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After Council delayed their decision back in January, ONE Properties' plans to redevelop a car dealership at the corner of Whyte Avenue and 106th Street once again faced the scrutiny of Edmonton's civic leaders this week. And this time, a four-hour public hearing ended with Council giving a thumbs up, albeit somewhat reluctantly, to a plan that will introduce multiple buildings across four rectangular lots.
The $250 million Southpark on Whyte development will replace the Southpark Motors lot — vacant since 2009 when Southpark Pontiac Buick GMC Cadillac merged with Don Wheaton Chevrolet a block west — which is now owned by Wheaton Properties. The approved rezoning application calls for mid-rise buildings with ground-level retail and two 18-storey towers grounded by 17 townhouses along 81 Avenue. The ask was far above the preexisting four-storey height restriction that had been established, leaving some Old Strathcona residents concerned about the visual impact of the proposed development.
Councillors Ben Henderson and Andrew Knack were the objectors in the 10-2 vote. Henderson, who represents the ward, spoke out against the shadowing impact of the development, explaining the purported disconnect between Edmonton's winter city objectives and the darkness the project will cast over Whyte Avenue's north sidewalk for half the year. He had proposed a reworked plan that would grant another two months of sunlight in September and March, but it was rejected. Both Henderson and Knack had hoped a decision on the scheme would come after City staff release PlanWhyte, a planning document meant to guide the redevelopment of the area. PlanWhyte is lined up for Council consideration in the summer.
Proof of the development's high stakes and potential to set what residents are concerned may be a worrying precedent, Stantec has been negotiating the planning process with the developer for two years. Edmonton's resurgent downtown core, and its neighbouring regions, are attracting considerable interest from developers and urban-minded residents alike, who are taking note of the close-knit amenities and convenient transit access afforded in dense neighbourhoods. While welcoming investment is something all councillors see as beneficial to the socioeconomic health of the city, the permanence of development has demanded that lawmakers closely examine the merits of all projects, while at the same time, carving a vision of the future that accommodates the realities of intensification.
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