It's still hard for him to imagine. But Ryan Diprose, co-owner of Grandin Prescription Centre, says the developments proposed for the downtown area will change "everything."
And likely for the better, he says.
"I think it will just clean up the whole area and make it more modern," he says.
The small pharmacy, connected to the Grandin Medical Clinic, is already in the midst of change.
It's just down the road from the former Grandin mall site, now to be redeveloped into a residential and commercial centre. And a few feet from the business' front steps is St. Anne Street, now to be realigned along the back of the clinic and exiting onto Tache St.
But that's only the beginning. Over the next 20 to 30 years, St. Albert wants to redevelop the entire downtown into a distinctively urban hub.
The downtown area redevelopment plan (DARP) includes everything from taller buildings to newer, mixed-use neighbourhoods, a civic square, a larger park facility and pedestrian-oriented streets.
It also means bringing a larger population downtown. Most business owners welcome that change.
"I am excited about it," says Kaylen Como with Privada Wine & Tapas on the corner of Perron and St. Anne Street. "You get the population down here and then everything else kind of follows."
Everything else is restaurants, shops, nightlife and, most importantly, people, he says. Right now, the demographic living downtown is older and there are few people shopping local.
But in order to thrive and survive, businesses want, and need, more people, says Como.
Return to the urban design
Before there were cars, all cities were designed urban, says Dr. Rafael Gomez, an associate professor of employment relations with the University of Toronto.
Then public transport was developed, which allowed for the first suburbs. But people still had their amenities and shops in close walking distance, he says.
The modern suburb, with residential neighbourhoods, business districts and main roads widely separated, arrived after the Second World War. That's when people started having their own cars and could live in more secluded neighbourhoods, he says.
It was also the beginning of the end for many small businesses, as larger corporations took over the market, and customers chose cheap over local.
Now baby boomers and their children want to live in urban centres again, with amenities and shops nearby. It's a concept that can aid small business to thrive, if only done right, says Gomez.
"Visitors come into a city not because of what they have in their own communities but because of what they lack and if there's something unique," he says. "Which by definition is something locally and independently based."
Gomez says cities which historically supported their small businesses have survived recessions better.
That's because these businesses generate dollars and employment that stays in the community, he says. But for people to shop local, you first have to make it more difficult for them to drive further away to get "10 cents cheaper toilet paper," he says.
"By definition, people are shopping local because it's advantageous to them," he says, "And the best communities, the most thriving neighbourhoods, are those that have those ingredients."
St. Albert's plans are "certainly" going to support small business by bringing more residents to the downtown, says Guy Boston, executive director of economic development.
But entrepreneurs also have a role to play in generating demand.
Some business owners have now started to open longer hours at night, and have seen increasing revenue in return, he says. Others may not survive the coming years either way, if their product doesn't appeal to the people, he says.
"There are all kinds of dynamics that are involved and the businesses can be a little more creative and innovative as well, in light of what's going on right now and then planning for what's going to happen when DARP comes," he says.
Taller buildings, higher rents, more parking
According to DARP, the Perron District will continue to be the retail core of the downtown. But gaps are to be filled and shops and restaurants are expected to extend one day along St. Thomas St. into a proposed new civic square.
The plan also imagines higher buildings, up three storeys from the current two or three storeys.
Boston says preliminary talks with developers have begun and some are planning to rebuild existing downtown buildings. The business owners that spoke to the Gazette heard nothing about that – for now.
"I think our building is good for right now," says Como.
What will likely change is the rent that businesses will have to pay. As areas modernize, rental rates are likely to rise.
But Andrew Phelps, owner of Cranky's Bike Shop on St. Anne St., says that's also a sign of a popular area. And popular areas bring in more revenue, he says.
"Rent on Whyte Avenue is generally higher than in other parts of Edmonton," he says. "I think that would be a sign that things are working out if they were able to charge more rent."
Phelps says he is in favour of the long-term plans for the downtown. But the biggest challenge will be bringing people from the outside to the area, he says.
The city has proposed to create more parking along St. Anne St. by reducing it to one lane. There are also plans for parking structures throughout the downtown. Those will be necessary, he says.
"If the plan goes through with them adding that much density, I think they have to have a parkade," he says.
Bring back the hub
The last time this part of the city was a hub was 30 to 40 years ago, says Diprose. That's when Grandin Park Plaza was still an active mall.
Now people just drive through. Whether that will change remains to be seen, he says.
"This whole corner is going to look totally different and it's hard to imagine," he says.
"But once it's done and people realize how much more user-friendly it is, how much more they use the area … I think it will be a positive change for everyone."
