Project team unveils concepts for exhibition lands
It was hard to tell who was more enthusiastic — the two dozen or so Edmontonians inside the Bellevue Community League hall viewing giant, colourful posters on the wall or the project team unveiling its concept plans to the public for the first time.
Tuesday served as the first public display of four proposed land-use options for the 90-hectare exhibition lands at Northlands in the city ’s east end with residents flocking to the tiny hall.
“This is a pretty exciting day for the project team,” exhibition lands initiative manager Lyall Brenneis told the crowd.
Those attending the two public sessions were given the chance to add their own comments, criticisms and critiques that will help shape the revised proposals that will eventually be presented to city council, Brenneis said.
The plans ranged from a “baseline” option which proposed selling off a bulk of the site to private development, to an option that would expand the city ’s open space at the same time as creating a new urban community requiring a high degree of public investment.
CONCEPT A
Offering 2,250 housing units to cater to 6,000 new residents, the base option would require 15 to 20 years to come to fruition and offers the least in terms of housing.
Infrastructure work would focus around renovating the Coliseum LRT station at 76 Street and 118 Avenue, construction of an LRT storage and cleaning facility on the western edge of the site, and a new roadway LRT crossing at 115 Avenue, as well as consolidating 22 hectares of Borden Park.
There would be mixed-use development around Coliseum station and commercial development along Wayne Gretzky Drive as well as retail space along the eastern edge. About 50 hectares would be sold for private development.
CONCEPT B
Dubbed Connected Community, Concept B offers 4,000 housing units for 9,000 new residents and would require 20 to 30 years to complete.
Some of the highlights include a new LRT station at 115 Avenue, upgrades to the Coliseum LRT station, moving southbound Wayne Gretzky Drive to join the northbound lanes near 118 Avenue and reshaping Borden Park with improved features including a storm pond.
The option also includes site anchors, or “landing pads” for a potential technology, innovation or a cultural hub with the Expo Centre serving as an amenity focal point. This plan as well as C1 and C2 call for better connections between the site and the river valley. About 53 hectares is earmarked for private development.
CONCEPT C1
Known as the All-In: Civic Anchor and Regional Park option, Concept C1 offers the least to private development at just 40 hectares. With 3,600 housing units for 8,000 residents, this proposal would take 15 to 25 years to complete in its entirety.
This option expands Borden Park by 30 hectares and would see a large-scale civic amenity like an Indigenous centre, tech hub, education facility, aquatic biosphere or soccer stadium in the southern corner. Other highlights include raising 118 Avenue at-grade throughout and the relocation of the Coliseum LRT station and bus loop to 117 Avenue. It would add a commercial district near Wayne Gretzky Drive and 118 Avenue.
CONCEPT C2
Called All-In: Regional Park, the C2 Option is largely a mirror version of C1 except for the fact that the southern anchor designated for a tech hub would become a residential development.
That boosts the number of housing units to 4,250 and new residents to 9,500 and would require between 20 to 30 years to complete. Fifty-one hectares have been set aside for private development.
Brenneis said for the purpose of the planning exercise the land where the Coliseum is located is up for discussion but not the building itself.