 鲜花( 17)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
Edmonton city council gave the go ahead Thursday night to a controversial 1,750-unit housing development in the long-established community of Strathearn, overlooking the River Valley.
6 f+ Y0 v) w- E
- S) R$ ?4 E' @* C: IBy a vote of 12-1, councillors supported the mix of high-rises towers, ranging from 20 to 24 storeys, combined with townhouses and retail space, to be developed on a nine-hectare site.: G* r0 m# x" {" e p
( t& W2 l9 X9 c# ^5 u# qIt will replace a two-storey complex of low-cost apartments that have been in the south-Edmonton community for 60 years.
' W C7 e5 i1 i2 N* n) W) ^2 Q) S g/ x% o9 y* g
Strathearn resident Allan Tchida has fought the high-rise project for three years.
1 w7 v0 }- ?+ O(CBC)
* W: T3 ~6 s h; [4 o4 E- U6 jResidents have fought the project for more than three years, complaining the development will forever change the single-family community.
! ^6 g6 r- F7 v; ?: a
9 j& R4 ] t. `$ P"There's many reasons why we lived there for such a long time," said Allan Tchida, who has lived in Strathearn since 1980.
/ M( {. R" D6 K
* K4 v& e- l( H* j* }
. {. w+ w1 A E$ W"Those reasons are going to be gone once this project reaches its full potential. We'll have to see whether or not we're going to stay," he said.3 u! I% a T4 `( J9 M+ i
6 P3 r3 \; M$ A3 x1 L, o
John Logan, with the neighbouring Bonnie Doon Community League, was also dismayed by the city council vote.
# G( z8 B" D/ h3 R
Z; x2 f1 O0 YThe developer's vision of the Strathearn project.6 Q B/ Z f- e( n% l# [
(Nearctic Group)
, `) R* j4 B: V"I am appalled. I think that from the beginning the wishes from the community and of the people most directly affected have been ignored in a way that I've never seen before in the 30 odd years that I've been involved in community affairs," Logan said.6 x( t; M$ e8 {4 y; |( G/ P" Q
; H( \2 q( g y6 p# a8 X6 d- u
New life to area: developer
% \4 J/ O0 A+ R6 u$ NThe developer insists the project will breathe new life into an aging community, turning it into a modern, mixed-use neighbourhood on the edge of the city's downtown.
# k1 @: y' l( ^7 x1 ]: K* H
7 b: ^- i' J( E7 o) u3 p. K"We feel now we can present the city with a leading-edge design development that integrates within the community, and we can hardly wait to get started," said Guy St. Germaine with the Nearctic Group.
5 }2 O/ f! ^ h& ?* ]6 u$ o* a" g" R
Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel was among those who voted in favour of the project. He said the developer's promise to help build 400 units of affordable housing was a major factor for him.
' j0 B6 j; ~/ _( T) q
* z( E! V8 ^0 I8 U* d9 D"We are having a tremendous challenge in meeting the housing needs of people who are moving to this city and if we don't do something about that we will be in trouble," Mandel said.! E x- o" D$ [
' N+ |3 u* k- X: X( |Construction is expected to start in the summer of 2009, with the full project taking about 10 years to complete, the developer said.9 S: [: M: d y6 G
! V/ t c$ f$ S+ V+ g4 |
This is the second major project approved for a mature neighbourhood in Edmonton as many months.
: Y1 F: G+ S& \ N# k5 b* k$ E: h7 W3 i5 x R; B+ c
In January, council gave the go-ahead for a high-rise development in the west end community of Glenora, which will see four towers as high as 21 storeys built.. S) e& ~9 `$ L2 n: `$ C
$ U1 ?: ^! k( h, z: [; W. f) ^It's part of a push by the city to slow urban sprawl by encouraging more development in older areas of the city. |
|