Edmonton’s city council approved plans on Monday for a $400-million project that will see a new event park built adjacent to Rogers Place.

Council members voted 9-4 in favour of the all-or-nothing project to be funded by the Province of Alberta, the City of Edmonton and the Oilers Entertainment Group.

It will feature a new event park in the lot directly east of the home of the Edmonton Oilers, a space the team has utilized in recent years as a fan park, as well as 2,500 housing units. OEG will “make significant capital investments directly and/or in partnerships” to assist in building on a lot directly north of the arena.

The event park is scheduled to open in 2029, while 354 housing units will be built by 2028, and an additional 420 within five years, “which may include below-market housing and student housing.” The housing project is bound by 106th Ave. to the north, 101st St. to the east, 104th St. to the west, and 105th Ave. to the south, totalling roughly 10 acres of land. Investments from the province and city will accelerate “utility upgrades, streetscaping, remediation and park space” in the area.

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said the event park “will further allow us to attract more events and attract more people to live, work and play downtown,” and that it was “a big investment in our downtown,” according to CTV Edmonton.

Sohi has been vocal about the province’s lack of support for the city in recent years, especially after the United Conservative Party committed $330 million to Calgary’s project to build a new arena. The city twice requested support from the province in the building of Rogers Place, which was declined by then Alberta Premiers Ed Stelmach and Allison Redford. Instead, they offered a Community Revitalization Levy.

The new event park project, meanwhile, will see the province put up $183 million, the city $138 million and OEG $87 million. The project also includes funds allocated for the demolition of the Northlands Coliseum, scheduled to begin in 2026.

The city is set to use revenues from the Downtown CRL to fund it’s portion of thep projects, with the funding estimated to break down down as so:

Not all city councillors were on board with the project, like ward Papatew councillor Michael Janz, who voted against it, telling CTV Edmonton the project was “one business provider’s idea” and that among priorities council looked at in the city’s four-year budget, “an event park downtown was not one of them.”

Another councillor who voted against it, ward Nakota Isga’s Andrew Knack, said “the whole point of this was to build housing,” and that “Now there’s no legal requirement to build housing.”

Councillors Erin Rutherford and Jo-Anne Wright also voted against it.

Ward Dene councillor Aaron Paquette, meanwhile, told the Edmonton Journal the deal was a win for the city.

“I think Edmonton is kind of coming out ahead on this one,” he said. “The city’s contribution is capped, the province is putting in $183 million on the overall deal, and the Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) is responsible for every overrun, every operating cost, every utility bill, and two-thirds of the renewal costs. If they default, the city keeps the building debt free and they still have the lease payments.

“I don’t know where you get a better deal than that. I’ve never seen a better deal than that, frankly.”

The next steps for the project will be the finalization of grant agreements with the province, which must be completed by November 30th, according to the Edmonton Journal.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.