'Productive discussions' move Calgary's Green Line project in a positive direction

More than a month after the Alberta government announced it would be pulling funding for Calgary's Green Line project, Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen says progress has been made.

In a statement Thursday, Dreeshen said "productive discussions" have taken place between the province and Calgary city council.

"Through these discussions, we have agreed to advance the work from Fourth Street S.E. to Shepard," he said.

"This decision not only works to preserve more than 700 jobs, but also builds on the shared investments we have made towards the Green Line."

• Sign up for breaking news alerts from CTV News, right at your fingertips
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

On Sept. 5, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said she received a letter from Dreeshen's office that stated the province was no longer on board with the Green Line plan, stating the infrastructure project was billions over budget and didn't serve enough Calgarians.

Without the province's support for the Green Line, Gondek said the city could no longer move ahead with it.

On Sept. 17, city council voted 10-5 to officially stop the project, a decision that Dreeshen said was "unfortunate."

"Some members of city council would prefer to see the Green Line cancelled entirely rather than find a far more cost-effective and longer above-ground alignment that will actually reach hundreds of thousands of Calgarians in the southeast of the city," he said on Sept. 18.

Gondek, Premier Danielle Smith and Dreeshen all met in Red Deer on Sept. 27, saying that work was underway to build a "cost-effective Green Line."

"In the interest of taxpayers, I'm focused on every way that wind-down of the original Green Line project can be carried out in a manner that retains the highest value and benefit for Calgarians," Gondek said.

In mid-September, Dreeshen said the province brought in a third party, AECOM, to conduct a review of the alignment of the Green Line.

On Thursday, he said AECOM's alignment "will be either at-grade or elevated and will connect into the Red and Blue Lines, the new Event Centre and to southeast Calgary communities."

As that review is being conducted, Dreeshen said the province's original funding commitment of $1.53 billion remains intact and the value of Phase 1 of the Green Line will be preserved.

The city is assisting with the review and meeting with both the province and AECOM during the process.

In a statement Thursday, Gondek said Calgary remains "committed" to the Green Line project.

"(We) remain optimistic that we will continue to reach decisions that are in the best interest of Calgarians."

Concerns

A consortium of some of the city's largest commercial real estate developers as well as the Calgary Downtown Association released a letter Thursday they sent to the province in late September expressing concern about delaying the project and how an alternative alignment could impact property.

They asked to be included as part of a commercial real estate advisory committee that would provide input to the three levels of government as discussions continue.

"We would welcome a seat at this table with the goal to work with all parties and ensure that the best information and evidence is considered with respect to any pending decisions for the Green Line," the letter said.

The letter was signed by Guy Huntingford, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Calgary chapter of the Commercial Real Estate Developement Association (NAIOP),  Lloyd Suchet, the executive director of BOMA Calgary (Building Owners and Managers Association) and Mark Garner, the executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association.