Build It and They Will Come… But What If They Don’t?

By Lorri Matthewson, Founder, Matthewson & Co.

www.smallplacesrock.com

I love the peace of small‑town living. I love the way generations of the same families shape a place, and how newcomers add new energy and ideas. I love the civic pride, the beauty of our prairie communities, and the way people show up for each other.

And I especially love the “get‑after‑it” spirit that builds rinks, pools, firehalls, and community spaces through sheer determination and volunteer power. Those fundraisers and volunteer hours create a quality of life that rivals anywhere in the country. They are the heartbeat of rural life.

But alongside that strength sits a blind spot—one that shows up when communities take on large capital projects without fully understanding what it will cost to operate, maintain, and eventually replace them.

Grants help build things. Volunteers help build things. But neither of those pay the bills for the next 40 years. And too often, those long‑term costs aren’t calculated or shared with the public before decisions are made. Uninformed consent is not consent. If a project can’t withstand public scrutiny, it’s not ready.

This isn’t about saying don’t build things. It’s about building the right things, for the right reasons, with eyes wide open.

1. Do You Need It?

Needing space for equipment doesn’t automatically mean a full‑size, fully loaded firehall. Sometimes it means a pole shed. The question is not “What would be nice?” but “What solves the problem responsibly?”

2. Will We Use It?

If your current facility is underused and your census shows population decline, a new building won’t reverse that trend. Usage doesn’t magically increase because a building is newer.

If you can’t reasonably expect the facility to sustain itself through users, then you must calculate what it will cost—and how the municipality will cover that cost. That’s basic asset management.

3. Can the Existing Asset Be Repaired?

There is a world of difference between a $1‑million repair and a $10‑million rebuild.

At 5% interest, a $10‑million project costs $500,000 a year in interest alone—before paying down a single dollar of principal. If 500 kids use the facility, that’s $1,000 per child per year just to service the debt.

Nobody would choose that if they were paying out of their own pocket. Municipal math shouldn’t be any different.

Even if you have 100% of the capital cost covered, operations and maintenance will cost two to three times the build cost over the asset’s life. A $10‑million facility will cost roughly $20‑million to operate and maintain over 40 years—about $500,000 per year. In a community with fewer than 100 kids, that matters.

4. Do You Have a Plan for Operations and Maintenance?

Once the ribbon is cut, the bills begin.

Municipalities must balance their budgets. Every new cost must come from somewhere:

• higher taxes,

• higher user fees, or

• reduced service elsewhere.

Reserves help, but they don’t last forever. A long‑term plan is not optional.

Why “Build It and They Will Come” Is Not a Strategy

It’s a great movie line. It is a terrible municipal plan.

It assumes demand will appear simply because the facility exists. In rural communities, that assumption almost always collapses under the weight of:

• small and aging populations,

• long‑term operating costs,

• limited tax capacity, and

• the reality that municipalities cannot create demand.

Infrastructure does not create population growth. Municipalities cannot force business investment or market interest.

And when “they” don’t come, current residents carry the full burden through higher taxes or reduced services.

Across the Prairies, we see the results:

• empty industrial parks,

• oversized water plants,

• underused recreation facilities,

• subdivisions with no buyers.

These become long‑term liabilities, not assets.

The Fundamentals Matter

Before building anything, responsible municipalities start with:

• demonstrated need,

• feasibility studies,

• realistic usage projections,

• lifecycle cost analysis,

• phased development, and

• ,commitments from partners or users.

If someone is promising growth, ask for letters of intent, cost‑sharing, or pre‑sales before a shovel hits the ground.

So, build it and they will come…but what if they don’t?

Communities do not grow because we build a new facility. They grow when fundamentals are strong. They grow where the infrastructure and governance are solid, and where there are jobs and housing. Without the fundamentals in place, communities can, and do, build beautiful, underused facilities.

Matthewson & Co. supports communities with practical, plain‑language asset management services that help councils plan, prioritize, and invest wisely for the long term.

Visit Our Services | Matthewson & Co. for more information.

Our next Asset Management webinar will take place on Monday March 23^rd. To register visit Asset Management 101 Tickets, Monday, Mar 23 from 3 pm to 4:30 pm CDT | Eventbrite