Along the edge of the southwest ring road, a massive new development is in the works on Tsuut’ina Nation — and those behind the project say they hope it’s a major step toward economic prosperity for the nation.
Spanning about 190 hectares, Taza Park will bring 6,500 new homes and more than one million square feet of retail and commercial space to Tsuut’ina Nation, near the Grey Eagle Casino.
It’s the first of three villages slated for the area, as part of the larger, ambitious Taza development project.
Behind the project is Taza Development Corporation, a 50-50 partnership between Tsuut’ina Nation and real estate development firm Canderel.
“When I was growing up as a teenager, my two dreams were to have paved roads and a 7-Eleven I could go to whenever I wanted,” said Bryce Starlight, who grew up on Tsuut’ina Nation and is now the vice-president of business development with Taza Development Corporation.
“I get to do that now for the rest of my community.”
The project has been decades in the making, and Starlight said over the years they’ve engaged with various parts of the community — from chief and council, to elders, to residents.
He said Taza Park isn’t just about providing access to amenities for nation members, it’s also about the nation creating its own revenue and boosting its economy.
“Change is always difficult. There’s always a lot of different perceptions on how or what the development looks like. But at the end of the day, this is aligned with a longstanding commitment to increasing our economic self-determination through the nation.”
In recognition of the land and its people, Starlight said the developments will include elements of Tsuut’ina culture, language and tradition.
Construction of infrastructure — such as roadways and utilities — is already underway in the area, and construction of residential buildings is expected to start as early as June. It was announced Wednesday that Brookfield Residential, Crystal Creek Homes and Homes by Avi were selected as the first three residential builders for the project.
The development corporation’s president James Robertson said he anticipates Taza Park’s first residents — from Tsuut’ina, Calgary and beyond — could begin moving in next summer.
“We want to make sure that we’re creating a housing price in a housing form that responds to the market … we have a variety of three different housing types that hit different price points and really reflect the needs of different people and different demographics,” said Robertson.
Robertson said Taza Park will eventually include purpose-built rental housing, but he doesn’t expect those units to be complete until late 2026 or early 2027.
He said at this point, all the units will be market-rate homes — though they are thinking about affordable housingin the future.
“It’s a 15- to 20-year project of enormous scale. So a lot of these things will get determined as we move forward,” said Robertson.
Robertson said the development will be built on leased land from Tsuut’ina Nation, and the commercial and residential property tax rates will be slightly lower than the City of Calgary..
