The City of Warman is contracting with Colliers to analyze the city’s retail market.
The goal is to provide administrators and elected officials with data they can utilize to attract investment and encourage growth in the retail sector.
Warman City Council voted at its May 25 meeting to award the contract to Colliers following a competitive bidding process that saw three companies vie for the job.
Colliers had the lowest bid at $9,000 plus taxes.
Funding for the project is largely covered by a $7,500 grant received by the city from the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority (SREDA). The balance will come out of city coffers.
While Colliers had the lowest bid, it scored highest in all the other criteria used by city administrators in analyzing the three submitted proposals, according to Warman Economic Development Manager Brennan Gasmo.
“I feel they have a good understanding of what is required for this analysis, and they’ve also shown they have the experience and knowledge,” Gasmo told council in his report to the May 25 meting.
In its submission, Colliers intends to focus on identifying “specific under-performing sectors within the local retail market.”
The study will also analyze the potential for economic growth in these under-performing sectors.
As part of the study, extensive data will be collected on demographics, including population growth and household income. The city will also be able to learn how it stacks up against comparable-size communities in the province, and what steps it needs to undertake to boost and retain investment.