River Crossing Business Plan Received by Edmonton City Council September 10, 2019 River Crossing Project River Crossing Business Plan Iii Figure 1 - Context

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River Crossing Business Plan Received by Edmonton City Council September 10, 2019 River Crossing Project River Crossing Business Plan Iii Figure 1 - Context River Crossing Business Plan Received by Edmonton City Council September 10, 2019 River Crossing Project River Crossing Business Plan iii Figure 1 - Context Territorial Acknowledgement Edmonton is located within Treaty 6 Territory and The City of Edmonton owes its strength within the traditional territories of the Nehiyaw and vibrancy to these lands and the diverse (Cree), Denesuliné (Dene), Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Indigenous peoples whose ancestors’ footsteps Anishinaabe (Ojibwe/Saulteaux), Nakota Sioux have marked this territory as well as the other (Stoney) and Haudenosaunee (Iroquois). The city Indigenous peoples and waves of Settlers also lies within the Métis’ homeland and Métis from around the world who continue to be Nation of Alberta Region IV. The lands on which welcomed here and call Edmonton home. present-day Edmonton sits, and the mighty North Saskatchewan River that runs through them, have The success of a new vision for River Crossing been the sites of natural abundance, ceremony must recognize the honoured traditions and culture, travel and rest, relationship-building, and cultural importance of this area to First making and trading for Indigenous peoples over Nations and Métis peoples as well as the millennia. The flats of the North Saskatchewan historical significance to Edmonton and our River, including those known today as Rossdale, collective aspirations for this area and future have been a significant site of these activities. generations. © Google 2017 River Crossing Business Plan v Acknowledgements Project Team Stakeholder Committees City of Edmonton Internal Steering Committee Community Advisory Committee Peter Ohm (Chief Planner) Mark Brostrom (City Environmental Strategies) Max Amerongen (Paths for People) Todd Wyman/Lindsey Butterfield (Director) Ronna Bremer (Partnerships and Event Strategy) Dnyanesh Deshpande (Green Space Alliance Paul Foster (General Supervisor) Marlis Foth / Suzanne Young (Open Space Consulting) Planning and Design) Erik Backstrom (Senior Planner) Eric Gormley (North Saskatchewan River Brad Hoekstra (Fire Rescue Services) Conservation Society) Olive Bailey (Principal Planner) Rob Houle / Jaimy Miller (Indigenous Relations) Sally Kim (Edmonton Arts Council) Enrique Peris (Principal Planner) Kathryn Ivany (City Archivist) Claire MacDonald (Edmonton-Centre James Haney (Planner) Tim McCargar (Real Estate) constituency) Claire Ellick / Nathan Smith (Transportation Jack Niepsuj / Satya Gadidasu (Transportation Ian O’Donnell (Downtown Business Association) Engineer) Planning and Design) Lynn Parish (Rossdale Community League) Peter Spearey (Urban Design) Sharla Rauschning (Rossdale resident) Stantec Consulting Anton Szabo (Assessment & Taxation) David Ridley (Edmonton Heritage Council) Nancy MacDonald Rhonda Toohey (Policy Development) Renee Williams (Edmonton Tourism) Anna Moir Todd Wyman / Lindsey Butterfield (Urban Growth and Open Space Strategy) Carolyn Sherstone / Alyssa Peters With gratitude we also acknowledge the Keith Shillington Business Advisory Group contributions of Indigenous communities, Shane Erickson (Qualico) Edmontonians and other stakeholders who HR&A Advisors contributed to the River Crossing Business Plan. Darrell Halliwell (Dialog) Alex Stokes Gary Klassen / Leanne McCarthy / Paul Ross / Brittany Jang / Eri Furusawa Stephanie McCabe (City of Edmonton) And very special thanks to Rena Backstrom for Jamie Springer Adam Laughlin (City of Edmonton) her project support. Ian O’Donnell (Downtown Business Association) Aaron Aubin Consulting Peter Ohm (City of Edmonton) Aaron Aubin Solomon Rolingher (Duncan Craig) Chad Peters Steven Stanley (EPCOR) Darcy Trufyn (Capital Power) Renee Williams (Edmonton Tourism) (C) Keith Moore Photography and @kmoorephotos Table of Contents Territorial Acknowledgment iii 3. Objectives and Outcomes 28 Acknowledgments v 4. Development Concept 30 4.1 Connectivity 32 1. What is River Crossing? 01 4.2 Open Space 36 1.1 Project Area 03 4.3 Historic Buildings 44 1.2 Background 04 4.4 Cultural Sites 46 1.3 Vision 06 4.5 Development 47 1.4 Heritage Interpretive Plan 07 1.5 Business Plan Process 10 5. Business Case 54 1.6 This Business Plan 12 5.1 Costs 55 5.2 Revenues 58 2. Key Considerations 13 5.3 Funding Case Studies 63 2.1 Policy Direction 14 5.4 Governance and Partnerships 64 2.2 Heritage 14 2.3 Rossdale Power Plant 15 6. Implementation 65 2.4 Archaeology & Cemetery 16 6.1 Phasing Considerations 66 2.5 Urban Context 17 6.2 Phasing 67 2.6 Existing Land Use and Ownership 18 6.3 Timeline Risks 75 2.7 Open Space 19 6.4 Future Engagement 75 2.8 Transportation 20 2.9 Housing Demand 22 Appendices 2.10 Sustainability and Resiliency 23 A: Engagement Strategy 2.11 Utilities 24 B: Policy Context 2.12 Flood Mitigation 25 C: Socioeconomic Assessment and Market Analysis D: Transportation Existing Conditions Assessment E: Transportation Analysis Figures Figure 1 - Context iii Figure 2 - Project Area 3 Figure 3 - Heritage Interpretive Plan and Business Plan Relationship 7 Figure 4 - HIP thematic framework 9 Figure 5 - Rossdale Power Plant 15 Figure 6 - Ownership 18 Figure 7 - Existing Active Modes Network 20 Figure 8 - ETS Bus Network Redesign Proposed Routes 21 Figure 9 - Key Infill Development Within and Near Downtown Edmonton 22 Figure 10 - Existing Servicing 24 Figure 11 - Flood Risk Areas 25 Figure 12 - Big Moves 31 Figure 13 - Street Hierarchy 32 Figure 14 - Rossdale Road (looking North) 33 Figure 15 - 104 Street 34 Figure 16 - 96 Avenue 34 Figure 17 -Open Space 36 Figure 18 -Conceptual View of Pumphouse 37 Figure 19 - Conceptual View of Interpretative Park. 38 Figure 20 - Conceptual View of Urban Plaza 40 Figure 21 - Conceptual View of EPCOR Water Reservoir 43 Figure 22- Land use 47 Figure 23 - Conceptual Block Development 3D View 50 Figure 24 - Conceptual Block Development Site Plan 51 Figure 25 - Conceptual View of 96 Avenue 52 Figure 26 - Provincial Lands Boundary 58 Figure 27 - Potential Community Revitalization Levy boundary 60 River Crossing Business Plan 1 1. What is Conceptual View River Crossing? of Pumphouse #2 2 River Crossing Business Plan 1. What is River Crossing? River Crossing is a project to connect Edmonton to its river. River Crossing is a place to celebrate the people, ideas and history of the city’s birthplace. River Crossing is the action of traversing riverbanks. Conceptual View of River Crossing River Crossing Business Plan 3 1.1 Project Area Figure 2 - Project Area Oliver Downtown North Rossdale 1 2 1 Ortona Armoury Renovation Legislature River 2 Donald Ross School grounds Crossing 4 Project 3 RE/MAX Field 4 Little Flower School / Rossdale 5 South 3 Community League Rossdale 5 Ross Flats Apartments 9 6 Traditional Burial Grounds / 6 7 Fort Edmonton Cemetery EPCOR Rossdale Substation 10 7 8 Rossdale Power Plant 8 9 Water Reservoir 12 11 10 Water Treatment Plant 13 Kinsmen 11 Fire Station 21 Park 12 Walterdale Bridge 13 John Walter Museum 14 ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞ Indigenous Art Park Queen University Elizabeth of Alberta Park 14 Garneau Strathcona Legend of this image if necessary 4 River Crossing Business Plan 1.2 Background As shown in Figure 2, River Crossing is located Indigenous peoples have used the North In 1986 the Rossdale Area Redevelopment in the geographic heart of Edmonton between Saskatchewan River valley for thousands of Plan was prepared as a framework for new Edmonton’s increasingly dynamic downtown years. The North Saskatchewan River served as investment in the area. The City’s planners and vibrant Old Strathcona area. It is in the an important travel route as well as a natural recommended higher-density, mixed-use Rossdale neighbourhood and borders the boundary between the territories of different development for West Rossdale but the Provincial Legislature grounds. Located within Indigenous cultures. The shallow bend in public was not ready for it. West Rossdale was the North Saskatchewan River Valley, River the river and descending flat plateaus at this therefore designated as special study area: Crossing has easy access to riverside trails and location, provided a natural river crossing and something to be figured out later. valley amenities. While existing structures do ideal site to camp and gather resources from the not tell the full story of the heritage of the area, river and river valley. In the late 1990s, EPCOR proposed an River Crossing is home to significant historical expansion of the Rossdale Power Plant. legacies such as Traditional Burial Grounds / Fort In 1812, fur trading forts were built on flats next A citizen’s group (Concerned Citizens for Edmonton Cemetery, the Rossdale Power Plant, to this ancient river ford where First Nations Edmonton’s River Valley), Indigenous activists Ortona Armoury, Ross Flats Apartment and RE/ groups gathered. Eventually these flats became and heritage advocates successfully opposed MAX Field ballpark. the seed from which Edmonton grew. They the expansion. Through their efforts, historic were called Ross Flats and later Rossdale after portions of the power plant were protected The City and the municipally-owned EPCOR Edmonton’s first successful hotelier, Donald and a long-neglected cemetery established in Utilities Inc. own a majority of the land in River Ross. As the city grew around it, Rossdale the fur trade era received new attention. The Crossing but Edmonton Public Schools and a few became a neighbourhood of homes, schools, City did historical research culminating in the private entities also own land.. businesses, utilities, and sports facilities.
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