Latest news with #DowntownActionPlan
CBC
29-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Edmonton City Council approves 10-year extension of Community Revitalization Levy
Edmonton city council has voted to extend the Capital City Downtown Community Revitalization Levy for another 10 years. City officials say extending it by a decade will help fund more projects and allow them to implement a downtown action plan.
Calgary Herald
26-06-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Event park deal at Rogers Place sows division at Edmonton city hall over future of levy
Article content According to city staff, the total cost to implement the projects ranges between $514 million and $624 million, and is expected to be rolled out in a phased approach from 2026 to 2041 with most projects beginning in the next budget cycle. Article content The rubbing point for councillors Knack, Janz and some residents, are the first two projects on the list. Despite growing calls to pursue a CRL extension that excludes those items, city staff indicated that not only would that pull provincial support for the extension, it would also cause significant delays. Article content 'If council adds or removes projects, the review process with the province will revert to step one. This will require new approval from cabinet, and this is not guaranteed. The timeline for the review is unknown, and implementation of the CRL will be delayed,' said city staff. Article content With a Downtown Action Plan that 'hinges' on the CRL extension, Kim Petrin, deputy city manager for urban planning and economy, said city staff recommend council approve the extension of the CRL. Article content Article content Public input on Thursday began with a panel of speakers in favour of the CRL extension and its related projects, all of whom emphasized the role of the extension in sending a strong signal to residents and investors alike to help revitalize Edmonton's Downtown and the potential benefits that come with it, including an expanded tax base.
Edmonton Journal
26-06-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Event park deal at Rogers Place sows division at Edmonton city hall over future of levy
Article content According to city staff, the total cost to implement the projects ranges between $514 million and $624 million, and is expected to be rolled out in a phased approach from 2026 to 2041 with most projects beginning in the next budget cycle. The rubbing point for councillors Knack, Janz and some residents, are the first two projects on the list. Despite growing calls to pursue a CRL extension that excludes those items, city staff indicated that not only would that pull provincial support for the extension, it would also cause significant delays. 'If council adds or removes projects, the review process with the province will revert to step one. This will require new approval from cabinet, and this is not guaranteed. The timeline for the review is unknown, and implementation of the CRL will be delayed,' said city staff. With a Downtown Action Plan that 'hinges' on the CRL extension, Kim Petrin, deputy city manager for urban planning and economy, said city staff recommend council approve the extension of the CRL.
Edmonton Journal
20-06-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Opinion: Downtown Edmonton plan should reflect the needs of all
Article content On June 26, city council will vote on whether to extend the Downtown Community Revitalization Levy — funding that would support the new Downtown Action Plan, a $553-million strategy made up of eight main categories and 45 detailed subcategories. Over the past decade, downtown Edmonton has seen big changes: the Ice District and the long-awaited Valley Line LRT, to name a few. But despite these efforts, major challenges haven't gone away. Commercial vacancy rates are still high, property values are dropping, and downtown is contributing a shrinking share of the city's overall tax base.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion: Partnerships are key to providing student housing
Access to safe and affordable housing has become one of the most pressing issues faced by university students across Canada. While the impact is greatest on students themselves, their lack of accessible housing has serious downstream effects on our economy, downtown vibrancy, and the ability to grow to meet needs of industry and our community. Edmonton is experiencing significant increases in rental rates. The average rent for a one-bedroom unit in October 2024, was $1,362 — up 30 per cent from the average rent of $1,049 just three years ago — and rents are still rising. This financial burden is compounded by similar increases in food and transportation costs. Students are having an increasingly difficult time balancing their responsibilities at school with the need to earn enough income to cover their cost of living. This has serious impacts on Alberta's economic future as industry and local communities are telling us they need more talent to drive innovation, productivity, and economic growth. MacEwan University takes great pride in our place in O-day'min, our ward in the city, and our contributions to the vibrancy and safety of the downtown area. We currently bring over 20,000 people to the core every day during our fall and winter terms, and with our plans to grow to 30,000 students by 2030, we will have an even greater impact on downtown revitalization. We are not growing for growth's sake. We are growing to meet the demographic demands of youth in high school and the demands from the economy. Roughly one third of MacEwan's students rent their accommodations and as we grow, more students will be looking for places to live, particularly downtown. The Downtown Investment Plan identified we need to double downtown's population by 25,000 residents, and the Downtown Action Plan echoes this as a priority for downtown's growth. Students can be part of the solution. Our student residence of 846 beds is at capacity. We do not want to own, operate, or maintain a new residence; we are focusing on our core mission of post-secondary education. Our approach to housing has been to identify and work with partners to support housing options for our students. We want the housing industry to do what it does best: Support accessible housing for our students. About 18 months ago, we began bringing people together to find new and creative ways of ensuring downtown has more accessible housing for our students. We brought developers, property managers, social-housing leaders, the municipal government, and students together. We surveyed our MacEwan students. We did predictive modeling of our growth. We've been working with this information and listening to these needs over the past many months. We believe we're developing a responsive approach to MacEwan's student housing that focuses on partnerships. As a result, MacEwan invited potential partners to submit proposals for accessible housing for students. Interested vendors responded and committed to a set number of units at a discount for MacEwan students. Simply put, students have another option for accessible housing in proximity to MacEwan, and properties get help attracting renters to their building. This fall, we will be piloting this new approach. If successful, the plan is to add more units with a variety of properties over the next few years, adapting the number and variety of units as demand and the housing market evolve. Helping the private sector understand the affordability challenges that students are experiencing provides benefits beyond this project. Many housing options are not designed for students, and the conversations we've had will help the housing sector conceive and plan projects that take the needs, wishes and concerns of students into consideration. Things like 24-7 security, high-speed internet, laundry facilities, reasonable rent, intergenerational connections, and gathering spaces are important. Improving housing accessibility takes a creative approach and a sustained commitment from all stakeholders — government, business, industry, and other key players — to address the pressures our students and broader community are experiencing. This is a pilot and we anticipate, if successful, a new approach to securing housing for our students. Dr. Annette Trimbee is president and vice-chancellor of MacEwan University. We invite you to write letters to the editor. A maximum of 150 words is preferred. Letters must carry a first and last name, or two initials and a last name, and include an address and daytime telephone number. 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