Dear Members of City Council,

As representatives of the downtown commercial real estate community we are writing to
express our strong opposition to the proposed closure of multiple access points into downtown.
We believe that this decision will have significant negative impacts on the ongoing recovery
efforts downtown.

Impact on Business Operations and Downtown Recovery

The proposed closures will cause increased traffic congestion, making it more difficult for
newcomers and tourists to visit, commuters to work in-office, and potential customers to
reach businesses.

• This will result in fewer people downtown, harming businesses that are already struggling to recover from the economic impacts of recent events.
  
• Moreover, the closures will discourage potential new businesses from setting up in the downtown area due to accessibility concerns, further slowing the pace of recovery.
  
• Lastly, closures will lower the utilization and potentially selling prices of real estate, further damaging the assessed values and taxes coming from downtown, and increasing the tax burden on Edmonton residents.

Downtown is already faced with challenges – we should avoid adding a new challenge that is
within the City’s control.

Alternatives to the Proposed Closures

We strongly encourage you to consider other options in carrying on necessary repair and
renewal work.

1. Independent review of engineering reports: The City should seek a consolidated independent review of engineering reports to understand what work is essential and what work can be done over a longer period of time.
   
2. Network Analysis: Investing in road and public transit infrastructure improvements with a greater focus on allowing people to get to their destination quickly would help manage traffic flow more effectively. Simply put adding “as much as 15 to 30 minutes to trips from the suburbs” is not an acceptable solution.
   
3. Staggered Closures: If closures are necessary, implementing them in a staggered manner would minimize disruption. When combined with LRT construction, the City should have a policy of having the maximum of one major Centre City access point closed at any given time.

We urge the City Council to consider the significant negative impacts of the proposed closures on
downtown recovery, and these alternatives. We are more than willing to engage in further
discussions to find a solution that balances the needs of infrastructure maintenance, traffic
management and economic recovery.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Laura Bradley
NAIOP Downtown Committee