The following comment was posted as a response to Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson‘s comments on Northlands’ Vision 2020 proposal following the City Administration’s analysis of the plan. I hope to go into more details about Northlands’ proposal and the plans of the area in a future post.
Hi Don – Thanks for sharing your comments.
I agree that we must be realistic and act not only in the best interests of the city’s economy but also in the best interests of the residents who live in the neighbourhoods that surround Northlands.
As a homeowner in the area (we live three blocks away from Northlands), my biggest worry is that the 160 acres of land currently occupied by Northlands will become derelict if Northlands folds or the City takes over operations. A large unused space like this has the potential to have a negative impact on the surrounding neighbourhoods.
I am skeptical of some elements of the Northlands Vision 2020 plan, especially the proposal for the festival site but I support the idea of redeveloping the arena into a multi-rink or field sports complex.
It is frustrating to know that neither the previous City Council or Northlands had the foresight to create a plan before Mr. Katz moved the Oilers from Rexall into to their new downtown arena.
Dave
City Council is holding a non-statutory Public Hearing on August 31, 2016 starting at 1:30 p.m. to hear from the public about the Vision 2020 plan and the future of the Northlands site. Anyone interested in speaking at the hearing can register online or call the City Clerk’s office at 780-496-8178.
