1.8K 
The Edmonton Exhibition Lands, home of the now-closed Northlands Coliseum, are being treated as a blank canvas under a City-led reimagining exercise that will last until May 5. Residents, developers, businesses and organizations have been invited to submit their ideas for the future of the over 200-acre urban infill site that encompasses Borden Park, the Expo Centre and the former home of the Edmonton Oilers.
Following the collection of over 2,300 responses and interactions with the public, the City's Urban Planning Committee endorsed guiding principles for the project last week meant to steer towards a final vision for the site:
- Invite transparent, meaningful, and ongoing engagement
- Foster compact urban development
- Support all transportation choices
- Ensure responsible return on public investment
- Support neighbourhood, city, and regional economic development
- Advance the sustainability and resilience of our environment
- Contribute to social, physical, and mental well-being for residents and all Edmontonians
- Incorporate viable and creative ideas for redevelopment to leverage the site’s scale, location, and assets
The exercise follows the City's termination of its sponsorship agreement with Oilers Entertainment Group, leading to the shuttering of the Northlands Coliseum. Demolition costs for the buildings currently on the site are being worked out, but no firm plans have yet been presented. Despite the uncertainty enveloping the site, Northlands will continue to operate K-Days and Farmfair International under a current agreement of up to five years.
The City is making it clear that the visioning project isn't solely open to those with a planning background. "You don't need to be a planner or architect to share your thoughts — big ideas for this area have the potential to come from anyone, anywhere," said Leanne McCarthy, Deputy City Manager, Urban Form and Corporate Strategic Development. "We invite innovative and exciting ideas for this city building opportunity that align with guiding principles developed for this project together with the community and stakeholders. This process of inclusion, shared exploration and imagination is important to Council and Administration. We want to hear ideas that will bring the project's opportunities to life."
Ideas can be submitted at https://exhibitionlands.edmonton.ca in video, image or written format. More formal proposals can also be submitted through Requests for Expressions of Interest. A shortlist of ideas will then be presented and explored through additional public engagements in the coming months.
