City hopes Warehouse Park will improve downtown as construction nears completion

Warehouse Park is nearly complete and organizers hope the space will improve downtown Edmonton. CTV News Edmonton's Sasha Pietramala reports.

After more than a year of construction, Warehouse Park in downtown Edmonton is almost complete.

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The park will serve as a year-round hub for activities including an off-leash dog park, playground, fire pits, a hill for tobogganing, a basketball court that converts into an outdoor skating rink and more.

There will also be public washrooms.

The $48.1-million park sits on top of a cluster of old surface parking lots on 107 Street just north of Jasper Avenue.

A large light installation circles the park’s open lawn, mimicking the northern lights.

“The vision for this park was a large open lawn that invites citizens and visitors to explore, so the light feature is what’s going to allow it to have that multi-seasonal use, and we do think that it’s one of the major features in the park,” said Suzanne Young, the director of open spaces planning and design with the City of Edmonton.

Planning for the park began in 2010 as part of the city’s downtown capital plan and is intended to be a catalyst project to drive investment into the core.

Young said it also serves as respite for visitors and residents downtown where there aren’t a lot of parks or green spaces.

The shape of the park is inspired by the ward’s name O-day’min, which means strawberry in Cree.

Cheryl Probert, president of the Downtown Edmonton Community League, said the park will be an upgrade from the former parking lot.

“This was surface parking that had been really badly neglected for a lot of years,” Probert told CTV News Edmonton. “To have all of that asphalt, concrete and underlying stuff removed and have it replaced with landscaping, pathways, gathering space and greenery is really a huge upgrade to the neighbourhood.”

While some are excited for the park to be completed, nearby business owner Kelly Dyer said she’ll be relieved.

“Very ready for it to all be over,” said Dyer, the manager of Audrey’s Books on Jasper Avenue. “The construction has been a little crazy, but (l’m) looking forward to seeing the final product.”

With construction, parking spots in the area are sparse, said Dyer.

She said they’ve been trying to assuage the people who don’t want to come downtown because of construction and lack of parking by providing free local delivery over a certain amount.

But even with frustrations, Dyer is excited about the park and what opportunities it will bring to the business.

“We’re excited because we like to do a lot of different things within the community with books and events,” she said, adding that there’s a possibility for festivals in the space.

Young said the city is planning for the opening of the park which is anticipated later this fall.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Sasha Pietramala