City council's urban planning committee officially endorsed the Downtown Vibrancy Strategy on June 16, with a $5 million investment from the city. Puneeta McBryan, the Downtown Business Association (DBA)'s executive director, has watched the strategy evolve since 2020 and said she is optimistic for the future of downtown.
"I think the only way we can be successful downtown is to really think about downtown as a whole, and as an ecosystem, and think about the big picture of ultimately what makes downtown great and vibrant," McBryan told Taproot's Speaking Municipally.
While the association is not spearheading the project, it is one of a few major partners. McBryan and the DBA work to "increase the vitality – both real and perceived – of the downtown core of Edmonton."
McBryan addressed concerns that the strategy is vague, telling Taproot the steps are "really much more of a framework to guide how they're going to get this funding out the door."
Improvements to downtown Edmonton are vital to McBryan and the DBA, as the small area makes up 9% of the city's tax base.
"There is so much on the line here for our city's economic future," McBryan said in a Twitter thread on June 15. "While I had hoped for a bigger ... investment, I'm stoked to have the city's support and partnership in building back (downtown) better than ever."
While McBryan struggles with the fact that this funding does not include plans to tackle the opioid crisis, she said the initiative is focused on "positive momentum, vibrancy, patios being reopen, events and (the) return to work."
Combatting the crisis comes down to provincial jurisdiction, thus the DBA is "looking at equipping (local businesses) with Narcan wherever possible."
The strategy's proposed 20 actions include street cleaning, litter collection, welcome packages for new residents, and downtown safety.
Photo: Mack Male/Flickr