The Edmonton Galleria Foundation has suspended plans for a performing arts district near the new Royal Alberta Museum in the downtown core.
The board of directors behind the ambitious project said despite support from the City of Edmonton, the group failed to reach the milestones needed to make the project viable.
“Bringing Edmonton Galleria Foundation’s vision to life required us to be able to bring several different components together,” read a news release from the foundation.
“The proposed state-of-the-art performing arts facilities were to be supported by the development of income producing real estate, which also would have provided a sustainable funding source for the arts and culture in Edmonton through the Edmonton Cultural Trust Foundation.”
READ MORE: City willing to contribute to Galleria project, only if others step up too
The foundation proposed the $850-million project to develop an arts and culture district downtown. The project would have been located across from the new RAM, and included plans for a new arts campus for the University of Alberta, four new theatres, two rehearsal halls and an outdoor plaza.
Councillor Scott McKeen said he was disappointed to hear the news.
“It was a really audacious plan,” he said Thursday. “They had a big dream and that was to build a number of halls for rehearsal and performance, especially for some of the higher arts like opera.
“I think it’s hard to get people in any city swept up in those sorts of things like you would if it were a hockey arena. I give them a lot of credit for pushing as hard as they did.”
The City of Edmonton, Galleria Foundation and local property owners were involved in supporting the project.
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