After years of planning and design work, the City of Edmonton is breaking ground on a new park in the downtown core.
The Warehouse Park Project will turn several surface parking lots into green spaces featuring a tobogganing hill, an off-leash dog park, a community space, a playground and an outdoor exercise area.
Picnic tables and other site furniture will also be available.
“This day has been years in the making and marks another milestone in our work to revitalize the heart of our city,” Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi told reporters Wednesday.
“As our city grows at a record speed, so does our downtown population and along with it, we are seizing the opportunity to create a vibrant green space in our core.”
The project, expected to cost $44.8 million, aims to attract private investment and encourage more people to consider living in the downtown core, the city said.
Sohi said roughly 13,000 residents live downtown. Around 2,300 housing units are also under construction, he said.
Cheryl Probert, president of the Downtown Edmonton Community League, said her organization often hears from residents who want to see more outdoor space in downtown Edmonton.
She said league members are happy to see plans for the park come to fruition.
“We just cannot wait to see it get started and then to see it get finished,” Probert said. “A big part of our work is to make sure that the downtown is safe, inclusive and revitalized and this is a gigantic step in that direction.”
Construction on the Warehouse Park Project is expected to begin in July and take two years to complete.
It means a portion of 107th Street, north of Jasper Avenue and south of 102nd Avenue, will be permanently closed.
The roadway will be integrated into the park as a pedestrian promenade, the city said.
Access to laneways south and north of the park boundaries will remain open during construction. Residents are encouraged to use 106th Street as an alternate route.
The park is anticipated to open to the public by the end of 2025.
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