EDMONTON – With its eclectic mix of art, culture and food, Whyte Avenue has become a mecca for enjoyment-seekers.
“I always say white collar to no collar because everybody likes to sit on a patio on Whyte Ave. and people watch,” Denton Morrell, general manager for Blues on Whyte, said.
Morrell and his team worked tirelessly for music venue’s relaunch on April 27. With a fairly modern interior, Blues on Whyte still manages to incorporate facets of the old world with its exposed brick walls inside the historic Commercial Hotel.
Old Strathcona is now home to more than 600 businesses and several of them would like to see more resources funnelled to their area as opposed to other high-profile districts.
He said customers have even complained about aggressive panhandlers in the neighbourhood.
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Murray Davison, executive director with the Old Strathcona Business Association (OSBA), said he would like to see more resources to address the issue of homelessness.
“There’s a lot of new faces,” he said of the area. “The mayor has a great program working towards that so we’re hopeful that will be addressed. But with that also comes the need for more policing and more of those types of services here.”
Edmonton Police Service media spokesperson Scott Pattison said police remain committed to the district and have taken steps to strengthen their presence in the area.
“In the last two weeks, we’ve added four new members to our beats down here and we’ve also commenced additional crime-suppression shifts,” Pattison said.
The addition of the four new officers means police will have a presence on the avenue seven days a week.
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Davison is also hoping for a stronger commitment from City Hall to address infrastructure that has become weathered by the years. From cracks and crevices in the pavement to maintaining traffic signals, there are several issues businesses are hoping will be addressed.
According to Davison, several OSBA members have voiced their concern over the issue.
“They see that our infrastructure has been degraded quite a bit here over the years and they haven’t seen a lot of their tax dollars put back in.”
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Though the area has received a share of municipal funding this year, he said it is not enough. Still Davison holds out hope for next year.
When Global News spoke with Ward 8 Coun. Ben Henderson about the desire for upgrades and repairs to the avenue, he said the merchants played a crucial role helping to make major street improvements.
“…which I think were a huge advantage to getting everything going,” he said. “But nothing has been done since to do any upkeep of the area and as a result, it’s running down and it needs to be refurbished.”
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