Edmonton kicks off 2025 with $1.5B in construction including Downtown park and more residential roads
Article content
'Next year, at this time, we should be able to enjoy the incredible park in the heart of our city. We're actually turning pocket parking lots into paradise at this location, not the other way around.'
The park, a stretch of vacant parking lots spanning 1.47 hectares in Downtown Edmonton, is located between 106 Street and 108 Street just north of Jasper Avenue. It is part of Edmonton's $7-billion 2023–2026 capital budget, with an average of $1.5 billion yearly.
Walbaum said this year's work includes over 80 kilometres of residential roads and sidewalk upgrades, and the renewal of 22 kilometres of alleyways.
Eleven neighbourhoods will undergo construction as part of the city's renewal program 'to enhance the livability and longevity of these established communities.'
Deputy Mayor Anne Stevenson said the projects aim to do more than just improve infrastructure, but are part of a broader plan to build inclusive, connected communities.
'We're not just laying pavement and building structures. We're building the foundation for a city where every Edmontonian feels a sense of belonging,' Stevenson said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edmonton Journal
27-05-2025
- Edmonton Journal
Opinion: A dynamic downtown will benefit all of Edmonton
Article content It is time to double down on Edmonton's downtown — not just for the sake of our city's core, but for the future of Edmonton as a whole. In recent years, Edmonton's downtown has faced considerable challenges which have taken a serious toll on our city's overall financial health. Downtown is not just central to our city's identity and culture, it is core to our economic sustainability citywide. When downtown underperforms, every Edmontonian pays the price.
Calgary Herald
20-05-2025
- Calgary Herald
High density nodes get pushback at Edmonton public hearing
Edmonton city council hosted a public hearing Tuesday on a proposed rezoning bylaw that would affect parts of Wîhkwêntôwin, University-Garneau, Stony Plain Road, 124 Street and 156 Street. Article content Article content What does the bylaw do? Article content Bylaw 21128 is a city-led initiative that proposes applying standard residential and mixed-use zones in select priority growth areas. The goal is to support medium- and large-scale housing and mixed-use development in transit-connected areas and streamline redevelopment in alignment with the City Plan and district plans to support a population of two million. Article content Article content The approach removes the need for individual rezoning applications, aiming to cut red tape for builders and homeowners. Article content Article content Why these areas? Article content According to the administration, a technical review helped select the priority growth areas based on land use patterns, redevelopment potential and transit access. Several corridors are slated to be served by the Valley Line West LRT and bus rapid transit routes B1 and B2, making them ideal candidates for higher-density, mixed-use development. Article content In the University-Garneau major node, for example, the rezoning would allow buildings up to 75 metres in key locations, like 109 Street and 82 Avenue. Other areas, such as between 109 Street and 110 Street, have been scaled down to 23 metres in response to concerns from nearby small-scale residential areas. Article content A divided community Article content Public feedback has been mixed. While many speakers voiced strong support for the initiative, citing the need for more housing and more efficient development processes, others raised concerns over the impact on existing communities, transparency and the city's engagement process. Article content Article content Brian Murray, a partner at B&A Studios, voiced his 'strong support' for the rezoning proposal which he described as a 'real, tangible step toward delivering more housing, greater affordability, and more sustainable growth.' He argued the bylaw would reduce red tape, ensure faster delivery of new housing in the city, and create certainty for redevelopment, especially in well-connected areas like Garneau. Article content Article content 'It will allow for a broader mix of housing types that reflect the diverse needs of Edmontonians,' he said. Article content Ryan Jakes, a 24-year-old lifelong Edmontonian, also backed the plan, calling it an 'important step in the right direction' that balances long-term goals with neighbourhood context to provide a more affordable, livable Edmonton. He also applauded the city's youth engagement efforts.
Calgary Herald
13-05-2025
- Calgary Herald
'Fire... meet gas': Alberta Premier Danielle Smith dismayed at Carney cabinet picks
OTTAWA — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith didn't hide her dismay at Prime Minister Mark Carney's choice of Toronto-area MP Julie Dabrusin as his new environment minister on Tuesday. Article content Article content 'I am very concerned the prime minister has appointed what appears to be yet another anti-oil and gas environment minister,' said Smith in a statement on Carney's cabinet picks. Article content Article content 'Not only is (Dabrusin) a self-proclaimed architect of the designation of plastics as toxic, but she is a staunch advocate against oil sands expansion (and) proponent of phasing out oil and gas(.)' Article content Article content Smith has warned Carney repeatedly that he'll need to scrap several of these policies — including the federal cap on oil and gas emissions and federal clean electricity regulations — if he wants to avoid an unprecedented national unity crisis. Article content On Monday, Smith announced that she was indefinitely freezing Alberta's industrial carbon price at $95 per tonne, setting up a clash with the Carney Liberals over their escalating federal carbon price. Article content Article content Just one Alberta MP, Edmontonian Eleanor Olszewski, was named to Carney's 28-member cabinet. Article content Article content Rookie Calgary Liberal MP Corey Hogan was snubbed of either a cabinet or secretarial post. Article content The reaction to Carney's new cabinet in Alberta wasn't all negative, as some in the province's business community said they were encouraged by the appointment of ex-banker Tim Hodgson as energy minister. Article content 'Tim (Hodgson) has real life experience with Alberta's energy sector… he's seen firsthand the challenging policy environment that the federal government has put in place for the past ten years,' said Business Council of Alberta President Adam Legge.
