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The Quarters

It's shameful how much $$$ has been spent and how little has been built in this area. Promises, dreams and very little private investment as a result.

This area doesn't need non-profits developing projects (this has failed multiple times now) as the COE is looking at, but rather work with some development partners to get 1-2 significant residential projects going.
 
IanO said:
It's shameful how much $$$ has been spent and how little has been built in this area. Promises, dreams and very little private investment as a result.

This area doesn't need non-profits developing projects (this has failed multiple times now) as the COE is looking at, but rather work with some development partners to get 1-2 significant residential projects going.
Click to expand...
Anecdotal, but I was speaking with a large well known developer in Edmonton (the family name is all over town). What struck me was that he said over years and different councils he has been approached on ways to develop different areas of the city with their land holdings, and they have partnered with the city on developments. With this council, he has not been approached once by council or the mayor about potential partnerships or opportunities or a desire to get certain areas like the quarters going. Which all sounds pretty on brand for this council and mayor.
 
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CaptainBL said:
Anecdotal, but I was speaking with a large well known developer in Edmonton (the family name is all over town). What struck me was that he said over years and different councils he has been approached on ways to develop different areas of the city with their land holdings, and they have partnered with the city on developments. With this council, he has not been approached once by council or the mayor about potential partnerships or opportunities or a desire to get certain areas like the quarters going. Which all sounds pretty on brand for this council and mayor.
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And you also have many others accuse this council of being in the back pockets of developers prioritizing density projects in neighbourhoods that oppose the scale and accepting campaign donations from these developers.
 
CaptainBL said:
Anecdotal, but I was speaking with a large well known developer in Edmonton (the family name is all over town). What struck me was that he said over years and different councils he has been approached on ways to develop different areas of the city with their land holdings, and they have partnered with the city on developments. With this council, he has not been approached once by council or the mayor about potential partnerships or opportunities or a desire to get certain areas like the quarters going. Which all sounds pretty on brand for this council and mayor.
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Based on this, I'm not expecting this council to help these developers out with any kind of incentive.
 
bodsbods9090 said:
Based on this, I'm not expecting this council to help these developers out with any kind of incentive.
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Based on conversations I have had with various individuals in the business community, my direct involvement in the business community (working with developers, working at Chamber of Commerce, positions on governance boards for Edmonton based organizations) I will take your comment a step further:

City has very little know how, nor appetite, nor sense of urgency to put something out that truly moves the momentum needle towards solutions. This has already been demonstrated through various examples such as city council's unwillingness to even research a municipal development corporation (link below)

edmontonjournal.com

Keith Gerein: Edmonton should dig deeper into a Municipal Development Corporation

The City of Edmonton could research a business case for an arm's-length land development corporation, but council appears unwilling
edmontonjournal.com edmontonjournal.com

Its tough to fix something if you don't even think its broken.
 
CaptainBL said:
Based on conversations I have had with various individuals in the business community, my direct involvement in the business community (working with developers, working at Chamber of Commerce, positions on governance boards for Edmonton based organizations) I will take your comment a step further:

City has very little know how, nor appetite, nor sense of urgency to put something out that truly moves the momentum needle towards solutions. This has already been demonstrated through various examples such as city council's unwillingness to even research a municipal development corporation (link below)

edmontonjournal.com

Keith Gerein: Edmonton should dig deeper into a Municipal Development Corporation

The City of Edmonton could research a business case for an arm's-length land development corporation, but council appears unwilling
edmontonjournal.com edmontonjournal.com

Its tough to fix something if you don't even think its broken.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying I'm not in support of some kind of moderate incentive (I liked the one in 2021), but something occurred to me as I was walking downtown today and noticing all of the longstanding empty CRUs. Certainly, all these empty storefronts really hurt the vibrancy of the area and contribute to some of the issues we are seeing. Would it be too much to ask the developers of these properties, such as Langham, who have received a city incentive to in turn offer an incentive for small businesses to open up in their spaces some of which have been vacant for years? Pay it forward!
 
IanO said:
A couple of recent sales in 15 years does not even provide me a glimmer of hope. Call me when 3 cranes are up at the same time or when an ALT hotel and 5 major projects turn up like the East Village.
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If only the city had a municipal development corp that could lead the development of vacant land like the Calgary Municipal Land Corp in East Village, or Canada Lands in Griesbach, or U of A Properties Trust in Michener Park, etc.
 
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