Developers aim to downzone near downtown

Edmonton city council is set to debate three rezoning applications on Monday that would see ambitious direct control zones shrunk to allow buildings between eight and 18 storeys. Westrich Pacific has applied to rezone two properties in Wîhkwêntôwin. The developer has proposed rezoning a lot at 10004 112 Street from a direct control zone that allows for a 35-storey building to the mixed use zone, which allows for a 12-storey building. Westrich has also applied to rezone three lots a block away, at the corner of 100 Avenue and 111 Street, from a direct control zone that allows for a 18-storey building to the medium-scale residential zone, which allows for an eight-storey building.

This isn't the first time developers have downzoned central projects that would have placed among the tallest buildings in Edmonton. Several lots surrounding O-day'min Park were rezoned into standard, shorter zones in the last year. Henry Edgar of Autograph Group told Taproot "towers are just too expensive" after the company rezoned its lot at 10157 106 Street. Autograph had initially proposed to build two towers at 38 and 35 storeys with 780 units, but now plans to construct a seven-storey building with about 200 units.

Meanwhile, Yorkton Equity Group has applied to rezone the Pacific Mall site and an adjacent parking lot in Chinatown to allow for an 18-storey building and a six-storey building, respectively. The current zoning allows for buildings up to 38 storeys high. Administration said it supports the application because the proposed buildings would align with Chinatown's economic development plans.