EDMONTON -- A plan to bulldoze the Jasper Gates Shopping Centre to make way for a 1000 unit mixed-use development is proving controversial, with 149 Street emerging as a dividing line.
On Tuesday night neighbouring community league presidents, separated by the busy west end street, argued about the plan at a public meeting.
“It’s way too big. It’s going to be 300-feet tall. That’s ridiculous,” said Irene Blain, president of the West Jasper/Sherwood Community League.
Blain is against the proposal, which is within her community league boundaries.
Diana Steele, president of the Crestwood Community League, which is just across the street from the site, is in favour of the project.
“Alberta and Edmonton in particular are suffering economically, so shutting down large projects like that is not a great idea,” Steele said.
Rio Can has submitted a rezoning application that would allow for up 1,000 residential and commercial units in a “mix of high and medium-rise buildings, as well as row housing.”
The proposal would require an amendment to the Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) which generally allows for a maximum of eight-storeys.
The Jasper Place ARP was approved by City Council in 2015, and Blain wants it followed.
“With 1000 units, theoretically you could have 2000 people. Our community is 3000,” she said.
Blain added she has concerns about traffic and shadows and worries the plan will delay redevelopment of other parts of Stony Plain Road.
However for Blain’s counter-part across 149 Street, the redevelopment makes sense for now and for 25 years in the future, when Steele believes it will be completed.
“One 30-storey tower on the corner of 149 Street, I think that’s fine,” Steele said.
The rezoning will require a public hearing and a vote of City Council.
A date for the public hearing has not been set.
Rio Can representatives declined an interview request from CTV News Edmonton Tuesday.
