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A parking lot off Whyte Avenue has sparked debate about how city-owned lands are leased and who reaps the benefits from public amenities.
The Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market and its parking lot at 83 Avenue and Gateway Boulevard sit on public land leased by the non-profit until 2025. Patrons have access to free two-hour parking every Saturday while the market is operating — otherwise, parking is paid .
But Avnish Nanda, president of the Ritchie Community League, questions if Edmontonians are getting the best deal with this arrangement.
“We’re devoting four blocks in prime Edmonton towards only people who use the farmers market, and they only use it one day a week,” he said.
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How the land could best be used is something the broader community should have a part in deciding, Nanda said — he suggests something like affordable housing or a public park could be considered.
“If that space was an area for community or civic space, or a garden, a park — think of how many different Edmontonians could use that space all days (of the) week,” he said.
“We cannot turn prime public space into basically spaces that only a small sector of our society or city can utilize… The fact that there’s been decades of these preferential dealings, backroom agreements, about this land, is not acceptable.”
Postmedia reached out to Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market for comment on speculation it was in the process of negotiating a lease extension. The organization declined an interview, but market manager Keith Persaud responded in an email: “You might want to do a story on the market someday and not chase rumours. That is all is have!”
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Consultation coming
This spring, the city is launching the Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy to get feedback on how public spaces in the area and along Gateway Boulevard and 102 Street are used.
Currently, non-profits looking to lease public lands can apply through the city’s formal application process, according to Chris Thiessen, who does leasing acquisitions and sales for the city.
When it comes to these lands in particular, what happens after the farmers market lease ends hasn’t been set in stone, Thiessen said.
“We have no plans to enter new negotiations until we can figure out what (the Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy) identifies for this space moving forward,” he told Postmedia. “We won’t be entering into lease negotiations beyond 2025 until we have a better idea of what the community, what the plan, what our city council wants for this space.”
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Erik Backstrom, senior city planner in urban planning, said the engagement process will look at how the neighbourhood’s public spaces are used for the next generation.
“There will be all sorts of public interest in that project — residents, and community leagues, and the farmers market itself as a stakeholder, and the business association, and individual businesses,” he said. “We’re excited to talk to the public … about what our collective long-term vision for the area is.”
Cherie Klassen, executive director of the Old Strathcona BIA, said the COVID-19 pandemic has renewed interest in public spaces and more members of the public want to have a say.
“I think our perspective would be, we want to have community engagement around public lands and how (they are) utilized,” she said. “I think it’s it’s perfect timing to really look at the future of our city.”
Paths for People spokesperson Stephen Raitz is glad the city will be looking at alternative uses for the land.
“Literally anything else would be better that is more people-oriented,” he said. “People want a place to be and not a place to park.”
Finding out which lands the city owns is possible through a paid search of Alberta’s land title registry. Nanda said this type of information should be more easily accessible and suggests the city add this to the public SLIM mapping system.
