Quote:
Originally Posted by Weitz
Trains? Easier access? No massive infrastructure redevelopment (roads)? No contamination clean up?
I don't actually know but that would be my guesses
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- I think train access to the WV is actually superior to EV, as there is no station in the EV itself (residents forced to walk to City Hall), whereas the WV has direct access to Sunalta Station.
- Debatable - I'd argue that access to the EV was comparable to WV prior to the 4 Street underpass.
- But there were massive infrastructure costs associated with the EV development. These include replacement of ancient utility lines, elevating the entire neighbourhood (49 acres) by a few feet to bring it above the floodplain, building an underpass at the CP tracks, installing a new street grid with sidewalks and streetscaping, building the riverwalk, building the St. Patricks island bridge and completing the park redevelopment etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nik-
First, it was a ####ing blight. Second, it didn't have the massive unknown of cleanup costs.
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Personally, I think the contamination aspect provides greater incentive for us to act on redevelopment of the west village, which is indeed now the most blighted area near downtown.
Private developers are not going to touch the WV due to the environmental liability and the scale of improvements required. The other areas suggested for this sports complex (Railtown, Stampede), do not have the same challenges to development and are attractive to private developers as evidenced by the plans currently in place for those sites. It doesn't make sense to locate a project of this scale there due to the opportunity cost of using prime redevelopment land for such a large scale facility.
If we want to see any improvements to the WV,
there needs to be a contribution of public dollars. I think that this project, despite the obvious shortcomings of the current proposal, will ultimately be a good way to kickstart the redevelopment of this blighted area. I don't mind the use of public dollars, just as I didn't mind the public funding of the EV, because I believe that having a vibrant and attractive inner city is a benefit to all Calgarians.