The day after Edmonton’s City Council decided to move forward with the downtown arena project, CTV News obtained images showing what the finished district could look like.
Construction on a number of developments surrounding where the downtown arena will be built has already begun, The Ultima, a condominium high-rise, is one of them.
Officials behind that development are also preparing to build another – and they credit the downtown arena district for the growing developments.
“The arena was a huge catalyst for it,” Scott Penrice, a sales manager with Westrich Pacific Corp. said.
“Downtown’s going to be completely changed in the next five years, it’s going to be unbelievable.”
Sketches and graphics obtained by CTV News showed just how extensive the developments could be – including new office towers, a 26-storey four-star hotel, and a more than 35 storey condo building, which would be built where the current Greyhound depot stands.
In addition, a sketch shows what the winter garden could look like – with a large tear-drop-shaped outdoor ice rink in the plaza.
The images are included in a booklet by the Katz Group, and partner WAM Developments.
“There’s no secret, I don’t think, that fact that the Katz Group and their partners have a plan that’s very solid,” Downtown Business Association Executive Director Jim Taylor said.
In all, it’s expected the $604 million arena project would spark more than $5 billion in developments, including what were included in the illustrations – expected over five years.
With files from Bill Fortier
