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Calgary Downtown Organizations Seek Role in Green Line LRT Discussions
As agreements progress on a part of the Green Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, the ongoing ambiguity regarding the downtown alignment has spurred three prominent real estate and business organizations in Calgary to advocate for a consultative role. The firms, including NAIOP, Boma Calgary, and the Calgary Downtown Association (CDA), have formally addressed the Government of Alberta and the City of Calgary, urging the creation of a “commercial real estate industry advisory committee” to influence decisions concerning the future alignment of the Green Line.
In their letter, they emphasized the significant financial stakes involved: “NAIOP, BOMA and CDA members own and operate billions of dollars of real estate investment in Calgary. We contend that the Green Line should provide connectivity, not impair property values, and be built to sustain the city’s future needs.”
CDA Executive Director Mark Garner highlighted the importance of the Green Line for improving transportation access to the downtown area, particularly given Calgary’s expanding population. “If there are considerations for alternative solutions that arise, we need to participate in discussions to fully understand their potential impacts on downtown,” he stated in an interview.
Recent Developments on Green Line Funding
In a joint announcement, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen confirmed that several existing contracts related to the LRT will remain intact and that design work will continue on the segment running from Victoria Park to Shepard in the city’s southeast. Both officials expressed optimism about the potential construction of a southeast LRT line, despite Calgary’s city council recently voting to terminate the $6.2 billion Green Line project as a response to funding discrepancies.
This decision followed a letter from Dreeshen issued on September 3, which indicated the province’s intention to withdraw its $1.53 billion funding contribution due to the project’s increasing costs coupled with a reduced scope. Nevertheless, the reinstatement of provincial funding has allowed for the preservation of approximately 700 jobs related to the project.
Challenges Ahead for Downtown Alignment
Despite positive developments, uncertainty lingers regarding the downtown alignment of the Green Line. The province has indicated that the initial plans for tunnel construction may be financially unfeasible due to the associated costs and risks of overruns. “We just couldn’t, as a province, be funding $1.53 billion into a project with all that uncertainty,” Dreeshen remarked during a recent interview.
The provincial government has commissioned the engineering firm AECOM to explore alternative alignments, either at-grade or elevated, that connect the new LRT with the existing Red and Blue lines as well as the new Event Centre and southeast Calgary neighborhoods. Garner noted the diverse opinions stakeholders hold regarding the most effective alignment and connection points, reinforcing the need for the involvement of NAIOP, BOMA, and CDA in the planning discussions.
David Wallach from Barclay Street Real Estate has underscored the necessity of incorporating insights from commercial real estate experts in determining an effective route. He had previously advised the City of Calgary against an elevated system, arguing that “if you do it with a bridge, it will be a disaster for commercial real estate values in that area,” advocating for a tunnel solution instead.
Exploring Alternative Alignments
Wallach emphasized the potential negative impacts of an elevated alignment, including reduced natural light for street-level retail businesses and disturbances from trains passing adjacent to office spaces. The City of Calgary also evaluated an at-grade alignment but faced challenges due to the shorter dimensions of the north-south blocks compared to the east-west ones.
“If you’re looking at at-grade, you will be repurposing traffic lanes for LRT. That is a given,” said David Cooper with Leading Mobility Consulting. Responding to these dynamics, a spokesperson for the Transportation Minister confirmed ongoing collaboration with the City of Calgary to address stakeholder concerns. They noted that direct outreach will occur to local groups for feedback which will help inform AECOM’s proposals moving forward.
Dreeshen indicated that the revised alignment plan from AECOM is expected to be unveiled by the end of this year, marking a significant step in the ongoing evolution of the Green Line LRT project.
Source
globalnews.ca