Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said she’s happy to see the south leg of the Green Line advancing, but there are still questions about the province’s desire to go above ground through the downtown.

The mayor held a media conference outside Michael’s Pizza Restaurant on 10 Avenue SW, a backdrop to illustrate the impact the elevated line could have on area businesses.  It was in response to a media statement made Tuesday by Alberta Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen, announcing the federal government had approved the business case for the new Green Line alignment.

“We are pleased that the Government of Canada has approved the City of Calgary’s revised business case for the Green Line LRT project that meets the provincial requirements of connecting to the Red and Blue Lines downtown, the new event centre, and as far south to Shepard,” Minister Dreeshen’s statement read.  

“This approval ensures the matching federal funding commitment of $1.53 billion for this critical project and that construction can finally begin after a decade of delay since 2015.”

Dreeshen said the City of Calgary is responsible for delivering the project and that construction tenders will go out this spring. The focus will be on using local construction companies.

“At the same time, the City of Calgary will also begin work immediately on the planning and design development for the downtown segment,” Dreeshen’s statement read.

“This work will be based on the Government of Alberta’s plan and alignment, using 10 Avenue and 2 Street SW. The design is expected to be completed by 2026, leading to construction on the downtown segment beginning in 2027.”

Mayor Gondek was happy to hear the feds approved the business case.

“However, it wasn’t all great news yesterday, as the province, without consulting with their federal or municipal partners, issued a news release that suggested we are moving full steam ahead with their downtown alignment, even though significant risks and unanswered questions remain,” she told reporters.

Still a 5 per cent downtown design, mayor says

Mayor Gondek said the AECOM report commissioned by the province acknowledged that it lacks the necessary analysis and stakeholder engagement “to responsibly move forward.”

She said it raises concerns about feasibility, cost and long-term impacts, including property and structural impacts, including noise.

 The province has said these elements will be taken into consideration, including noise attenuation along the downtown elevated line.

Mayor Gondek also said that there’s still no right-of-way agreement for the air rights above the CPKC rail line that runs near the proposed provincial downtown Green Line alignment.

“There is no clear plan to address how this alignment will affect properties that are along this route, including commercial spaces and major downtown employers,” she said.  

“This could have a devastating impact on the economy jobs, as well as property values, something that we have been working hard to grow and fund so that services that Calgarians rely on can be there well into the future.”

John Batas, one of the owners of Michael’s Pizza, said that the way he heard yesterday’s news was that this alignment was a done deal and ready to move ahead.

“That was another kind of gut punch we received when we first heard about it,” he said.

“I had no idea until a reporter came and asked me what I thought of it. It was just completely shocking. No one’s ever consulted us.”

Batas said they’ve put considerable investment into an upper patio, that, should the LRT come whistling through, will disrupt patrons, potentially making it a less appealing to place to eat or drink.

“When you look across, you see a CTrain platform and the noise, that you don’t come in and enjoy yourself. It gets frustrating. It’s not going to be an enjoying experience,” he said.

Timeline and details to be ironed out

While Batas said he recognizes that with a CTrain comes the potential for more people, he pointed out that there aren’t too many thriving businesses along 7 Avenue where the Blue and Red Line are located.

Plus, he said there are concerns with traffic, including how the parkades will egress with the pillars in the way or how emergency vehicles will navigate the only two-way route in the downtown.

“They don’t even care (about) us they won’t even to talk to us. That’s the most frustrating part,” he said.

Mayor Gondek said the City needs to see that all financial risks are understood and taxpayers aren’t left with the cost overruns. Without a functional plan, she said she’s not sure how the province can say this alignment will save a billion dollars.

They also need to see all agreements, particularly with CPKC, in place. The property value impact needs to be fully assessed so the long-term health of the downtown isn’t compromised and that a comprehensive environmental impact study is done to ensure the alignment actually works, the mayor said.  

“I will continue to push for a transparent and responsible approach to delivering the Green Line. It’s too important to get this wrong,” she said.  

“The decisions we make today are going to define Calgary’s future, and we owe it to every Calgarian to make sure that we get this right.”

Mayor Gondek said that the functional planning for the downtown portion of the line would take between 18 months to two years to complete. After that, it would need a review by Calgary city council and ultimately require approval to move forward.

She said she’s provided a written copy of these concerns to Minister Dreeshen for review and invited him to do a downtown walkabout to see how the line may impact the area.