1.9K 
The City of Edmonton is inviting the public to a round of open houses next week regarding the creation of a new Area Redevelopment Plan for the Coliseum Station lands. Intended as a long-term guide to the future development of the site, the ARP will build upon transit oriented development plans that have been initiated in the area and will coordinate with ongoing work, including the highly anticipated proposal to repurpose the Northlands Coliseum into a hockey academy and multiplex arena.
The ARP process will examine existing and future built environment considerations, multi-modal transportation links and network impacts associated with redevelopment proposals, the capacity of infrastructure to accommodate new development, open space connectivity, the provision of community and recreation facilities, and opportunities for urban agriculture. Efforts will also be made to integrate the plan with upcoming Coliseum LRT Station design work. The existing Northlands ARP will need to be repealed in order for the new Coliseum Station ARP to be adopted.
The two open houses will both be held on June 12, 2017. The City Room at City Hall will host one of the events from 10 AM to 2 PM, while another will be held at Bellevue Community League (7308 — 112 Avenue) from 4 PM to 8 PM. Those who are unable to attend either event can still have their say by providing input online until June 30. The feedback and ideas the public submit will be used to identify key themes and principles that will help steer the creation of multiple redevelopment scenarios for the site.
Residents with a particular knack for planning, or a keen interest in the future of the site, are also being sought by the city to join a volunteer community stakeholder group. Composed of 15 members, the group will provide advice and share insight about the development and implementation of the project. Applications for the stakeholder group are open until 4:30 PM on July 4.
As work on reimagining the area around it enters another stage, the future of the Northlands Coliseum appears to be stuck in limbo. Last week, City Council delayed making a decision on signing a memorandum of understanding with Hockey Canada, citing a laundry list of unanswered questions mainly focused on the cost of renovating the building. Mayor Don Iveson, who said demolition of the coliseum may need to be considered, suggested any agreement with Hockey Canada come after Northlands releases its business plan on June 27.
Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.
