Edmonton council upholds deal to build underground pedway to new highrises
Downtown Edmonton's new city councillor lost her attempt Monday to kill a new $26.5 million underground pedway that is planned to connect a new housing development to the Churchill LRT Station.
Coun. Anne Stevenson presented the motion, but City Council defeated it in a vote of 10-3.
A previous version of council negotiated a deal that would see the city borrow the money and build the tunnel to the Station Lands development owned by Qualico.
City staff predict the investment will be paid back over 20 years through a rise in tax revenues as part of a Community Revitalization Levy.
"I felt that the public benefit that was coming out of this deal, wasn't high enough to warrant supporting the borrowing," Stevenson argued before the vote.
Qualico plans to build 485 rental units in the first phase of Station Lands, which the city said is an investment of $185 million. That phase would be immediately north of EPCOR tower on 101 Street.
Future phases of the project could see more towers built north of the Royal Alberta Museum, in an additional private investment estimated at $657 million.
"This project is going to lead to so many jobs, so much uplift of communities, food on the table, bills being paid, and people actually being able to get through this economic storm," said Coun. Aaron Paquette.
He voted to reaffirm the pedway deal along with Councillors Tim Cartmell, Andrew Knack, Sarah Hamilton, Karen Principe, Jennifer Rice, Erin Rutherford, Ashley Salvador, Keren Tang and Mayor Amarjeet Sohi.
"It's almost like I flip over every rock to make sure that there's not what we might call 'corporate welfare.' This is not that," Paquette argued.
"I'm really concerned that even contemplating going back on this set of decisions, what kind of message that is going to send to (investment) dollars that are very mobile," Cartmell told council.
"We can't just walk away from our end of the bargain at the 11h hour when our partner, in this case Qualico, has been negotiating in good faith. And they have spent millions of dollars on this," Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said.
Councillors Jo-Anne Wright and Michael Janz voted along with Stevenson to have the pedway deal scrapped.
City staff didn't provide a date for when the pedway would be completed, and the CRL deal needs to be signed off by the province before it can happen.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Touria Izri
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.