The winds of change continue to blow in the Boyle Street and McCauley area. As discussions continue concerning the future of Mary Burlie Park, attention is now being turned to Future Station.

Future Station is an undeveloped LRT station located directly below the Remand Centre and Brownlee Building on 104 Avenue between 96 and 97 Street. Which means, after the Remand closes its current location in 2012 (it is moving to a new facility in northwest Edmonton), the possibility exists for an LRT stop right here in our community.

A local LRT stop between the Churchill and Stadium stations would be a natural addition to the area, especially if plans move forward to convert Mary Burlie Park (located just north of the current Remand) into a Chinese garden and cultural centre. Because it would be underground, it would have less of a space impact on any of the homes and businesses in the area.

Another major change coming soon to the face of downtown, very close to our community, will happen next year when the central post office is demolished and construction begins on that patch of land for the new Royal Alberta Museum, scheduled to open in 2015.

The above-ground LRT line of tracks between the Churchill and Stadium stations acts as the dividing line between Boyle Street and McCauley.

However, not all of the development in the area has to be on ground level. Future Station has the potential to be brought to life to serve the community and make it easier for others to get around in the city’s core.