1.3K 
Three months after the start of the 2017 construction season, crews have made some notable progress at the old Blatchford Field, former home of the Edmonton City Centre Airport, and future stomping ground for an enormous mixed-use community. Since May, workers have been installing underground utilities for the first residential stage and installing piping for the District Energy Sharing System (DESS).
Crews descended on Airport Road in June to connect the utilities in Blatchford to existing services outside the site. Doing this required milling the road, which involves the grinding down, leveling and smoothing of the road base to ready it for repaving. The freshly repaved road was designed to foster an amplified environment for pedestrians and cyclists. The current power poles will be dismantled and removed after the electrical system has been installed. A much wider sidewalk, with a landscaped boulevard, will then go along the Blatchford side of the road.
Work on installing sewer manholes and catch basins has also progressed rapidly. The catch basins will drain rainwater collected from the street into the below-grade storm sewer system, which then pushes the runoff to the first of two stormwater lakes in the new neighbourhood. Other underground work at the site includes the laying of pipes for the site's energy system, which will supply heating, cooling and hot water to the community's numerous buildings.
Homebuilders will be selected through a competitive process that will be revealed later this year. After the builders are selected and the infrastructure is in place, the fully serviced lots will be sold to the homebuilders, who can then begin sales and construction. The community will include a host of residential typologies, including townhomes zoned to permit garage suites in pursuance of affordable housing and density objectives.
Additional images and information can be found in the Database file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion or share your photos? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
