As part of a broader strategic push to catalyze growth and long-term vibrancy in its downtown and surrounding neighbourhoods, the City of Regina has introduced the City Centre Incentive Program (CCIP). This initiative consolidates various financial tools into a unified structure intended to reduce barriers to urban reinvestment. With a focus on activating vacant land, modernizing building stock, and attracting new commercial tenancy, the CCIP intends to reshape the physical and economic character of Regina’s city centre in ways that align with long-term planning goals.
Two Tracks to Support Urban Renewal
The CCIP offers two primary streams, including grant incentives and tax exemptions, both of which are tailored to support different types of development and improvement. These are aimed not only at encouraging capital improvements but also at helping overcome some of the friction typically associated with downtown redevelopment, such as aging infrastructure, fragmented property ownership, and soft commercial demand.
Grants are intended for smaller-scale interventions that have immediate visual or economic impact, including enhancements to storefronts and interior fit-ups for new tenants. Tax exemptions, on the other hand, apply to larger undertakings, especially the redevelopment of long-vacant lots within designated boundaries. There is flexibility to apply either stream based on project scale so the city can attract both incremental upgrades and more ambitious construction.
Tax Exemption for Vacant Land Redevelopment
For projects involving the redevelopment of currently vacant lots, the CCIP provides a property tax exemption for up to five years. This applies to municipal, library, and education portions of the tax levy. There is no fixed dollar cap; the value of the exemption is tied to the assessed value of the completed property.
This stream is meant to address one of the most persistent urban challenges: the long-term vacancy of centrally located parcels. By reducing the carrying cost burden during the initial years after development, the program effectively lowers the total project risk profile. This can be particularly relevant in a context where lease-up timelines may be extended or where construction costs remain elevated.
Approval for this exemption requires a formal process involving both City Council and provincial consent. This added level of oversight ensures that public support is reserved for projects that deliver measurable benefit in terms of land use, design quality, and economic contribution.
Storefront Improvement and Tenant Fit-Up
Under the grant component, funding is available to cover 50% of eligible project costs, up to a maximum of $50,000. The two categories of storefront improvement and tenant fit-up are designed to enhance street-level activity and encourage business density within the core.
The storefront improvement stream targets exterior upgrades such as façade restoration, signage, lighting, and window enhancements. These changes are often crucial to activating pedestrian-level interest and making the area more attractive to visitors and residents. The tenant fit-up stream, meanwhile, is available exclusively for new tenants undertaking interior renovations, with a specific emphasis on first-time occupiers of previously underused commercial spaces.
This approach supports the city’s goal of reducing downtown vacancy rates and promoting economic diversity, particularly by incentivizing new retail, service, or office uses. However, existing tenants expanding or reconfiguring their space are not eligible, ensuring that funds are directed toward net new occupation and activation.
Defined Boundaries for Strategic Targeting
The program targets a defined area in and around Regina’s city centre, with projects evaluated through a scoring system that prioritizes key corridors, underused lots, and alignment with city planning goals. Developments that enhance walkability, urban design, or mixed-use density receive higher rankings. This ensures the incentive acts not just as financial support, but as a tool for guiding strategic revitalization.
Application Requirements and Process
Applicants must demonstrate both site control (ownership or lease agreements) and project readiness. Supporting documentation includes detailed plans or renderings, cost estimates from licensed contractors, and photographs of existing conditions. There is a fixed application window up to August 20, 2025, with reviews conducted on a first-come, first-served basis until allocated funds are exhausted.
Integrating with Broader Urban Policy
The CCIP is part of a broader municipal approach to intensification and urban revitalization. It complements other policy initiatives such as the Intensification & Revitalization Incentive Programs, which target residential redevelopment, and the Housing Incentives Policy, which encourages multi-unit construction on infill lots. Recent zoning reforms, including the removal of parking minimums and streamlined permitting for multiplex housing, also reflect a city-wide commitment to core-area regeneration.
More details can be found at the City of Regina’s official City Centre Incentive Program page.