City Council approved a proposal to privatize a stretch of Boyle Street’s riverbank for an 80-storey tower in a public hearing April 24.

The 7-5 vote in favour of the proposal authorizes the City to sell parkland at the top of Grierson Hill to the Alldritt Land Corporation for a luxury hotel and condo tower with an adjacent “publicly accessible” private park.

Proponents of the plan described the tower as “iconic” and a catalyst to further development in The Quarters.

Meanwhile, 29 speakers who spoke in opposition to the project opposed its River Valley location and potential to invalidate The Quarters revitalization plan just as the redevelopment efforts begin to gather steam.

“We are very concerned about the credibility the City would have in marketing the Quarters vision,” said Candas Jane Dorsey on behalf of the Boyle Street Community League. The project represents a substantial shift away from the Quarters Area Redevelopment Plan, which calls for expanded riverfront park space and height limits that maximize River Valley views.

“We are a densification and development-friendly league,” Dorsey told Council, but added the rezoning represents such a significant departure from City plans it would open the area up to “a wild west of project-by-project approvals.”

Councillor Ben Henderson, who voted against the proposal, described the project landscape design as “tempting” but no substitute for preserving the panoramic River Valley view from Jasper Avenue for all Edmontonians.

“It’s ironic to me that (there are) parts of The Quarters not far away where we would kill to have this building built,” Henderson said, referring to the neighbourhood’s many undeveloped parking and vacant lots.

Residents also voiced concerns about the integrity of the public engagement process, given the impact of the tower and accompanying land sale, and the extensive consultation that went into developing the Quarters plan.

Councillor Scott McKeen, who opposed the rezoning, said the process missed the mark on transparency. Council debated and tentatively approved the land sale in a private meeting April 11.

“When we have a land sale around this that can’t be seen, when we have (only) one public consultation meeting on a project of this scale . . . it’ll increase cynicism,” McKeen said.

Immediately before the hearing began, Council narrowly defeated a motion by McKeen to postpone the public hearing until after the public release of a report on the land sale. The City released this report May 10. It is available on the City of Edmonton website as an attachment to the May 8/9 Council meeting minutes.

Joelle lives in Boyle Street.