Edmonton's Expo bid committee is releasing new sketches of what they want to see if the World Fair could be brought to our city in 2017.
The main site is pegged for the University of Alberta's south campus and the other is a redeveloped west Rossdale.
The new sketches display what the committee has planned for the west Rossdale area and the east legislature grounds.
Plans include a new signature bridge, and tearing down the newer part of the Epcor power plant, and leaving the older part as a historical site. The chair of the bid committee says the changes could open the door to some major mixed-use redevelopment in the area after the fair wraps up.
"We see the Expo as a catalyst to allow the redevelopment of this area," said Tony Franceschini.
Organizers say if Edmonton does get the bid, the Expo could be a major part of Canada's 150th birthday celebrations.
The cost to host the Expo is expected to be $2.3 billion. The federal government is expected to announce whether it backs the bid sometime this fall.
Edmonton is the only city in the country interested in hosting the event after Calgary pulled its bid last year. When Montreal hosted the Expo 1967 and Vancouver in '86, the provinces covered 65 per cent of the cost. And the federal government picked up 25 per cent while the cities were left to cover 10 per cent.
With files from Jessica Earle
