[feepa]

I believe it is time to shut down the Edmonton City Center for good, once and for all. It’s a issue that keeps roaring its head every few years. and one that has kept Edmonton behind for many years now. It’s time to find a better use for this land. Keeping it open only keeps open the discussion about what to do with the land it occupies. It use as an airport doesn’t serve very well, with its small runways, and lack of any available room to expand. It impacts our economic growth in several areas, and stunts our downtown, and I’m not just talking about the maximum height of our buildings either, although this is a valid concern as well. Our decision 15 years ago to move all scheduled air services to the Edmonton International Airport (a decision that was voted on by the electorate in one of the highest % of voter’s turnout in modern Edmonton history) was the property decision to make. The time of the city center airport has come and gone. It’s no longer able to serve its purpose as a major national or even provincial airport, and if it did, it would only go against all the progress we’ve made at the International Airport years ago.
The City Center Airport and its approach overlay and associated bylaws and transportation regulations has dampened or caused many proposals to come out shorter and /or bulker from original design. To make up for the imposed height restriction, you see buildings come out with smaller lobbies and with that come lack of options and feature found in other cities taller buildings. There’s less room for amenities or street retail and other such goodies found on the main level. It also has made the top of our skyline very boxy, as developers will develop right up to the limit, and any roof element takes away from their restricted profit line. Since there are no roof elements, all you see on top is exposed elevator shafts and HVAC systems,
Another effect of these laws and guidelines is that buildings are limited to 500’ in the very CDB, but this restriction become much more restricted closer to the approaches, which in some areas, including over Oliver (the high-rise neighbourhood west of the downtown) which limits residential buildings to about 12-18 floors. This is why you see a lot of ‘stubbies’ to the west of downtown, and buildings then start to get taller again once you are out of the approach overlay
The Edmonton International is at a good location now. If you go back 30-40-50 years ago, it was a ways out of Edmonton. Edmonton was a much smaller city then, but our leaders back then saw that the city center airport was surrounded by development and a bigger airport would soon be needed. They envisioned a large International airport with lots of room to expand and grow, and one that wouldn’t be impacted by the growth of the city that is growing rapidly. The International Airport is not so far anymore. The southern limits of growth in this city are only a few kilometers away from the airport, and the population has more than doubled in size since then. With immense growth in the city and especially the southern end, and the development of the Anthony Henday Ring Road/QEII connection, I would argue that the International is now suitably located well. I'd bet that you can get to the International Airport quicker from all ends of the city then you could the city center airport. Look at a recent map of Edmonton. You can get to it easily through the freeway and highway system in Edmonton and Edmonton is making improvements all the time to the access between the International Airport and Downtown Edmonton. Items such as 23rd Avenue interchange, and future projects such as the realignment of the Walterdale Bridge will only bode well for transportation to downtown and the airport.
The medevac issue is really just a red herring. Most of those flights are non-critical, and more than half of them now already go through the international airport. Regional critical flights are air-lifted by STARS air ambulance directly to the trauma centers, and those coming from further that the reach of the helicopter can meet with an ambulance or helicopter at the airport. STARS air ambulance and Alberta Health Services have both also stated that they have transition plans to work out of YEG solely, and see no major issues. (Reference city of Edmonton website in the City Center Airport redevelopment section).

It's important to remember in this discussion that Edmonton doesn't have the capacity to support two major airports, and this is what Envision Edmonton wants. They want to restore the airport to its former self. Its former self was a well storied life that brought Edmonton into a modern era. It was an airport that served its purpose well, but its purpose has run out. It requires significant money to keep up to date, and its money that is not receiving from its users, and never will be able to. It will never be able to because the citizens of this city decided that we should have all of our scheduled air services at the international airport back in 1995. We decided this because we wanted better air services (more flights, and more locations to fly to); the city center airport wasn't able to provide this. This decision to consolidate services at the international airport is final in my mind, and one we should stick with.
We can remember its history through museums and collections, photographs, and stories. We can honour our aviation history by embracing our future with the Edmonton International Airport