Knack says council ‘shouldn’t shy away’ from private partnerships on public projects

Edmonton's new city council has agreed to consider partnering with private sector partners to build public projects.

With a long list of projects it considers priorities, the city is considering which Edmonton projects might be paid for through partnerships with the private sector amid a projected leaner four-year budget cycle.

A new report put to city council Tuesday suggests there are four projects that could benefit from a public-private partnership, or a P3 model, but more detailed analysis would be required.

New arenas, a Windermere transit centre, the Cumberland fire hall and the Woodcroft branch of the Edmonton Public Library are all listed as priorities, but none are currently funded.

• Get the latest Edmonton updates right to your inbox

As council looks ahead to the next four-year budget cycle beginning in 2027, Mayor Andrew Knack says the city will likely have around $1.4 billion in capital project funding, which is “substantially less than we’ve had in years past.”

In an interview Tuesday, Knack said council may need to get creative in their approach to funding.

He cited the Woodcroft library project as an example, where a private developer might agree to include a new library space at the base of a residential tower. The hypothetical project would save the city some money on completely redeveloping a library.

“We shouldn’t shy away from getting an idea if there is interest in that,” he said. “What we need to be very careful of is that we’re protecting the service itself, and that we’re not losing those services or losing control over those services.”

There is precedent for the city’s use of P3s, too, which city staff’s report made note of in detail. The Valley Line West LRT, for example, is a partnership with construction company Marigold.

Edmonton’s newly opened sports dome IQ Tennis and Pickleball Centre was also the product of contributions from the municipal and provincial governments alongside Tennis Canada/Rogers Communication.

Council voted 11-1-0 to pass the motion Tuesday evening. Ward tastawiyiniwak Coun. Karen Principe voted against while Knack had to leave the chambers right before the vote took place.

The city will begin putting feelers out for potential partnerships through a Request for Expressions of Interest.

City administration is then set to provide a report on the evaluation of those submissions by the second quarter of 2026, which lands between April and June.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson