Construction on the Brewery District, located in the Olivier community in west downtown Edmonton, is underway. The commercial and mixed-use district will cover the 3.2 hectare former Molson Brewery site and will feature restaurants, bars, retail, office space and a variety of services.
The Oliver Community League oppose the project and took the City to court last month. They are concerned that the site will be too car-oriented for the area, which is a high-density walkable neighbourhood. An article in the Edmonton Journal reported that the league felt their concerns were not presented to council by city staff before the final decision on the development project was made. They lost their fight in court, but city staff have made a commitment to present more information to council on major city-projects before giving recommendations.
“Kudos to the city staff for recognizing that there’s a need to improve the process,” commented Chris Vilcsak, President and SEO of Solution 105. “If the project is too car-orientated for the community league right now…once the west LRT goes through this community will be one of the most popular destinations to residents and shoppers alike.”
The Brewery District development is part of the City of Edmonton’s recent downtown revitalization efforts. The development will include the restoration of the 103-year-old Molson Brewery building and the nearby administration building with the overall design concept of new buildings matching that historic character. It will be trendy, attract a savvy market and people to the downtown core.
“This is one of the best examples of proper balance between commercial and residential ‘in-fill’ with services and commercial space. It is yet another additional higher-density residential component which fits within the City’s stated goals,” said Vilcsak.
Yes, there will be special interest groups who don’t want progress or change, but folks, the status-quo is just not sustainable anymore.”
View original Edmonton Journal Article.