Victoria Park redevelopment plan to be revealed in June

The city agency overseeing the redevelopment of Calgary'sEast Village is now turning to Victoria Park and the Stampede grounds.

The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) plans to spend $150 million toset the stage for a renewal of the area over the next decade..

CMLC is pursing several projects in the redevelopment:

• Extend 17th Avenue S.E. intoStampede Park
• Complete another stage of RiverWalk
• Extend the Cycle Track program
• Develop streetscapes and development opportunity around the new Green Line LRT line

Susan Veres with the CMLCsays this work will pave the way for new retail, commercial and hotel developments.

"This isthe opportune time to start putting in place that infrastructure so that two, three, four years from now, we're talking about vertical development and having that happen and being triggered in the community," she said.

Plan expected in June

Mark Johnson with Denver-based Civitas has been hired to come up with a master design.

He says that piece of land is a little tricky, as there is already the Stampede in place and plans to tear down the Corral, expandthe BMO Centre, put in a new LRT line and possibly replace the Saddledome.

"The real approach to this is to figure out how to turn all those into advantages,and how do we sort the different uses, create the places that will attract people and sustain the community," he said.

Johnson will present his vision for the area in June.

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