The former Dr. Turner Lodge site has finally been turned over to the Heartland Housing Foundation for future affordable housing development.

The site has been empty since the lodge closed in 2015, and demolished in 2021. The site is located at 101 Street and 98 Avenue in downtown Fort Saskatchewan.

Heartland Housing operated the old Turner Lodge and now operates the new lodge and other public housing facilities in Fort Saskatchewan and Sherwood Park.

The land is owned by the Alberta government, however, which did not make a decision on what to do with it until this week.

"This is a very positive step forward for the City and Heartland Housing," says Mayor Gale Katchur.

"It is our hope that plans can now move forward for Heartland Housing to acquire funding to build either additional seniors accommodation or more affordable housing options."

The foundation is now considering what it will build on the site, the foundation states on its website."We aim to see that land used for medium-density multi-family housing. Planning for this future project is still in its early phases, with zoning discussions with the City of Fort Saskatchewan expected to begin in 2026."

Neighbours will also be included in the planning process, says Adrienne Richard, Strategic Engagement Manager with the foundation.

Heartland Housing opened Abdurahman Court, its only affordable housing project not exclusively for seniors in Fort Saskatchewan in 2023. This 83-unit complex offers studio, one, two and three-bedroom units at 20 to 30 per cent below market rent.

The project took six years to plan, fund and build and relied on federal and provincial grants and land provided by the City of Fort Saskatchewan.