New plans for Century Park include private LRT park-and-ride
ELISE STOLTE
More from Elise Stolte
Published on: May 26, 2017 | Last Updated: May 26, 2017 6:00 AM MDT
The developer ProCura submitted a new rezoning application for Century Park that includes a private park-and-ride facility and claw-back provisions restricting density if construction fails to start within five years.
A new design for Century Park released Thursday would ensure a permanent supply of park-and-ride stalls for commuters.
The rezoning proposal heading to public hearing June 12 also gives developer ProCura an incentive to restart construction quickly on the stalled high-density centre at 25 Avenue and 109 Street.
The rules allow up to 3,995 residential units on the 12 hectares of undeveloped land. But that drops to 3,595 units if ProCura doesn’t start construction on at least 400 units within five years.
Another 400 units are clawed back if ProCura doesn’t start construction on 600 units with 10 years.
Construction stalled after the economy soured in 2008.
“Those (incentives) will be helpful,” said Ward 10 Coun. Michael Walters, who also pushed for a permanent park-and-ride solution beside the LRT station.
The existing surface parking will stay until 2020, when the city’s lease runs out. Then the parking will be managed by ProCura and eventually moved into parkade structures as the site is developed. The new zoning would allow for 1,125 continuing stalls as long as they are not in a surface lot.
The zoning also calls for a mix of six- to 28-storey towers on the site with at least five per cent “family-oriented” or large unit suites. It will have small blocks to make walking and biking through the site easier, with a main mixed-use pedestrian street running east-west through the site, similar to 104 Street downtown.
Overall, the redesign changes the concept from the original “towers in a park” idea to an “urban campus,” according to the developer.
The increased population will have traffic impacts, but those units would be built in south Edmonton anyway, adding traffic to adjacent 111 Street and 23 Avenue, said Walters. This way, at least residents will have good access to the LRT.
The developer will be required to contribute $50 per unit to an off-site community amenity to be built through the community league. That recognizes this project is “basically doubling the population of Ermineskin.”
