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Stop the presses.
A Saskatoon developer is planning one of the most ambitious projects in Saskatchewan history on the former site of the StarPhoenix newspaper’s office in downtown Saskatoon.
The site would feature the tallest building in Saskatchewan and retain the 1967 structure that was home to the newspaper until late 2024, when the site was purchased by Duchuck Holdings Ltd. for $5.9 million.
It would also include a long-discussed downtown grocery store between two towers that would be built on parking lots at either side of the building on Fifth Avenue North, less than a block from the South Saskatchewan River.
With an estimated 600 residential units, the development would become the largest residential complex in provincial history, topping the 474 units in Baydo Towers, being built about a block north of the site at the intersection of Fifth and 25th Street.
“It’s certainly a smart thing,” Alan Wallace, a planning consultant with Wallace Insights, said in an interview. “That was the thing I thought of initially right off the bat is how ambitious it was, to add storeys to the existing building plus add two residential towers.
“It is an enormous amount of investment in that site.”
Project renderings peg the height of the 35-floor tower planned for the south parking lot at more than 110 metres, easily taller than Nutrien Tower at River Landing in Saskatoon, which holds the current distinction of being Saskatchewan’s tallest building at 88 metres.
The tower on the north side of the StarPhoenix property, planned to be 24 storeys and 78.8 metres tall, would be one of the tallest buildings in downtown Saskatoon.
The plan calls for three additional storeys to be built on top of the existing StarPhoenix building, which would be rented as office space, and about 540 parking spots.
On the same block, Meridian Developments is planning a 19-storey, 112-unit tower with a distinctive curved, futuristic design on Spadina Crescent. But that project is stalled by concerns about the provincial economy and downtown safety.
Wallace pointed out that a target of 10,000 people living downtown has long been discussed. During the 2003 civic election, former mayor Don Atchison campaigned on boosting the downtown population to that number within eight years.
Last year, city hall estimated there were 3,679 people living downtown.
“We can accommodate these buildings and we can accommodate a few more, actually, and still be well short of our target,” said Wallace, the former director of planning and development at city hall.
He acknowledged several big projects in Saskatoon have received approval only to stall, and construction costs have risen substantially since the pandemic hit in 2020.
The former headquarters of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix newspaper, seen here on Friday, April 24, 2026, was built for $3.5 million and opened downtown in 1967. (Phil Tank/CBC)’Very excited’
Shawna Nelson, executive director of the business improvement district, Downtown Saskatoon, said it’s important for city hall to support projects like this one to encourage investment.
Nelson said she’s spoken with Brent Suer of Duchuck, who believes the project can be completed in three years, barring any issues.
“We’re very excited about the StarPhoenix project and how it’s going to provide more residential living for downtown,” Nelson said in an interview.
Duchuck has purchased a half-dozen properties in downtown Saskatoon, including the former police station on Fourth Avenue, which has been redeveloped into office and commercial space, and the Frances Morrison Central Library.
The library is expected to move to its new location next year.
Renderings posted on the city’s website suggest the signature winding marble staircase inside the StarPhoenix building’s front entrance would be retained.
But there’s no indication about what might happen to the iconic 106-year-old green clock located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 24th Street. The clock was erected to honour those who lost their lives in the First World War.
The developer wants the site rezoned to allow commercial uses of the property, such as the grocery store. But a page on the city’s website clarifies that city hall cannot compel the developer to include a grocery store.
A public information meeting is scheduled for committee room E at city hall on May 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. CST.