Unpermitted parking lot in downtown Edmonton to become a park

A parking lot at 100 Avenue and 103 Street will be turned into park space, according to the City of Edmonton. (CTV News Edmonton)

At least one downtown parking lot is about to become a park instead as the city cracks down on lots operating without a permit.

The city says for almost two years, it has been encouraging the owners of 113 unpermitted parking lots to apply for permits and upgrade the lots.

The deadline to apply for a permit passed this week.

The city says so far 56 permits have been issued.

Ward O-day’min Coun. Anne Stevenson says council recently approved a rezoning for a surface parking lot on 100 Avenue and 103 Street to be turned into a park space.

She says the enforcement has been coming for a long time and the impact is already being felt.

“I’ve noticed a number of surface parking lots being put up for sale,” she said.

“This is a phenomenal outcome. We don’t want people just sitting on these properties for forever, we want it to be sold to someone who might be able to make something of it in a much shorter term.”

The city says in the coming weeks, inspectors will head to the parking lots and may issue orders for them to stop operating.

Penalties for operating a lot without a permit range from $1,000 to $10,000.