EDMONTON — Standing 16 stories high, ‘The Mezzo’ project would be the tallest building in the immediate vicinity of Whyte Avenue and that isn’t sitting well with city administration or the local community league.
“People would love to see a new development there. It’s just a 16-storey development is not what everyone wants. So the resistance isn’t towards the development, it’s the building form that they’re suggesting,” said Kim Clegg, Co-Chair of the Queen Alexandra Community League’s Planning and Development Committee.
City administration has also voiced its opposition to the project and recommended council reject the application. The site needs to be rezoned in order to go ahead.
The developer says he’s tried to accommodate the opposition, lowering the tower from 20 to 16 stories. WestOak developments also plans to preserve the neighbourhoods character by building an Edwardian style facade.
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“We need to evolve and I challenge us to evolve as a city, if we believe our priorities have evolved over the last 30 years– then if we want to be walkable, if we want to be affordable, if we want to be diverse and inclusive– then I’m asking people to believe in what I’m trying to propose,” McLash said.
The development includes several features gathered from public consultations on the project including a live-music venue, start-up office space and smaller style retail spaces on the main floor.
Habitat for Humanity will operate 29 units, which will be made up of three, four and five bedroom suites to accommodate families in the area.
In all, the tower will house 209 rental units which McLash calls “market-based affordable housing.”
“The changes don’t really solve the problem and the problem is the height,” said Clegg. The community league representative plans on addressing council at a meeting on the proposed project later this month. “We actually have no power whatsoever — other than our voice and our passion for our community so that’s why we’re out.”
City council will discuss the project on April 18.
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“The planning department came out with a report saying they’re not going to support my application. It’s a tough position for them and for me and I respect their decision,” McLash said. “Their role is to interpret my application in accordance with existing bylaws and to see if this might be a fit given current policy– currently it doesn’t fit the model that they have.”
McLash wants to see those policies changed to accommodate developments like his, that align with the city’s goals of reducing urban sprawl and bringing young families back into mature neighbourhoods.
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