Edmonton developers push for south sprawl as new report shows city’s costs and benefits

With infill being the hot topic in Edmonton, builders are hoping to get urban sprawl back into the conversation and are calling on the next council to stop blocking Edmonton’s expansion south as this fall’s election approaches.

Bild Edmonton Metro out with a new report Tuesday, making the case for adding new neighbourhoods.

This is despite Edmonton’s current pause on planning for new suburbs past 41 Avenue in the southwest and Edmonton’s annexed lands sitting undeveloped for years

“The land was annexed in 2019, that the city has taken over, and it’s time to start planning that land,” said Lindsey Butterfield, the vice president of Government Relations & Policy with BILD Edmonton Metro.

“Our ask is to just keep an open mind, and let’s start looking at numbers. So not making assumptions or maybe emotional judgments about what is good for the city.”

They’re arguing that the roads, sewers, and other things the land developers are paying for, about $3.2 billion in the Windermere and Heritage Valley neighbourhoods, plus what the city gets back, make the costs of expansion even out over time.

“Greenfield pays for itself. It is not a drain on taxpayers for us to be expanding and building new communities,” said Katrina Rowe, the president of Cantiro Communities, and a BILD Edmonton Metro Board Chair.

“It is not costing the city money to grow, and we can continue to grow efficiently. That doesn’t mean everyone should live in a new community, but it also doesn’t mean everyone should live in infill.”

Their report, however, doesn’t look at the costs for more policing and public transit, the two most expensive line items in the city’s budget.