Pushback for pair of proposed towers on 124 Street

Buildings on three lots of a "special street" in central Edmonton could be demolished in coming years to make way for a new, more imposing structure.

Sandy Muldrew says 124 Street has "historical significance."

It's been about eight years since Muldrew set up shop with The Prints & The Paper gift shop on the major north-south commercial road.

He worries about the impact a new development could have on the character of the area. The proposed building would be close to a future LRT station. The proposed building on 124 Street between 105 and 106 avenues would be close to a future LRT station.

New city zoning would allow towers up to 25 storeys on the site as well as a podium with storefronts up to six storeys high.

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"Once you get that high, it becomes a gated vertical community where people are disconnected," Muldrew told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday.

"You're going to plunk down two giant towers that (are) not in the character of the street."

Most existing buildings along 124 Street are one or two storeys high.

Angela Larson moved her vintage clothing store Swish Vintage here from downtown. Parking was a major motivator as was the cozy feeling she believes the smaller buildings help create.

"We had a lot of people downtown that said, 'Oh, I live right downtown, but I never have come into your store,' and it's interesting because they were only two blocks away."

Renderings of a proposed building project on 124 Street in Edmonton. (CTV News Edmonton) The business owner facing the most direct consequences, however, supports rezoning.

Howard Worrell's Flowers by Merle is on one of the lots slated for redevelopment.

"That creates density, density creates the opportunity for people, opportunity for businesses," Worrell said Thursday.

"It's sort of a blend of everything."

A spokesperson involved in the rezoning application told CTV News Edmonton there are no designs for the new building yet. An image in a city report is a placeholder, showing the maximum allowable height.

Dave Onishenko says "the proposed project will help redevelop under-utilized and derelict buildings and create a vibrant pedestrian experience with new commercial spaces and high-quality design.”

The proposal goes to a public hearing at city hall on Monday.