The City of Edmonton confirmed Centennial Plaza is now open to welcome residents and visitors into an attractive, family-friendly, and accessible space. Located in the heart of downtown Edmonton, the City of Edmonton said Centennial Plaza was designed as a gathering place filled with colour, art installations, and play areas. As part of Edmonton’s Civic Centre, it said it will host year-round events and activities. “The City of Edmonton is transforming our downtown by creating vibrant, connected, safe, and welcoming spaces for everyone to enjoy,” said Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi in a press release. “Centennial Plaza will offer a fun, accessible and engaging outdoor space for Edmontonians and visitors to gather and spend time in the heart of our city.”Sohi pointed out a clean, attractive downtown “helps create jobs, enhance tourism, and strengthen the economy in our city.”The City of Edmonton said the redeveloped space supports a variety of year-round features. These features include a child-friendly design that encourages unstructured play, built-in seating and gathering spaces, public art pieces that evoke imagination and encourage play, animated light installations, and accessible green spaces that feature trees, shrubs, and perennials. Construction of Centennial Plaza began in 2022. Planning, design, and construction of the project cost $17.4 million.It was possible because of $529,875 in federal funding provided by PrairiesCan through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF). The CCRF supported projects to revitalize downtown cores, outdoor spaces, and green infrastructure. PrairiesCan Minister Dan Vandal said Centennial Plaza “will contribute to downtown Edmonton’s vibrancy and serve as a welcoming attraction for residents and visitors.”“Our government is proud to have partnered with the City of Edmonton on this and other community-led projects that are revitalizing public spaces for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy for years to come,” said Vandal. The City of Edmonton said on June 26 a new space for connection and community is coming to the downtown as it begins construction on the Warehouse Park Project. READ MORE: City of Edmonton begins construction on downtown parkSohi said as it plans to become a city of two million people, it must become greener. “Part of that is ensuring all residents have access to high-quality parks and open spaces,” he said.
