First Place Program Partnership with City of Edmonton Case Study
Transforming healthcare infrastructure
The first of its kind in Alberta, the Covenant Wellness Community will bring together the health and wellness services Albertans need to live and age well in one location. This partnership with Covenant Health will create a 190,000 sf mixed-use development that will innovate the approach to healthcare development. Phase 1 includes the Community Health Centre, which is set to be complete in 2025.
Challenge
The impetus for the Covenant Wellness Community was the acute strain facing the Grey Nuns Community Hospital. In response, Covenant Health sought to relocate several of its outpatient and ambulatory programs to a more accessible, community-oriented setting—freeing up valuable hospital capacity. Rohit Group was ultimately selected for its ability to integrate public health objectives with real estate market realities and its track record in executing high-impact, community-centered developments.
“Our partnership with Covenant Health shows how private-sector innovation can help shape Alberta’s community infrastructure. Together, we've developed a model that supports wellness-focused development and sets the stage for future collaboration.”
— Russell Dauk, Rohit Infrastructure
Rohit's Strategic Contribution
Rohit Infrastructure played a central role in unlocking the full potential of the Covenant Wellness Community through its unique Alliance Model. Unlike traditional development roles, Rohit was embedded from the earliest planning stages, providing leadership in master planning, zoning, land servicing, project phasing, and financial modeling.
Rohit Infrastructure’s strategic contributions included:
- Master planning and redevelopment strategy
- Project design management
- Procurement and costing
- Design optimization
- Integrated operations and transition planning
- Development of the Lakewood District identity
Rohit’s multifaceted involvement, from financial engineering to operations planning, ensured that the CWC Lakewood would succeed as both a healthcare hub and a sustainable community asset. Their expertise extended far beyond project management, enabling public-sector partners to realize new roles and long-term value creation.
Key Outcomes
Affordability and Accessibility
- Lowered barriers to entry by deferring land costs, significantly reducing mortgage amounts and monthly payments for first-time buyers.
- Enabled buyers to build equity early, offering a path toward long-term financial security and upward mobility.
Urban Revitalization
- Brought renewed energy and demographic diversity to mature neighborhoods experiencing population decline.
- Promoted more efficient land use through infill development, reducing urban sprawl and leveraging existing infrastructure.
- Positioned affordable homes near transit, schools, and amenities, supporting complete and connected communities.
Community Trust and Satisfaction
- Elevated community voice through structured, transparent consultation processes tailored to each neighborhood.
- Incorporated resident feedback into site planning and design, strengthening neighborhood support and cohesion.
Durable Partnership Model
- Demonstrated the potential of long-term, values-aligned public-private collaboration in tackling complex housing challenges.
- Informed Rohit Infrastructure’s continued approach to municipal partnerships, grounded in responsiveness, transparency, and alignment with civic objectives.
Covenant interview
Integrating Design Innovation
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Lessons Learned
The CWC Lakewood project surfaced several valuable insights that can inform future community infrastructure initiatives across Alberta and beyond:
- Engage private-sector expertise early
- Challenge traditional infrastructure assumptions
- Design with flexibility and user adaptation in mind
- Embed cost control in design
- Streamline governance for timely decisions
- Establish clear, compelling place identity
- Align private development goals with public benefit
These lessons are now shaping the development and delivery of future phases, ensuring that CWC Lakewood remains a benchmark in integrated, outcome-driven infrastructure planning.
Conclusion
The completion of construction for the Community Health Centre represents a pivotal milestone in the larger vision for the Covenant Wellness Community in Lakewood District, a model for how public-private collaboration can deliver complex, multi-use infrastructure in ways that are timely, cost-effective, and deeply aligned with community needs.
