First residents could get their keys in 2018
City unveils Phase 1 of development with 250 homes, parks and shopping
Edmonton released details Tuesday for the first phase of the new Blatchford community, highlighting the central park around the old municipal airport control tower.
The first phase will have roughly 250 units, with a mix of four- to six-storey apartments and townhouses. The central park will have a skating rink, community firepit, open lawn, community vegetable gardens and a playground.
There will also be a series of shops with condos above them at the north end of the site.
“It’s also going to be a fantastic place to live in,” said Mayor Don Iveson, suggesting the urban design will help neighbours build relationships.
This first phase will be accessible from Airport Road, just off Kingsway Avenue. Even though the plans are complete, the land won’t be offered for sale to builders until council finalizes details on the district energy system next spring.
“Optimistically,” the first homes will be built in 2018, Iveson said, adding many suburban communities take 10 years to plan.
“The decision was made to close the airport in 2009.” If people start moving in 2018, “that’s actually a year or two faster than the suburban development cycle,” he said. “We are moving at a responsible pace.”
Coun. Bev Esslinger said there will be separated bike lanes and walkways connecting it to the nearby LRT. “We’ve been talking about this for so long, it’s great to finally see what that first phase will look like.”
The project will also have several feature sculptures celebrating the history of the site as the municipal airport. An art installation north of the control tower will incorporate pieces of the concrete from the old runways around a central sculpture.
The control tower itself will be kept standing. It has a series of meeting rooms and a beautiful view of the surrounding area.
Zoning and guidelines will control what builders can do with each parcel of land they purchase from the city. Townhouses must have rear garages, for example, and front porches to encourage more community interaction.
They’ll also have lower parking requirements so some town homes can offer garage suites in the back lane. More details about the site are available on a new project website, BlatchfordEdmonton.ca.