Edmonton to unveil four proposals for exhibition lands

EDMONTON Edmonton residents will get their first chance to view four possible land use options for the 220-plus acre exhibition lands at a special public workshop hosted by the city Tuesday.

Exhibition lands initiative manager Lyall Brenneis said the event will feature concept plans, hourly presentations and the opportunity for attendees to have their say on their preferred option for the Northlands site.

Brenneis said the open house will enable his team to “see what really resonates with the community.”

He said he is excited about the chance to unveil the options.

“You can only talk about ideas for so long and then it is about putting those ideas onto paper to create concepts,” he said Monday.

“It feels like we are making some good progress towards the final plan, which will be really great.”

Following the workshops, the list will be narrowed down to two or three options. Those will then be submitted to an urban planning committee meeting in mid-November.

Based on council’s feedback, Brenneis’s team will go back to the community with one preferred concept for another engagement period.

That will then go to a public hearing in the first quarter of 2019, he said.

The four concepts range from a lower public investment plan that has minimal municipal funding attached and a majority of private sector-based funding to the other end of the spectrum which would require more money from the city.

The workshop will be at Bellevue Community Hall at the east end of Borden Park, 7308 112 Ave. An afternoon session runs 1-3 p.m. and an evening event is 5-8 p.m.