It’s not often that a city has the opportunity to redevelop a huge chunk of land in, or very close to, the downtown core. But it’s an opportunity that Edmonton has, with the impending closure of the City Centre Airport.
It gives the city about 300 acres to play with, and the intersection of Jasper Ave. and 101st St., often thought of as the heart of the core area, is within a 15-minute drive.
Usually, when a big chunk of land becomes available, city councils think of what has become traditional development — high-rise office and condominium buildings, enclosed shopping malls and the like.
But Edmonton is taking a different tack.
There, council, after a long public consultation process, has opted for a carbon-neutral residential neighbourhood that will eventually become home to about 30,000 people. There will be lots of three- and four-bedroom condominiums and limited commercial space. And the whole thing will be serviced by a light-rail transit line, an on-site biofuel energy system, stormwater recycling, bike paths and parkland.
The construction industry, in other words, will be asked to build a subdivision, but one that is easier on the environment.
Financing all this is fairly simple. When the airport closes next year, the city will service the land, and then sell parcels to developers, who will have to follow a specific plan for mixed-use residential housing which will include a variety of housing types. As well, the city will sell off 110,000 square metres for office space and 45,000 metres for retail space.
The master plan is being developed by the Vancouver office of Perkins + Will, which is to have a plan of work in place by the end of October. Perkins + Will is a large Chicago-based international firm of architects and urban designers.
A number of financial scenarios have been developed for the airport.
The city says tax revenues could increase by between $1.1 million annually under the most conservative scenario, and by as much as $68 million annually under the most optimistic. Land sales could yield between $91 million (conservative) and $486 million (most optimistic).
There’s another benefit: Height restrictions on development around the airport, and in the downtown core can be eliminated because there will be no more aircraft taking off toward, or landing from, the southeast, where the city core is located.
But for history buffs, there is a downside.
After setting aside land for an airfield in 1924, the city received a federal license in 1926 for Canada’s first “Public Air Harbour,” which the city named Blatchford Field, after the mayor.
During the Second World War, the field became the southern hub of the Northwest Staging Route, which carried men and equipment to Alaska to meet a perceived military threat from Japan. As a result it was, for a time, the busiest airfield in North America. After Edmonton International Airport opened south of the city, the old airport — with no space for expansion — became home for small regional airlines and charter services, and other, aviation-related businesses.
A personal note:
In an earlier life as a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot, I occasionally flew into the airport, delivering aircraft to, or picking aircraft up, from a maintenance and overhaul facility there.
Taking off for the return flight, especially if taking off toward the southeast, one had to be aware of air temperature and fuel load because the runway wasn’t long — about 5,200 ft., if I recall correctly.
With a heavy fuel load on a hot summer day, you needed that entire runway. And as you gathered speed and altitude, you looked down at the city core sliding under your wings, and tried not to think of an engine failure.
I love history, but it’s time for the old airport to close.
Korky Koroluk is an Ottawa-based freelance writer. Send comments to editor@dailycommercialnews.com
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