 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.* M, w- w' \; s" u9 y
, j& f: t1 n( g5 J1 j2 I' RBy 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.
7 b" A! P. Z( A, s. ^+ K- T( G% H K7 |! M" r2 @0 k
It will replace a two-storey complex of low-cost apartments that have been in the south-Edmonton community for 60 years.- }% ^( h: x' ^% T8 T
1 e- t; K/ z# h" X2 `; C4 z
Strathearn resident Allan Tchida has fought the high-rise project for three years.
* \; R; j, ], B/ R( h$ ^( h5 s(CBC)
+ F7 [7 i* c2 c9 E5 g! ^4 B: qResidents have fought the project for more than three years, complaining the development will forever change the single-family community.
5 _+ J7 g! m+ \6 r0 b8 ^8 X
% s! ?" V6 ]1 a"There's many reasons why we lived there for such a long time," said Allan Tchida, who has lived in Strathearn since 1980. 3 m, M2 x! ?# R; J$ \9 A5 t
Z8 t; u( h3 o; d9 |# _7 S% c' T6 _ X, `& K
"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.5 [- ~9 [7 }2 k+ C2 \3 Z: y
5 r/ g, _/ F/ C% }/ m9 \4 B' v
John Logan, with the neighbouring Bonnie Doon Community League, was also dismayed by the city council vote.7 a8 M/ Q; p. o! D
" e. V! u6 S c) i; S3 Y5 IThe developer's vision of the Strathearn project.
/ T4 d, D9 T" Z3 {(Nearctic Group) ! i o# s0 W6 Y, e( p
"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 P, P: H5 S( P9 d6 K. u: G: D
6 L3 e: s. W& q+ |- M; rNew life to area: developer. b7 \: d+ o" A& M+ h& b
The 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.
- J- \) y' {& e2 |' j# x" ~0 {4 r% \2 c0 W- Z. E7 `
"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.; ]+ y+ ~- P1 l+ F! ]
1 F4 T+ m3 F0 D$ R; P, qEdmonton 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.% d& e& }1 `7 v
4 X4 x% S3 ?! n* H" z. O# ~. a9 O
"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.9 }1 D0 Z; Z, O! p& T4 U
8 M2 G7 h. c& {1 A- ]/ f
Construction is expected to start in the summer of 2009, with the full project taking about 10 years to complete, the developer said.) A% n, b, y. k9 m( ^1 s
$ p( M2 @2 Q, c- i9 J @- d% P) A) |This is the second major project approved for a mature neighbourhood in Edmonton as many months.- i u# z' Q3 F9 |. F" ]1 `8 _
1 E2 P9 L t: a: u0 s
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.
' {3 F- x1 Y) E! e7 X) ^6 R2 x, u8 n
It's part of a push by the city to slow urban sprawl by encouraging more development in older areas of the city. |
|