Local Business
Get excited about Abbey Platinum Master Built’s new offerings in ‘Naturally Exquisite’ Evergreen!
Red Deer will soon have a new family oriented neighbourhood. “Evergreen” is located north of the new St. Joseph High School, on the east side of 30th Avenue before the turn off to Riverbend Golf and Recreation Area.There are two significant offerings in Evergreen that set it apart from other newer Red Deer neighbourhoods: lots that are very well priced, and a significant upgrade to landscape features.
Abbey Platinum Master Built is one of the builders selling lots in the community, and the company is excited about what Evergreen has to offer families.
“This new approach to development will allow people to get into the market in a very desirable community,” says Mindy Smythe, Sales Manager of Abbey Platinum.
Affordable lots are possible due to a shift in lot size. Traditional lot sizes in Red Deer have been about 40 feet wide by 120 feet long. Lot sizes in Evergreen will be wider, at an average of 50 feet. They are also shorter, at an average of 90 feet. This means lower lot prices. It also means more two storey homes, and a different look to front facades.
“The theme of the community is ‘Naturally Exquisite’”, says Smythe.
“We will be reflecting that in our home which will see less vinyl siding and more natural elements like wood and rock.” Also, according to Smythe, with the shift in lot size Evergreen will accommodate garages that are flush with the front of the house, instead of the traditional design where a garage extends forward beyond the home. Another change will be in the landscaping of the community. Smythe says Evergreen has more to offer.
Instead of having the City maintain the parks and pathways, the community will take on that responsibility through an association that every home owner will belong to. A fee of about $100 per year depending on the home, will provide resources necessary to do a high level of maintenance. For instance, home owners will experience a bridge and waterfall around a natural water feature, streams, community gateway lighting, entrance plaza lighting and a green area between sidewalks and the road. The City will still provide services such as garbage, water, sewer, and snow removal.
The drive behind what new families will experience in Evergreen, or anything else Abbey Platinum builds, centers in its two owners: Art Anastasi, the founder of Abbey Master Builder, and Terry Loewen, the founder of Platinum Homes & Developments. Abbey and Platinum merged in May 2017 because of what it could offer clients. “Art and Terry had been friends for a long time,” says Smythe, “and they recognized by coming together they could increase value to their customers.”
“I think we complement each other well,” says Loewen. “We provide clients with a much broader experience because we both have our areas of expertise.” Prior to the merge Abbey Master Builder, which began in 1981, was known for constructing quality single- family, multi-family and estate homes. Platinum, which began in 2008, was known for custom home and estate home construction, as well as renovations and commercial work including tenant improvements and construction. “The merge rounded out what we are able to offer,” says Smythe. The company’s offerings now include single and multi-family homes, apartments, duplexes, estate homes, and home renovations, commercial tenant improvements, and commercial and residential insurance claims / renovations.
The typical company volume is 100 to 150 homes a year, and about a dozen commercial projects in Central Alberta annually. Both owners have long and respected histories in Red Deer. Art Anastasi built his first three homes almost 40 years ago, at the same time as building his family a home on a farm. Since then he has overseen the construction of hundreds of homes in Central Alberta, and built an award winning business that has received multiple awards including many Canadian Home Builders’ Association Awards (CHBA) including three Best New Home awards in 2017.
Terry Loewen had been working in the industry for 20+ years when his company merged with Anastasi’s. The first home he built under the Plantinum name was in Vanier Woods. Before merging, Platinum had received many awards including the Builder of the Year Award in 2017 (for small volume) most recently. Also of note, Loewen was named Citizen of the Year for Red Deer in 2018. A combined list of Abbey and Platinum awards include 34 CHBA awards for “Excellence in Housing” between 2009 and 2017, and five CHBA “Builder of the Year” awards during the same period.
Having been together for more than a year, the owners are optimistic about the future. “We are well equipped to meet the demands of the market,” says Anastasi. “Together, our clients will receive even higher quality, service and value.”
This article originally appeared in Central Alberta Homes & Lifestyles
Read more stories about local businesses in our region.
The Downtown Business Association (DBA) Board of Directors has made the decision to wind down the Association’s operations at the end of 2025.
The Board determined that the Association is no longer able to operate sustainably under the financial framework available for 2026. After exploring all reasonable alternatives, the Board concluded that it could not continue without reducing services to a level that would no longer provide meaningful value to levy-paying businesses.
The DBA does not receive any operating funding from City Hall in a regular year, all funds raised are through Business Improvement Area Levy that consists of a mandatory levy placed on all businesses operating within the Business Improvement Area. These funds are legislated under the Municipal
Government Act, to be used to promote the Business Improvement Area, which is achieved through marketing and event initiatives along with providing advocacy support primarily to local government on behalf of the business community.
In recent years, the DBA has been a committed advocate for re-examining the approach to Downtown Governance. The Board has consistently maintained that the responsibility for funding downtown initiatives in such a socially charged environment should not rest solely with the business community.
Despite their efforts, the DBA recognized that the funds generated through the Business Improvement Area Levy were insufficient to effectively address the growing challenges of the current operating environment. This ongoing financial strain highlighted the need for a more equitable and sustainable
model to re-establish the downtown as a safe and welcoming heart of the city.
At the annual DBA budget presentation to City Hall, the DBA requested the essential funding needed to implement the Greater Downtown Governance Committee’s recommendations — work that the DBA is uniquely positioned to lead and has been delivering despite depleting resources for many years. The request was not approved. Instead, The City offered a one-time $100,000 Grant-in-Lieu, paired with a proposed 60% increase to the Business Improvement Area levy in 2026.
After careful analysis, the Board concluded that increasing the levy would place undue strain on already challenged businesses and compromise the DBA’s role as a trusted advocate. Operating with the reduced funding of $225,000 would require further staff reductions in an already under resourced environment and a significant reduction in programs, making it impossible to deliver the level of support that downtown businesses deserve and vitally need.
Beginning January 1, 2026, the City of Red Deer will become the primary contact point for matters previously supported by the DBA, including downtown support programs, business-district coordination, events, safety and cleanliness support, and stakeholder engagement. The DBA will work with City staff to support a smooth transition.
The DBA will continue to provide Clean Team services through the delivery of the City-funded environmental contract until February 1st, 2026.
Quote from CEO, Amanda Gould:
“To our business community, we have always operated with your best interests in our heart, continually driving the vision of a thriving downtown environment that serves every member of our community. The changes ahead will have a significant impact on downtown, as there will no longer be an organization dedicated to ensuring the downtown remains top-of-mind, leading events, marketing initiatives, or advocating on your behalf. It is likely you will experience less coordinated support and collective representation.
After 13 years of service to you and our beautiful downtown, it is with great personal sadness that we find ourselves here, but our message remains clear – addressing the unique challenges of our downtown should not rest solely on your shoulders. We cannot, in good faith, collect a levy that does not enable us to provide the essential services needed for our evolving downtown landscape”.
Quote from DBA Board Chair, Brandon Bouchard:
“The incredible staff at the Downtown Business Association have consistently delivered on their mandate with outstanding dedication and effectiveness. Through their efforts, they have successfully promoted the downtown area, organized impactful marketing and event initiatives, and provided steadfast
advocacy support for the business community. Their work has extended well beyond the legislated requirements, as they have proactively responded to the evolving needs of downtown businesses, adapting to challenges and supporting operations within a complex and changing environment.
Despite the staff’s relentless commitment to positioning the DBA as an effective leader for downtown interests, the absence of a sustainable funding model has made it impossible to continue delivering meaningful support. The Board cannot, in good conscience, propose a levy that does not enable the
Association to meet the required level of service, address the shifting priorities of the business community, or respond to the continually evolving needs of the downtown”.
From Community Futures Central Alberta
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