A new update following the City Council meeting on June 30, 2015:
Following the objections of several community groups that the plans for the River Crossing area only included a Technical Advisory Committee with all community groups being designated as stakeholders only, Executive Committee passed the motion below. There will now also be a Community Advisory Committee. We await further direction from Administration as to how this will unfold.
River Crossing c/o the City of Edmonton. Source.
On April 14th, 2015 Edmonton City Council held an information session on the River Crossing area, which includes West Rossdale and the Rossdale power plant. Council did not hear from the public but took the time to listen to presentations from City Administration about the area and to consider what their next steps might be. Administration presented a vision for the area that was largely accepted by Council, thought some refinement was requested around the issue of First Nations history and consultation.
River Crossing Updates
By June 2015, City Council requests an updated report from Administration on the following:
By 4th quarter, 2015, Council requests a report on the business case and the following:
Administration must also issue a request for proposals for a 5-year period for the use of Telus Field, as well as working with the Mayor to advocate to the Province for a timely and definitive decision on whether they wish to work with the City on areas of the River Crossing district.
Representatives from Rossdale ReGeneration will meet with City Administration to discuss these next steps and we look forward to the June 15th Executive Committee meeting when the Administration will provide the requested report.
“There are certainly “righter” and “wronger” answers, I believe, in the context of what is appropriate for the city’s vision of itself. To gauge this “rightness” (as opposed to gut-feeling “righteousness”) we have to ask ourselves: What kind of community do we want to create? What do we want our legacy to be?”
Edmonton’s Historian Laureate Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail recently wrote an essay on Rossdale for the Edmonton City as Museum Project where she describes its complex history and challenges the myriad questions surrounding its potential future uses. \
What do you think, Edmonton? What do we want our legacy to be? And where in that legacy does Rossdale fit?
Read RE-IMAGINING ROSSDALE: PEHONAN AND THE POWER PLANT via the Edmonton City as Museum Project.
With the West Rossdale and Power Plant discussions in recent City Council meetings, the future of Edmonton’s historic river crossing district has been a hot topic in the media and online.
We’ve gathered a few interesting pieces that pose ideas for how the City can develop Rossdale into a diverse and bustling district:
What are your thoughts on these ideas? Would this essential Edmonton historic area be best served by an artificial canal? Leave your thoughts below!
On Monday, the Executive Committee of Edmonton City Council received a report by Rossdale Regeneration and the results are encouraging!
The committee unanimously passed a motion with five parts — two of which address Rossdale ReGeneration’s major concerns:
1. That the city act to preserve the Rossdale Powerplant in a way to ensure structural stability while future plans are being considered.
2. To consider repurposing the plant through consultation with interested parties and an eye towards creativity and sustainability.
Here are some responses from the media:
Edmonton- Rossdale Regeneration is a diverse group of Edmontonians who have come together to advocate for the protection and preservation of the Rossdale Power Plant as an important part of our city’s architectural history.
The Executive Committee of Edmonton City Council was scheduled to receive a report from City Administration relating to the Rossdale Power Plant site at its July 8 meeting. A motion was made at the July 8 meeting to postpone the report until Executive Committee’s August 19, 2013 meeting, where the report from Administration is expected to be presented.
In addition to the presentation of City Administration’s report to Executive Committee at the August 19 meeting, Rossdale Regeneration is scheduled to present its report and recommendations for the Rossdale Power Plant site. Rossdale Regeneration’s recommendations are:
1. We recommend that the City of Edmonton protect and preserve the Rossdale Power Plant for a minimum of one year. This means that the owner would commit the required funds to keep the buildings stable and secure, to allow time for the best ideas for a repurposing project to emerge and develop.
2. We recommend that the City of Edmonton initiate repurposing of the Rossdale Power Plant in a creative, appropriate and sustainable way.
“The Rossdale Power Plant is an important part of our city’s architectural history,” said former City Councillor and Rossdale Regeneration member Michael Phair. “Too many times we’ve been quick to tear down beautiful old buildings in Edmonton, and this time we have the chance to get it right and ensure that the building is preserved for the enjoyment and use of Edmontonians and visitors long into the future.”
Phair will be at the Executive Committee meeting on August 19 and available for comment. The meeting will take place starting at 9:30 a.m. in the River Valley Room at City Hall. Rossdale Regeneration is scheduled to make its presentation at 10:30 a.m.
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Rossdale Regeneration website: www.rossdaleregeneration.ca
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Michael Phair
Tomorrow (okay, on August 19th), City Council’s Executive Committee will be discussing a report from City of Edmonton staff (not publicly available on the City’s website) on the Rossdale Power Plant.
Rossdale Regeneration also anticipates making a presentation on its work and recommendations for the future of the Rossdale plant. You can find our full report here. If you’re planning on coming to City Hall to watch the proceedings, that’s great. We’re not sure of what time this will proceed– that will be determined at the beginning of the committee meeting beginning at 9:30 am. But we think it will be around 10:45 or 11 am. We’ll provide an update on this site and our Facebook page when we know. And of course, we’ll let you know how it goes. You can also watch and listen to the proceedings via livestream connecting through the Office of the City Clerk’s webpage.
EDMONTON – The city should preserve the historic Rossdale power plant for at least a year so a plan for the structure’s future can be developed, a citizen group says.City councillors balked last winter at the estimated $80-million cost to maintain the five-storey building and upgrade it for some… (continue article link)
The draft Heritage Interpretive Plan for the River Crossing (West Rossdale) area is just about complete, and the City of Edmonton wants to hear from you! After a year of reviewing previous research, work and discussions around heritage in the River Crossing area as well as collecting information through the various engagement activities over the past year, […]
Rossdale, the Power Plant, and the River Crossing are once again entering conversations around Edmonton, and this weekend there’s a great opportunity for Edmontonians to join the conversation during the Explore Rossdale Jane’s Walk! “Walk from the EPCOR precinct traditional burial ground around the residential / industrial area with historian Kathryn Ivany and members of the city’s […]
The City of Edmonton has received $72.9 million funding from the River Valley Alliance for five projects designed to improve access in the river valley (projects are funded by the provincial and federal governments). One of these projects is the construction of a riverfront promenade called Touch the Water. The Touch the Water promenade will […]
A new update following the City Council meeting on June 30, 2015: Following the objections of several community groups that the plans for the River Crossing area only included a Technical Advisory Committee with all community groups being designated as stakeholders only, Executive Committee passed the motion below. There will now also be a Community […]
Tomorrow! On June 30 (Tuesday) an administration report regarding plans for moving forward on the development of the River Crossing/Rossdale/West Rossdale area, including the EPCOR Generation Plant is on council’s agenda. You can link to the Executive Committee agenda (item 6.11) and related reports here. The key item of concern is the terms of reference […]
Rossdale ReGeneration 
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