largest residential development in the city,” Armstrong said.

First hotel built on east side in decades

The Stonebridge development led to construction of the first hotel on the city’s east side in decades (The Colonial Square Inn on Eighth Street was the lone east side hotel). Armstrong said another new aspect was including a large business park development, allowing for big box stores and lots of office space, with residential plans. The expansion of large retailers didn’t sit well with everyone.