Edmonton council to examine freshly minted $553-million Downtown revitalization plan
Edmonton city councillors are set to debate a new Downtown Action Plan this week that could chart the course for more than a half-billion dollars to be put toward the development of the city's core.
The proposed strategy bears a striking resemblance to a Downtown Investment Plan released in October by a group of businesses
'I do think it's a breakthrough,' said Jason Syvixay, vice-president of strategy and operations for BILD Edmonton Metro. 'I think we've been able to come to the table on both sides, public and private sector, be very vulnerable and open and honest, transparent about what we see to be the issues and challenges in Downtown — as well as the opportunities.'
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Edmonton Journal
01-08-2025
- Edmonton Journal
Southwestern expansion: rise of suburbs tracks with in-migration
Edmonton's booming southwest is punching above its weight. It's also showing how Edmonton is changing. Article content Heritage Valley, home to neighbourhoods that include Blackmud Creek, Cavanagh, Chappelle Gardens, Desrochers Villages and Paisley, among others, is now home to an estimated 62,981 residents, which is nearly equivalent to the entire population of Grande Prairie. Neighbouring Windermere, adjacent and just west of Heritage Valley, and housing communities such as Ambleside, Glenridding Ravine and a number of neighbourhoods falling under various Keswick designations, among others, meanwhile, is expected to reach a total of 74,000 residents or a population larger than the City of Medicine Hat. Article content Article content Article content Further, these Edmonton suburbs are showing that suburban settings, which were once thought as homogenous and lacking in vitality are far from that. Additionally, they're the landing place for many new Canadians. Article content Article content That data and more comes from a recently released BILD Edmonton Metro case study on urban growth. The 48-page document, released in mid-July from the organization that bills itself as voice of the real estate development industry, focuses on Heritage Valley and Windermere. It states that urban growth in Edmonton is not only necessary to accommodate new arrivals — especially in light of longer-term growth that foresees the provincial capital's population rising from 1.2 million people to a level of two million or more — and that it's a powerful economic driver for the city. Article content The study also shows that the private sector has invested more than $3.2 billion in Heritage Valley and Windermere, and that when operating and maintenance costs are extrapolated, an estimated $60 million surplus (annually) could be provided to the city-wide budget for other investments. Article content 'Having led community development across Alberta, I can say with confidence, Edmonton is leading the way,' said Mike Kohl, senior vice-president, Alberta communities for Brookfield Residential, which has brought Heritage Valley neighbourhoods like Chappelle and Paisley to fruition. 'Now's not the time to introduce roadblocks or undo meaningful progress that we've achieved together.' Article content Toggle full screen modePrevious Gallery Image Next Gallery ImageToggle gallery captions View All 3 Photos 1 of 3 Article content A growing share of immigrants — more than 40 per cent — are now settling outside gateway cities like Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, according to Dr. Sandeep Agrawal, founding director of the School of Urban and Regional Planning and associate dean at the University of Alberta, who was part of the case study. Article content 'Almost all newcomers are settling in new suburbs in the southeast, southwest and west sides of Edmonton,' said Agrawal, who has spent years mapping Edmonton's ethnic enclaves. 'This pattern mirrors what we're seeing across Canada: the suburbanization of new immigrants.' Article content As to why, he points to affordability, community networks and culturally attuned services. Article content As to where they are settling here, Agrawal, notes that German newcomers have shifted toward southwest and south-central Edmonton as opposed to earlier choices like Kenilworth and Terrace Heights on the east side of the city. Chinese arrivals are expanding their choices from inner-city neighbourhoods to more suburban zones, while South Asians and Filipino communities grow into newer southeast and west segments of the city.
CBC
01-08-2025
- CBC
Proposed incentive program aims to boost downtown Edmonton student housing
A proposed city incentive program could make housing more accessible and affordable for students in Edmonton, advocates say. The proposed downtown student housing incentive program aims to address some of the city's housing policies and strategies, by encouraging more developments in certain areas of Edmonton's core. City council will discuss the proposal on Aug.13. Funding for the program would come from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Housing Accelerator Fund, which would be used to incentivize the development of downtown student housing. The city would provide grants of up to $30,000 per new student unit created, the report said. The report states the program would be "the first of its kind in Canada, leveraging its funding source to address the gap in student housing." If the proposal is approved by council, building permits could be issued for around 500 housing units by November 2026. The report states that the program has two main priorities: increasing downtown revitalization and student housing. Lindsey Butterfield, vice-president of government relations and policy with BILD Edmonton Metro, a group that represents real estate developers, said a program like this could address some unique challenges that students face. "We have a gap between demand for housing and supply for housing and students are in a unique position. They may be coming to Edmonton without a lot of other social supports, not knowing anyone, so that they can pursue studies," she said. "They also have a lot of costs with not necessarily the income to match that related to tuition, having to work part-time jobs again while they pursue their studies." She noted Edmonton has a substantial student population with several post-secondary institutions. The Edmonton housing needs assessment report from 2023 identified that students were among multiple demographics, that faced heightened risks for housing insecurities. That report identified that certain areas in downtown, including what it calls the warehouse campus sub-area, near Norquest College, would be suitable for more student housing. Edmonton university students back to school under rental housing crunch Butterfield estimates that between MacEwan University and Norquest College, both schools bring about 30,000 students a day into the downtown core. "I think the opportunity here is that we can connect a bunch of desirable outcomes, making sure that students have a great place to live that's safe and convenient, as well as bolstering new retail to move into the area," she said. Abdul Abbasi, vice-president external with the U of A's student union, said rental prices are hard on student budgets and one of the biggest reasons the campus food bank has seen a massive increase in demand. "So it is something that we hear a lot from students, students have to choose between a roof on their head and food on their table," said Abbasi. With the university planning to increase its student population from 44,000 in 2023 to 50,000 by 2026, he said student housing needs to catch up. For MacEwan's president and vice-chancellor Annette Trimbee, the downtown student housing incentive, if passed, would show that the city is listening to the student population. MacEwan is currently working on a pilot project to tackle the housing needs of their students. She said surveys conducted on her students have suggested that many want a room and bathroom of their own, but don't mind sharing kitchens and living areas with multiple people. Trimbee said a proposal like this could spark more conversations about more diverse housing needs in the city. "Ideally, we want to understand what students need and accommodate their specific needs. But I don't know if it's so different from seniors, for example. There's a tendency to think that it's best to separate everybody," she said. "There's no one-size-fits-all. Just as our students are diverse, so are the types of housing that we think will accommodate students."
Global News
16-07-2025
- Global News
Edmonton group pushes growth, claims suburbs generate more taxes than costs
Amid an ongoing narrative that Edmonton needs more infill and to build up — not out — a group of businesses argues dense suburbs filled with all styles of homes don't cost the city money. On Tuesday, BILD Edmonton Metro and industry leaders released their Urban Growth Case Study, which they said is a data-driven look at how urban expansion is impacting Edmonton's economy, infrastructure, and communities. 'There's been a rhetoric that growth costs too much money and we can't afford to grow,' said Katrina Rowe, the president of homebuilder Cantiro Homes and BILD Edmonton Metro Board Chair. 'Some of our current council believes we can't afford to grow.' BILD is a non-profit development and construction advocate, calling itself 'the voice and expert resource for the real estate development industry in the Edmonton metro region.' Story continues below advertisement The report examined two of Edmonton's fastest-growing regions — Heritage Valley and Windermere, both in the city's southwest — to assess how growth is being funded, the infrastructure being delivered, and what it means for the city's long-term fiscal health. 1:54 Mixed reaction to Edmonton city council zoning bylaw changes Both areas have been under development for about three decades and are filled with tens of thousands of single family homes, townhouses, duplexes, apartment and condo buildings and in Windermere's case, a handful of tall residential towers. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy BILD argues new developments such as those two have great value and generate more tax revenue than maintenance costs. View image in full screen Single family homes and high-density complexes exist side-by-side in the southwest Edmonton communities of Ambleside and Windermere. May 3, 2018. Vinesh Pratap, Global News BILD said the billions of dollars spent by developers in the two suburb communities is expected to produce a few hundred million dollars in tax revenue for the city. Story continues below advertisement According to the study, to fully build out both areas of the southwest comes with a price tag of over $3.2 billion in private sector investment to build not just homes, but the surrounding infrastructure like roads, stormwater systems, drainage and landscaping. Both developments south of Anthony Henday Drive and west of the QEII are expected to be home to more than 171,000 residents once finished. 'We need to be planning for future growth,' Rowe said. 'All of our future growth can't be housed in infill. We believes there is a place for infill and growth in mature communities, and there also needs to be growth in new communities.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "All of our future growth can't be housed in infill. We believes there is a place for infill and growth in mature communities, and there also needs to be growth in new communities." At full buildout all the way south to 41 Avenue S.W., the study found the two areas will generate approximately $309 million in property taxes for the city annually (not including the education tax portion.) Once finished and turned over to the city, the study claims it will cost $14 million and $9.7 million to maintain the area's roads and parks, respectively. Story continues below advertisement 'Our study shows that we are profitable and new communities aren't costing the city money,' Rowe said. The study said within Heritage Valley and Windermere, the City of Edmonton collects 77 per cent of its tax revenue from residential development, 17 per cent from commercial or industrial, properties, and six per cent from multi-residential buildings like apartments. After the education portion transfers to the Province of Alberta, the City of Edmonton currently collects over $163 million dollars annually from Heritage Valley and Windermere, BILD said. Sandeep Agrawal is an urban planning expert and argues not everyone wants to live in the city's core. But is the City of Edmonton buying it? Morgan Black explores that in the video above.
