Condo towner slated for former gas station site

As part of its green growth program, the City of Edmonton prepared a 10-year plan to clean up and redevelop 50 former gas stations.

The plan, overseen by five councillors and a brownfield coordinator, would provide grants of up to $200,000 toward the cost of conducting environmental assessments, removing contaminants and buried fuel tanks, and capping or converting the sites.

The gas station clean-up plan is expected to inspire redevelopment at other municipal brownfield sites. It will promote economic growth and make the city more livable.

Results

Environmental Economic Social
  • Assesses, remediates  or rehabilitates as many as 50 gas stations
  • Creates opportunities for redevelopment of contaminated sites
  • Advises developers and property owners on government support for redevelopment
  • Reduces sprawl and enriches urban life
  • Supports a sustainable development strategy to make the city a more attractive, healthy place to live

Challenges

  • Enticing brownfield owners and developers to clean up and redevelop the sites.
  • The red tape of the brownfield-grant approval process.
  • The overlapping or conflicting requirements of various remediation and redevelopment programs.

Lessons learned

  • Make brownfield clean-up and redevelopment grants easily accessible.
  • Use city councillors. Property owners respond more quickly to calls from elected officials.
  • Identify a single point of contact to help owners and developers navigate redevelopment programs.

Resources

Partners and Collaborators

Project Contact

Barbara Daly 
Brownfield Coordinator
City of Edmonton, AB
T. 780-944-0316

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