Potential loss of parking lot in Old Strathcona strategy has residents, businesses divided

October 8, 2024 Canuck

The city’s plan to transform the Whyte Avenue area into a more walkable, bikeable and vibrant arts and entertainment district has one major element that has divided residents and businesses: the conversion of a large parking lot into a park.

Two dozen people spoke at city council’s urban planning meeting Tuesday in response to the proposed Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy.

The strategy includes turning the parking lot at 83rd Avenue and Gateway Boulevard into a park with all-age play elements, spaces for picnicking, gatherings and interactive art.

Kendra Connor, executive director of the Varscona Theatre on 83rd Avenue, also a member of the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Association, spoke against changes to the parking lot.

“Our fear is that these patrons, who make up a considerable amount of our patron base, will stop coming,” she said. “The more complicated it is to get to a venue, the less motivated folks are to attend.”

Eric Decorby, treasurer of the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, said the organization supports the strategy’s overall goals to create a more vibrant public realm but noted the parking lot is a main access point for customers.

“Our patrons rely on the parking lot to visit one of Edmonton’s long-standing institutions, each weekend,” Decorby said.

He’s asking the city to consult and engage local organizations, and consider a compromise to maintain at least a portion of the 300-space parking lot.

Others at the meeting expressed wholehearted support to swap the lot for a green space.

Long-time resident John Maidens said that the lot gets used on Saturdays but not much at other times.

“I see it mostly empty and so I think our community would benefit immensely from being able to use this for green space for cycling and a lot of the things that have been proposed within this strategy,” Maidens said.

Another resident, Conrad Nobert, painted a more grim picture of the lot.

“It feels unsafe, it’s hot, it’s dusty, it’s dirty, and most importantly, it’s empty. This is a highly underutilized piece of land,” Nobert told councillors.

Crumbling sidewalks

Cherie Klassen, executive director of the Old Strathcona Business Association said the strategy is overdue, with the last major renewal done in the 1980s.

“When you walk down Whyte Avenue right now, you can see that the sidewalks are uneven, crumbling and inaccessible,” Klassen said.

The business association has advocated for wider sidewalks and pedestrian-designated stretches of road.

The street is dangerous to cross, she said, and sitting on patios can be unpleasant because the traffic is so loud.

‘We don’t have money’

Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz put forward a motion that directs administration to analyze parking options, and figure out how to pay for the first elements of the plan. The committee passed the motion unanimously.

Administration is expected to report back with their findings early next year.

Several people, including the executive director of the Old Strathcona Business Association Cherie Klassen, second from top, gave city councillors feedback on the proposed Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy. — Several people from the community, including the executive director of the Old Strathcona Business Association Cherie Klassen, second from top, gave city councillors feedback on the proposed Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy. (Travis McEwan/CBC)

“We don’t have money,” Janz said. “We need to figure out how we’re going to invest in this area.”

The plan is going to take time to work on, he noted, but some aspects should be done before others.

Ward Nagota Isga Councillor Andrew Knack said the city must do something about Whyte Avenue and the sidewalks.

“This mainstreet is at its end of life,” Knack said. “The road needs to be fixed.”

The status quo isn’t going to work, he suggested, as the city continues to grow.

“If nothing changes, that’s going to get worse and worse and worse and congestion will bring that road to a standstill.”

Knack said the majority of response he’s received from constituents supports the strategy.

Key actions

The city launched the project in August 2022 with public engagement and technical analysis.

The strategy has seven key action items:

Create a district park at the current parking lot.
Create a north-south shared pathway on Gateway Boulevard from Saskatchewan Drive to Whyte Avenue.
Create an Urban Plaza on land currently owned by the Government of Alberta and occupied by a used car lot.
Improve End of Steel Park and support mixed-market affordable housing units on the parking lot west of Ritchie Mill.
Support development next to Connaught Armoury for low or mid-rise residential development
Turning 83rd Avenue into a pedestrian zone starting with seasonal closures to eventually closing it to cars.
Prioritize pedestrians on Whyte Avenue by widening sidewalks and adding dedicated lanes for bus rapid transit.

View original article here Source