City Centre Airport Review



Phased closure of City Centre Airport

On July 8, 2009, City Council decided to begin a closure of the airport over two major phases, with several years in each phase. Medevac service will be maintained at this airport for the near future.  

Phase 1 (starts immediately):

The City begins negotiation with the Edmonton Regional Airport Authority to immediately amend the lease agreement to:

  • immediately take steps needed to close runway 16-34 (the north-south runway on the east side of the airport lands) and adjust general aviation business activities to accommodate a one-runway airport
  • determine the parcel of lands adjacent to runway 16-34 which can, once air services on this runway cease, be surrendered to the City
  • conduct a Phase 2 environmental analysis on these lands and, if necessary, a site remediation plan
  • work with airport users to mitigate impacts, ease transitions and work with users to develop a plan to continue operations of the Edmonton City Centre Airport until final closure date is determined
  • ensure that current licences for scheduled air service are not renewed when they expire

In phase 1, the City will also:

  • immediately begin negotiation with Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and the Province of Alberta regarding NAIT's possible expansion on-site
  • prepare plans for realignment of the northwest LRT line (NAIT) based on available access to lands currently impacted by 16-34 runway, and report to Council no later than September 2009
  • make adjustments to the downtown plan in anticipation of immediate removal of the overlay impact over the majority of downtown, before finalizing the Municipal Development Plan/Transportation Master Plan in November 2009
  • position the City of Edmonton as developer of the airport lands, with Administration to immediately begin to set out long-term visioning plans for the airport lands in their entirety, including plans for community consultation, and for an international design competition for an ecologically-advanced, transit-oriented, medium- to high-density, mixed-use development (business and residential). The process for this work will be presented to Council by November 2009.

Phase 2:

  • That prior to a final closure date being determined for the airport, the Edmonton Regional Airport Authority is to have completed work with Alberta Health Services on long-term system design to facilitate Medevac operations at Edmonton International Airport (or other regional airports). 
  • A date for full and final closure of the airport will be determined by City Council, with input from Edmonton Regional Airport Authority, when the lands are required to support the long-term land development plan and the needs of the City. 
  • Once the final closure date is set, final environmental remediation of the remaining airport lands will occur, followed by the final surrender of lands to the City following complete decommissioning of the airport. 

Steps leading to closure decision

Information presented for analysis on use of the airport lands

The future of the Edmonton City Centre Airport (ECCA) lands has been under renewed Council scrutiny since early 2008. Council and the Executive Committee requested and heard several administration reports outlining various challenges and opportunities associated with the airport lands. A public hearing in September 2008 led to a roadmap of review and a plan to analyze the challenges and opportunities from several perspectives. 

On June 24, 2009, the ECCA Lands Impact Assessment Results report was presented to Council. This report includes the Legal Review of the Lease Agreements, the Net Revenue Return of Redevelopment, and attached several reports commissioned by consultants in several areas. These consultants' reports were presented also to the Executive Committee on June 24, 2009:

Following three days of public hearings in 2009 (June 24-26), Councillors asked follow-up questions to administration, the consultants and Edmonton Airports: Responses to Councillors' Questions:

  • Read the questions and responses.

    The document is called Attachment 9 because it becomes the final attachment to the June 24 report.

    The reports to the Executive Committee of Council from each phase of the airport review project, from June 2008 to June 2009, are linked at right.The Edmonton City Centre Airport Lands Impact Assessment Results report is available for download.

    City Centre Airport lands review timeline

  • October 8, 2008, Executive Committee Meeting: Administration provided a “road map” of possible next steps and the summary of issues relating to the ECCA lands that are within the City’s authority.  Council’s Executive Committee accepted this road map of next steps. The summary of the issues and next steps is in the October 2008 City Centre Airport Report on the right hand side. 

  • September 2-3, 2008, Public Hearing & Status Report: Council’s Executive Committee held a Non-statutory Public Hearing on September 2 and 3, 2008 regarding the ECCA Lands.  Before the public hearing, Administration was directed to conduct or coordinate several studies on how certain issues would be dealt with if the airport closed:
    • Edmonton Airports' analysis of how the current City Centre Airport aviation users could be accommodated at other facilities.
    • Alberta Health's description of how medevac and health services could be provided.
    • Feasibility assessments, including environmental considerations, of possible development concepts.
    • Analysis of development opportunities and gains to the downtown.
    • All legal considerations.

    Executive Committee received an interim status report on these issues at the Public Hearing. At the hearing, members of the public provided their comments on issues related to the City Centre Airport.

    This interim status report is available in the September 2008 City Centre Airport Report on the right hand side.

    At the end of the hearing, Executive Committee directed Administration to return to the October 8, 2008 Executive Committee meeting with a report on possible next steps and a “road map” that outlines the use of the Edmonton City Centre Airport lands and how it fits into plans such as the Municipal Development Plan, Transportation Master Plan, Envision Edmonton and the Capital Region Plan. 

    Administration was also directed to prepare a summary of issues raised at the public hearing that are within the City’s authority and report back at the October 8, 2008 Executive Committee meeting.

    June 18, 2008: Airport Review City administration provided a report to Council on June 18, 2008, on the possibilities and challenges associated with the City-owned land leased to Edmonton Airports for the operation of the Edmonton City Centre Airport (previously known as the Municipal Airport). This report was a response to a request for information at a January 30, 2008 Council meeting.

    The report summarizes land use potential and limitations, financial issues associated with the airport, and impact on development and City tax revenue in and around the airport. Several maps are included outlining the airport protection overlay in which building heights are limited, and potential development concepts.

    The June 2008 City Centre Airport Report on the right hand side has all the information.

    The report did not focus on flight services at the airport, since this is an area of authority and expertise managed by Edmonton Airports. The report did not recommend either closing the airport or expanding service.

    • For more information:

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