Developer consults with neighbours on future development of former Ellerslie Rugby Park

The developer of a future project on a prime piece of south Edmonton real estate welcomed neighbours Monday evening to talk about what they'd like to see built there.

The open house at the Ellerslie Rugby Park was Alliance MJ Developments' first foray into meeting nearby residents and gathering input about the future of the land on Ellerslie Road at 111 Street Southwest.

Planning consultant Scott Mackie of Invistec Consulting said it's important to the developer to seek input from the community to help shape the plan that's "in its infancy."

"It's very important to them that it fit into the community but also provide the types of amenities and services and opportunities to live that the neighbours want to see," Mackie told CTV News Edmonton on Monday.

"At the same time, of course, we have to respect the city's wishes and the city is looking for, as they are in many parts of the city, for density. They're looking for something that's really attractive, they're looking for something with a real mix of land uses, so that people can live here, they can shop here, they can work here, and just sort of create something -- a real asset for the community."

The Ellerslie Rugby Park closed to rugby last fall and had been up for sale for an asking price of $6.5 million. A 2020 report showed the rugby park had turned a profit just one year since 2010 and lost around $40,000 a year on average.

Mackie said what Alliance MJ Developments is looking to do is "sort of build on what the neighbourhood already has to offer and add some amenities."

"There's going to be residential, we expect commercial development, some office, maybe some medical uses," he said. "They're really excited about adding some amenities for the residents to use."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nahreman Issa