Calgary city council heard on Tuesday taxpayers in the city could be out as much as $200 million as a result of the Government of Alberta’s proposed realignment of the beleaguered Green Line transit plan.
The plan originally called for a tunnel, but the new plan does not. A report from city administration said the city undertook the downtown Beltline relocation program to facilitate the tunnel, which involved moving underground utilities from 11 Ave. to 10 Ave. SW.
The administration report indicated the relocation took place over the course of two-and-a-half years to “reduce conflicts and overall project risks,” costing “a few hundred million dollars.”
When asked by Cllr. Koortney Penner “does it mean that money is a throw away cost?” the answer was a portion of the money covered upgrades to some city facilities downtown, although it wasn’t clear how much money went into those projects and it was unclear if any costs would be covered, given the Alberta Government’s change to the original plan. It is also unclear at this point whether the new alignment will still qualify for federal funds.
City administration added the new alignment is only one component that changes things, identifying five key areas, including who holds the overall risks for the changes; governance of increased ownership of the project by the province; who is providing the expert mega-project oversight; funding in terms of being without continued capacity to contribute by the city, who is the funder of last resort; and how the project will be procured and delivered.
Before going behind closed doors to discuss the province’s report on the new alignment, including financial considerations, council was told the time line required a recommendation from and approved by council, followed by approval from the province, followed by approval from the feds, all before March 31, 2025.
Major Joyti Gondek said it is possible for council to recommend the original alignment be kept, although the Alberta government says all money for a design that includes a tunnel has been withdrawn.