Downtown Edmonton recovers 80% of foot traffic from pre-pandemic
Edmonton's core is getting back on track.
It's been four years since the pandemic shutdown Edmonton's downtown and kickstarted a mass exodus of business, retailers and residents.
As restrictions eased, the city kicked into recovery mode and has spent years working to revitalize the affected communities.
According to a survey conducted by the University of Toronto, Edmonton's downtown has recovered 80 per cent of its foot traffic compared to the final quarter of 2019.
That number places the capital city ahead of some major U.S. centres including Kansas City, Dallas and Boston.
"We’re sort of looking for all the flaws in our downtown and all the things that still need to be done, but really, we’ve actually come a long way," said Puneeta McBryan, executive director of the Downtown Business Association.
With recovery well underway, McBryan said she'd like to see the conversation shift toward something new.
"The downtown recovery conversation was all about getting people back in the office, getting back what we had. I think we've successfully and rightfully shifted that," McBryan said. "It's less about the recovery and more about building a downtown that we want to see now."
On Wednesday morning, Edmonton's Commercial Real Estate Development Association met to discuss strategies to continue attracting developers and retailers back downtown.
That includes filling front retail spaces and making better use of empty parking lots.
"I think one of the things that we should do as a city is take a look at what is the opportunity right now for downtown – how can we reimagine our downtown to make it even better than it was pre-pandemic?" said Anand Pye of the Edmonton Real Estate Development Association.
McBryan said downtown is unlikely to return to pre-pandemic office occupancy levels, so it's key to find new ways to use those spaces.
"We're not going to have tens of thousands of office workers every single day," said McBryan. "But we're getting much closer to replacing all that foot traffic with new residents, post-secondary students, visitors, tourists, business conference attendees and all the other people who are in our downtown day to day."
Earlier this week, Edmonton city council amended a zoning bylaw to reduce barriers for developers looking to transform office towers into residential buildings.
“We know that time is money," said Coun. Anne Stevenson. "The smoother that permitting process can be, the faster we're hoping to see some of these projects come to fruition.”
Wednesday's talk was one of two scheduled so far this year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Oilers force Game 7 of Stanley Cup final with 5-1 win over Panthers
The Oilers are one win from history. The Panthers are one loss from infamy. Zach Hyman scored his playoff-leading 16th goal and Stuart Skinner made 20 saves as Edmonton defeated Florida 5-1 on Friday to force Game 7 in the Stanley Cup final.
Where is Louis Riel? Heritage Minute of Métis leader quietly removed
A decision to quietly remove a decades-old Heritage Minute on Louis Riel has left some in the Métis community scratching their heads, as questions are raised about how Canada's history is portrayed.
Heritage minister views next election as a referendum on Canadian cultural reforms
Minister of Canadian Heritage Pascale St-Onge says the next federal election could become a referendum on Canadian culture and the trio of legislative measures the Liberals have advanced to try to protect it.
Billionaire businessman James K. Irving dead at 96
The family of Canadian billionaire businessman James K. Irving has announced his death at the age of 96, just over a month after the death of his younger brother, Arthur.
'Reckless in the extreme': Lamborghini driver convicted for crash while passing Toronto streetcar
A Lamborghini driver who tried to pass a Toronto streetcar at three times the speed limit, striking several parked cars and totalling his own vehicle, has been found guilty of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
Pedestrian killed on Hwy. 97 following bus crash that caused 'numerous' injuries
A pedestrian was struck and killed on Highway 97 in the B.C. Interior early Friday afternoon as emergency crews were responding a school bus crash that caused “numerous” injuries to those on board.
4 people found dead in southwestern Ontario town of Harrow
Ontario Provincial Police are investigating after four people were found dead in the town of Harrow, just south of Windsor. Officers were called to a residence on County Road 13 at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.
4 members of a billionaire family get prison in Switzerland for exploiting domestic workers
An Indian-born billionaire and three family members were sentenced to prison on Friday for exploiting domestic workers at their lakeside villa in Switzerland by seizing their passports, barring them from going out and making them work up to 18 hours a day.
MP Marco Mendicino spat on by man in Ottawa
A video circulating online shows MP and former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino get spat on while on his way into a government building in Ottawa.