Edmonton city councillor Tim Cartmell’s motion to sell undeveloped land in the Blatchford community has been postponed and subsequently died on the floor. The Blatchford community, situated on old City Centre Airport lands, was designed to use 100 percent renewable energy and be carbon neutral. The original plan was to grow the area to 30,000 residents by 2038. Cartmell is now pushing for the remaining land to be offered to private sector developers in order to accelerate the pace of development in the area, which he feels has been moving too slowly.
Despite Cartmell’s push for selling the undeveloped land, some councillors believe it may be best to wait and consider other options. Councillor Aaron Paquette suggests approaching the development of Blatchford with a lens of responsibility and vision to see what can be done at this time. This is not a new concept, as in May 2022, Cartmell proposed selling land at lower rates and partnering with private developers. However, in October 2022, it was revealed that the private sector has shown little interest in the project due to concerns about financial feasibility. The requirement for all buildings in Blatchford to have net-zero emissions through the district energy sharing system has made it difficult for developers, as it increases costs.
Cartmell is determined to increase the pace of development at Blatchford and recoup the city’s investment in the area as quickly as possible. He believes that selling the remaining land to private developers will allow Blatchford to grow at a similar speed to other neighbourhoods in the city. Despite previous concerns from the private sector about financial feasibility, Cartmell remains hopeful that a feasible business plan could attract developers to the project. However, Mayor of Edmonton has opposed compromising on emissions goals or allowing single-family units into the neighbourhood to make the project more appealing to developers.
The slow progress of the Blatchford development is a point of frustration for Cartmell, who believes that the city’s investment in developing the land should be recouped expeditiously. The first 11 families moved into their homes in the community four years later than originally expected in May of last year. While Cartmell continues to advocate for selling the undeveloped land to private developers, other councillors urge caution and suggest exploring alternative approaches to advancing the development of Blatchford. The future of the Blatchford community and the potential involvement of private developers will likely be a topic of continued discussion within the city council.
