Today marks an exciting milestone for Edmonton as the City, Province, and Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) announced a transformative partnership for our downtown. While the Downtown CRL extension we discussed on Wednesday laid the financial foundation, today's announcement brings that vision to life through concrete collaborations. I want to take this opportunity to share why I strongly support this initiative, one that I believe will reshape our urban core for generations to come.

A Vision Worth Backing

I've always believed that smart investments in infrastructure pay dividends far beyond their initial costs. This partnership represents exactly that kind of strategic thinking - bringing together government and private sector resources to create something greater than any one party could achieve alone.

What excites me most about this collaboration is how it addresses multiple urban challenges simultaneously: housing accessibility, public gathering spaces, economic development, and downtown vibrancy. It's comprehensive city-building at its best.

The CRL: A Proven Success Story

We've already witnessed the CRL's effectiveness since its implementation in 2015. It has catalyzed our downtown's evolution through projects like Rogers Place, Warehouse Park, and enhanced public realms. The results speak for themselves: over $4.7 billion in new development and more than 3,500 new homes either built or under construction. Before the CRL, downtown was adding about 134 housing units a year. After? That jumped to 351 units annually.

This isn't theoretical - it's proven. We've seen the CRL mechanism work in real time, creating a virtuous cycle of investment and growth.

Why I Support This Partnership

I firmly believe that our city building efforts are going to require unique partnership arrangements over the next decade.  The City simply does not have the financial resources to go it alone. And past experience shows that OEG is a partner that actually builds what they say they are going to build. 

This partnership makes sound fiscal sense for several reasons:

1. Leveraged investment: For every dollar the City contributes through the CRL, we're attracting multiple dollars from the Province and private sector.
2. Self-funding mechanism: The CRL works by capturing future property tax growth within the downtown area and reinvesting it right back into that same area. This isn't about raising existing taxes - it's about harnessing the value of new development.
3. Economic multiplier effects: The construction jobs, permanent employment, and increased tourism will benefit our entire city's economy. For perspective, just the first three rounds of the Oilers playoff run generated an estimated $179 million in economic impact, including more than 60,000 overnight stays in Edmonton hotels. These numbers demonstrate the powerful economic engine that downtown attractions can create.
4. Housing diversity and accessibility: With 2,500 new housing units planned just in the Village at Ice District, we're creating more housing choices at a critical time. Last year alone, Edmonton welcomed more than 64,000 new residents, with projections indicating another 100,000 will arrive by 2026. This rapid growth demands bold action on housing. The development will include housing ideally situated near MacEwan University, attainable housing options, seniors housing, and family-friendly rentals - all directly connected to public transit. With its proximity to campus, these new housing options will give MacEwan students more choices to live downtown, strengthening the connection between the university and our city center.

The Broader Vision

While the CRL extension is important, this partnership goes beyond a single financing tool. It represents a comprehensive approach to downtown revitalization that includes:

• Community Event Park: A $250-million indoor/outdoor space that would be owned by the City but operated by OEG. Importantly, one-third of booking time would be reserved for community groups and non-profits at below-market rates. This space fills a critical programming gap in our downtown, offering year-round facilities for sporting events, cultural celebrations, and community gatherings. With retractable canopies outdoors and versatile indoor spaces including meeting rooms and classrooms, it creates opportunities for minor hockey, youth soccer, basketball leagues, and countless community activities. Connected to both Rogers Place and the LRT, it will be accessible to diverse groups throughout Edmonton.
• Village at Ice District: A vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood with diverse housing options that will bring thousands of new residents downtown.
• Strategic Investments: From cleaning up contaminated sites to improving transit entrances and creating welcoming public spaces, we're addressing the barriers that have held downtown back.

Community Input and Next Steps

It's important to note that this announcement represents the beginning of a process, not the end. There will be significant opportunities for community consultation and public input as we move forward. Many details still need to be finalized, and I'm committed to ensuring Edmontonians have meaningful input into how these spaces will function and serve our community.

I believe the success of this initiative depends on it truly reflecting the needs and aspirations of our city. The one-third community access provision for the Event Park is a good start, but we need to work together to ensure this facility genuinely serves the public interest.

A Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity

What convinces me most that this partnership deserves support is that it represents a rare alignment of provincial, municipal, and private sector interests. The Province has committed substantial funding, OEG is making major investments, and the City can leverage the CRL to maximize the impact of our contribution.

This kind of opportunity doesn't come along often. When partners are willing to invest alongside us, with a proven mechanism like the CRL to ensure financial sustainability, it's the right time to act strategically.

Why Every Edmontonian Should Care

Even if you rarely visit downtown, a vibrant city center benefits everyone:

• Downtown generates over 5% of Edmonton's property taxes while taking up less than 1% of the city's land. It's our most efficient tax generator.
• Great cities have great downtowns that attract talent, investment, and opportunity.
• A thriving downtown becomes a place we can all enjoy and take pride in - somewhere to meet friends, catch a show, enjoy festivals, or just spend an afternoon.

Moving Forward Together

Our City Plan envisions a downtown with at least 24,000 residents (nearly double today's population). This partnership gives us a concrete pathway to achieving that vision through strategic collaboration.

As we move forward, I'll continue to ensure this collaboration delivers the public benefits promised while protecting taxpayer interests. I believe the extensive public booking provisions for the Event Park, the focus on diverse housing options, and the overall structure of the partnership reflect a balanced approach that serves our city well.

I believe in collaborative city-building because I've seen it work. The Downtown CRL has proven that strategic public investments can attract significant private development, creating places people want to be. With the right partners, clear agreements, and appropriate oversight, we can create a downtown that serves all Edmontonians while strengthening our city's economic foundation. 

What do you think? Is this partnership a good investment in Edmonton's future? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Tim

Today at City Hall, we discussed extending the Downtown Community Revitalization Levy (CRL) by ten years. While that might sound like dry municipal policy, it's actually about something we all care about: building a vibrant heart for our city.

What's a CRL anyway?

Think of the CRL as a special financial tool that works like this: we invest in catalytic infrastructure improvements downtown, those improvements attract new buildings and businesses, and then the new property taxes from those developments pay back the original investment. It's like planting seeds to grow a garden.

Since 2015, this approach has helped transform our downtown with projects like Rogers Place, Warehouse Park, and improved streetscapes. The results? Over $4.7 billion in new development and more than 3,500 new homes either built or under construction. Before the CRL, downtown was adding about 134 housing units a year. After? That jumped to 351 units annually.

Why extend it now?

Unfortunately, COVID hit downtown hard. Add in skyrocketing construction costs, and development has slowed significantly since 2022. Many downtown lots still sit empty or underused.

By extending the CRL for another decade, we could generate between $700-975 million to invest in projects that would kick-start more development. This isn't about spending more tax dollars - it's about redirecting future new property tax revenue in the downtown area to fund improvements in that same area.

What would the money go toward?

You may have seen recent news about partnerships between the City, the Province, and Oilers Entertainment Group. The proposed CRL extension would help fund several exciting projects:

• Event Park: A $250-million indoor/outdoor space that would be owned by the City but operated by OEG. Importantly, one-third of booking time would be reserved for community groups and non-profits at below-market rates. This would create a much-needed public space downtown for events, sports, and community activities.
• Village at Ice District: Infrastructure to support a new mixed-use development with up to 2,500 housing units north of Rogers Place. This would include various housing types – student housing, affordable options, and family rentals – helping address our housing needs.
• Other Strategic Investments:
  • Cleaning up contaminated sites that nobody wants to touch right now
  • Making our LRT entrances more welcoming and safe
  • Small but meaningful improvements to public spaces that make downtown more inviting

The Province has already signaled strong support, including $106 million in the 2025 budget for downtown revitalization projects, with $52 million specifically for the Event Park.

Beyond the Ice District

The CRL extension isn't just about the Ice District. It's about creating the conditions for growth and vibrancy throughout our downtown. With additional projects focusing on streetscapes, green spaces, and neighborhood connections, the benefits would ripple across the entire downtown area.

Why should you care?

Even if you don't live or work downtown, a thriving city center benefits everyone. Downtown generates over 5% of Edmonton's property taxes while taking up less than 1% of the city's land. It's our most efficient tax generator.

More importantly, a vibrant downtown becomes a place we can all enjoy and take pride in - somewhere to meet friends, catch a concert, enjoy festivals, or just spend an afternoon.

Our City Plan envisions a downtown with at least 24,000 residents (nearly double today's population). Getting there requires some smart investments now.

What's next?

If Council approves this plan, we'll ask the province to extend the CRL regulation. With their approval, we can move forward on these catalyst projects.

I believe in this approach because we've already seen it work. The Downtown CRL has proven that strategic public investments can attract significant private development and create places people want to be.

What do you think? Is extending the Downtown CRL a good investment in Edmonton's future? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Tim

Finance Minister Nate Horner tabled the 2025-26 provincial budget yesterday. I want to share some quick thoughts on what this means for Edmonton and why I believe we need a fundamental reset in how our city approaches provincial relations.

Navigating Uncertain Times

Let's be honest - this budget comes at a really challenging time for both Alberta and Edmonton. We're all watching the Trump tariff threats with concern, knowing they could hit our province's economy hard. Meanwhile, Edmonton is facing its own financial crunch. The provincial government has had to make difficult decisions, creating multiple budget scenarios to prepare for various outcomes.

Minister Horner called it a budget of "tough but measured choices." His team had to revise their revenue assumptions back in January just to account for all this uncertainty. As he put it, "There's so many things that are out of our control." That's exactly why I believe different orders of government need to be working together closer than ever - not picking fights with each other.

What's in it for Edmonton?

I'm glad to see some tax relief that will help Edmonton families, with that new eight percent income tax bracket for income up to $60,000. Every bit helps when household budgets are stretched thin.

I'm particularly happy about the commitment to build five new schools in Edmonton. Anyone with kids knows how desperately we need these new classrooms in our fast-growing communities.

I'm encouraged to see provincial funding for several key post-secondary projects: NorQuest College, the University of Alberta Biological Sciences Centre, ongoing support for MacEwan University's School of Business, and planning for NAIT's Advanced Skills Centre.

The budget includes a substantial $106 million investment in downtown Edmonton: $52 million for an event park east of Rogers Place, $37.5 million to demolish the old Coliseum, and $16.4 million to prepare land at the Ice District Village. These investments matter for our city's future and connect to important discussions about the Community Revitalization Levy happening next week. I'm looking forward to digging into how we can maximize the impact of these provincial investments.

We also continue to receive significant provincial funding for the Yellowhead Freeway Conversion, the 50th Street rail overpass, improvements to Anthony Henday Drive, and Phase 3 of Terwillegar Drive - not to mention two LRT extension projects. While these weren't new announcements in this budget, they represent ongoing provincial commitment to Edmonton's infrastructure.

Public Safety and Addiction Treatment: A Clear Provincial Priority

I commend the Province for its investment in recovery and addiction treatment centers and its ongoing commitment to public safety. The budget allocates $1.7 billion for implementing the compassionate intervention framework and Recovery Alberta Services, which is a significant investment to address the opioid crisis that has devastated families across our city.

The province has also bumped public safety funding by 3.7% to $1.3 billion and has requested alignment of community peace officers with police services. That's a pragmatic move that should improve how we coordinate our response to public safety concerns.

These aren't just budget line items - they're investments that will make a real difference in our communities if we work together to implement them effectively.

A Missed Opportunity for Constructive Engagement

While last year's budget included funding for some important Edmonton projects like the MacEwan School of Business building and Phase 3 of Terwillegar Drive, there was not nearly enough support for critical infrastructure investments. That should have been a moment for some serious soul-searching at City Council.

Instead, what happened? Mayor Sohi and his allies launched a campaign focused on recovering $15 million per year in unpaid property taxes from the province. Let me be straight with you - while a $15 million grant increase is welcome, when coupled with the increase in provincial education property taxes, the effect on your property tax bill will likely be net zero at best. Not exactly the major victory some will portray it to be.

Rather than picking public fights with the province - over the wrong thing - we NEED to collaborate with them for the good of our city. Our infrastructure needs, from transportation to affordable housing to our $1.7 billion deferred maintenance backlog, require provincial support in the hundreds of millions of dollars. We can't afford to damage that relationship over relatively minor disputes.

Forward Together

With all the economic uncertainty from potential U.S. tariffs, a partnership approach isn't just nice to have - it's essential. The province has set aside a $4 billion contingency for unexpected challenges.

The province has made significant progress with their red tape reduction initiatives, recently introducing an "automatic yes toolkit" and "shot clock" provisions on permit applications across government. These innovations could offer valuable lessons for improving our own municipal processes.

Similarly, the province has begun implementing artificial intelligence tools to "follow the money" in their bureaucracy, enhancing transparency and efficiency. We should explore whether similar technologies could benefit Edmonton's financial management systems.

There is so much to be gained from collaborative work that recognizes we all serve the same taxpayer, and that we have a shared responsibility to maximize the value of every dollar spent. Particularly during these profoundly uncertain economic times, Edmonton's leadership MUST BE at the table, working constructively to ensure our city's priorities are understood and addressed.

My Commitment to Edmonton

If you trust me with your vote for mayor, here's what I commit to:

1. I'll reset our relationship with the provincial government from day one, focusing on productive engagement instead of public disputes.
2. I'll make securing provincial funding for critical infrastructure projects a top priority.
3. I'll work collaboratively on our shared challenges, from economic development to public safety to efficient government services.
4. I'll fight to ensure Edmonton receives its fair share as the capital city while being realistic about provincial fiscal constraints.

Edmonton deserves leadership that understands how to build partnerships. Fighting with other levels of government might make for splashy headlines, but it doesn't help get roads built or services delivered.

In these uncertain economic times, all orders of government need to work together, not against each other. The potential impact of U.S. tariffs makes it more critical than ever to have a mayor who can work effectively with the province.

I look forward to continuing this conversation in the coming months. Together, we can build the partnership approach Edmonton needs to thrive.