[JohnnyT]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

The creosote issue isn't going to just go away, it will continue to get worse (and more expensive)

As someone pointed out, commercial projects aren't going to pick up the tab, they could simply develop elsewhere

So governments are going to have to address the fact that this needs to be dealt with - and the sooner the better

Table 5 suggested it could cost $2B just to do the cleanup and roadwork for a WV project - I think that is a massive over-estimate (the entire SW LRT line, including re-doing the Sarcee/17 overpass, was $1.7B). However, like the creosote, those things need to be done at some point.

So the perfect situation for governments, is to have a commercial partner that is willing to participate in the costs. And only a massive project like this could even think about incorporating the types of costs involved.

In other words, this is EXACTLY what the city needs. And politicians who can't see that are just being short-sighted.

In virtually every city around the world, water-front property is among the most desired and best-developed. When I moved to Calgary, I was absolutely shocked at how much of the river-front was either industrial, really low-end, or completely wasted altogether. Developing EV has been a massive improvement. Developing WV will do the same. It would completely revamp the city's interior.

These are the types of projects that get people to want to live downtown, which is a major goal for the city.

What is needed is co-operation, and some leaders with vision, not petty politicians that can't see beyond the next budget.

Yep, the way I see the city either jumps on this and finds a way to work with the Flames or they go else and the west village remains contaminated for the next 20+ years.