‘A step backwards:’ Holyrood residents disappointed with developer’s new design

Holyrood Gardens' new design was released at a public engagement session on May 2.

People in the Holyrood neighbourhood were surprised to find a controversial housing development has proposed to double the number of towers and add an additional 250 units.

Originally, the developer for the Holyrood Gardens project wanted to build three towers, one of them as high as 22 storeys.

The revised proposal features six towers -- all 17 storeys tall -- and increases the number of units from 1,200 to 1,450.

“Seeing more towers that cast a very large block of shadow over the immediate properties, the addition of more units without addressing the impact of those units, such as traffic, we’re feeling very disappointed. We feel this is a step backwards,” Dave Sutherland, a member of the Holyrood development committee, said.

Last fall, council rejected the proposal and asked Regency Developments to conduct further studies and consider mitigating traffic concerns, examine height and shape of buildings and bring the revised proposal to the Edmonton Design Committee for review.

Councillor Ben Henderson said he does not believe the new design addresses council’s concerns.

“I’m a little bit perplexed,” he said.  “I still have lots of questions and I was really, really hoping that we were going to find a solution that everyone could get excited about.  And I’m not convinced we’re there yet.”

Raj Dhunna, Regency Development’s CEO, said the revised proposal is the result of community and council input.

Dhunna said wood-framed buildings were in the original design, but in order to reduce the angular planes, the new design features concrete buildings and to offset the added cost, 250 units were added.

“If you achieved the angular plane discussion, you have a block wall of 12-storey units on the front of 85 Street. What that does is poor design, in our opinion,” he said.

“We’re at a place where we feel this is the best proposal we’ve brought forward, there’s not much for us left to give here.”

The land for the proposed development is currently occupied by 160 two-storey townhouses along 85 Street between 90 Avenue and 95 Avenue. In order for the development to get the green light, city council would need to approve the zoning change.