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Edmonton city council gave the go ahead Thursday night to a controversial 1,750-unit housing development in the long-established community of Strathearn, overlooking the River Valley.# n) _& v$ R3 m4 V1 |+ M+ O& {( ?0 f1 |
( F- d1 H8 N8 R& gBy a vote of 12-1, councillors supported the mix of high-rises towers, ranging from 20 to 24 storeys, combined with townhouses and retail space, to be developed on a nine-hectare site.. r9 B. D3 C8 U; R0 F
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It will replace a two-storey complex of low-cost apartments that have been in the south-Edmonton community for 60 years.
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Strathearn resident Allan Tchida has fought the high-rise project for three years.
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Residents have fought the project for more than three years, complaining the development will forever change the single-family community.# l. `2 c7 u7 z' Y# \1 u; L0 z
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"There's many reasons why we lived there for such a long time," said Allan Tchida, who has lived in Strathearn since 1980.
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"Those reasons are going to be gone once this project reaches its full potential. We'll have to see whether or not we're going to stay," he said.
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John Logan, with the neighbouring Bonnie Doon Community League, was also dismayed by the city council vote.4 D" o$ ] ]4 j: H1 K
8 S- R3 N% ]4 o2 w$ Q$ g" rThe developer's vision of the Strathearn project.4 y7 Z6 i% y% i8 U, j
(Nearctic Group)
8 g: e4 T# [, G* C. b8 U! h"I am appalled. I think that from the beginning the wishes from the community and of the people most directly affected have been ignored in a way that I've never seen before in the 30 odd years that I've been involved in community affairs," Logan said.
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& f# a% K. o# \ O/ _* ?: qNew life to area: developer4 E3 d' h; v2 E8 |- |
The developer insists the project will breathe new life into an aging community, turning it into a modern, mixed-use neighbourhood on the edge of the city's downtown.$ B! A3 H& f; {3 K- O9 m
: \7 s J; W4 M6 D; k: U" C6 G"We feel now we can present the city with a leading-edge design development that integrates within the community, and we can hardly wait to get started," said Guy St. Germaine with the Nearctic Group.
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; r8 ?) ]0 c% r @9 A0 L+ w: X' P0 vEdmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel was among those who voted in favour of the project. He said the developer's promise to help build 400 units of affordable housing was a major factor for him.; k# u7 E! o' W% Y9 P$ b
1 J N# q% Y0 W"We are having a tremendous challenge in meeting the housing needs of people who are moving to this city and if we don't do something about that we will be in trouble," Mandel said.8 V+ Y* M3 j/ r7 X, }& v
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Construction is expected to start in the summer of 2009, with the full project taking about 10 years to complete, the developer said.3 y {* q2 J$ Q; x$ y+ f
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This is the second major project approved for a mature neighbourhood in Edmonton as many months.# `, U0 t& C8 t2 n0 Q
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In January, council gave the go-ahead for a high-rise development in the west end community of Glenora, which will see four towers as high as 21 storeys built.3 s1 w z( e$ M/ u; l
) F% L: I& M4 [% i- J% v6 C9 \It's part of a push by the city to slow urban sprawl by encouraging more development in older areas of the city. |
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