EDMONTON – The development of Edmonton’s City Centre Airport took another step forward Friday when city officials released a short list of five companies competing to devise a master plan for the site.
“This is to be a world-class, sustainable, 30,000-people redevelopment, family oriented, which is to be leading-edge,” Phil Sande, executive director for the project, told a news conference. “It’s a remarkable opportunity for the city.”
The finalists are Sweco International of Stockholm, Sweden; Perkins + Will of Vancouver; KCAP Architects & Planners of Rotterdam, Netherlands; BNIM, from Kansas City, Missouri, and London’s Foster & Partners.
The firms, all working with local companies, were chosen from 33 applications.
Each will be paid $50,000 and given about four months to refine their submissions, which will then be made public before city council chooses the plan it wants for the 217-hectare property.
Despite a petition drive aimed at forcing a plebiscite on keeping the airport open, city manager Simon Farbrother said the work will continue.
“We’re just following due process. About a year ago, council made a decision to look at the redevelopment of the lands,” he said.
“This is the next stage.”
One frequently mentioned concern about building at the airport doesn’t appear to be an issue after all.
Preliminary tests covering about half the property have only turned up three small areas that might have limited environmental contamination, Sande said. Two of these locations are buildings, and the other is on the north side, he said.
It will take another three weeks to confirm this initial assessment, he said.
“Predominantly, the lands themselves are very favourable.”
If the plebiscite is unsuccessful, construction of the new community could start as early as 2012, with the first phase along the eastern side of the airport possibly built out by 2024, officials said.
Coun. Ben Henderson, who attended the announcement, said Edmonton would be wasting a rare opportunity if it didn’t create a leading-edge community so close to downtown.
“We dithered for 20, 30 years on this decision, and did nothing but damage to the city with that kind of dithering,” he said. “I think this is a really good example of what becomes possible when we finally make up our minds.”
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