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The city’s long-term plans for the Edmonton Exhibition Lands is being sent back for a second look after concerns were raised about the future of the Expo Centre and its ability to host major events.
City council’s urban planning committee voted Tuesday to have city administration re-evaluate the redevelopment design for the former Northlands site, following warnings that earlier plans would leave insufficient space for the Edmonton Expo Centre to continue operating at full capacity.
The Exhibition Lands have been undergoing a phased transformation for about a decade, after Rogers Place opened downtown in 2016 and took not just NHL games, but several other major events with it.
A transit-oriented housing development is already underway on the south end of the site, with plans focused on mixed-use residential and commercial projects near LRT stations like the Coliseum stop at the site.
City Coun. Ashley Salvador said the redevelopment remains a focus for the city.
“This is a really fantastic opportunity,” Salvador said. “It’s been an underutilized site for a really long time to develop more transit-oriented opportunities — so mixed-use, housing and commercial next to LRT.”
However, the city is now reconsidering how much land can be redeveloped, after Explore Edmonton raised concerns at Tuesday’s committee meeting.
The Northlands Coliseum arena closed in 2018, the site’s horse racing track and casino shut down soon after, and much of the surrounding land has sat largely empty since.
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Much of that land is a parking lot, which in the summer hosts the K-Days midway but for significant stretches of the year sits empty.
Arlindo Gomes, vice-president of business development and venue management with Explore Edmonton, told committee members the current redevelopment scenarios would significantly reduce the Expo Centre’s footprint.
“Our concern is that the scenarios, as drafted, don’t retain enough land or functionality to sustain Expo operations and major events over the long term,” Gomes said.
Explore Edmonton estimates the Expo Centre needs roughly 30 hectares of land to host large-scale events such as K-Days and Farmfair International.
Previous redevelopment plans would have left it with just over 15 hectares.
“There is no other site like it,” Gomes said, citing how the space northeast of the downtown core is both easy to get to in a vehicle or on transit.
“An asset like that, once it’s gone, cannot really be put back together — so it’s really important for our city and has been for generations. ”
Committee members ultimately agreed with the concerns and passed a motion directing administration to ensure the Expo Centre retains adequate space while also maximizing redevelopment potential.
“We certainly have a number of events that occupy both outside and inside and I think this really solidifies the city’s intention to ensure those events are going to continue to be able to be produced in the future,” Gomes said.
Salvador said the revised direction aims to strike that balance.
“It essentially ensures the Expo has enough space on site to continue being successful in our community, while also ensuring we’re maximizing development opportunities at Exhibition Lands,” she said.
The overall 20-year redevelopment timeline remains unchanged.
Local resident and community advocate Christy Morin said she supports taking more time to give plans a second look.
“We want the right plan,” Morin said. “We don’t want something built and then realize it hinders what we’re doing as a neighbourhood.
“Taking a little more time is what we need.”
Gomes also welcomed the decision, calling it an important step for the city.
“Committee is setting an important direction for our city and really positioning us as a strong city that welcomes events,” he said.
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