The City of Calgary is winding down the Green Line LRT project, leaving uncertainty about the future of Eau Claire after residents and businesses were forced out earlier in the year. Homeowners of the River Run townhomes were required to vacate their homes in May after a challenging expropriation process with the city. The terminus station for the first phase of the Green Line was set to be built underneath the Eau Claire Market site, with additional track to be laid below the townhomes. Residents began negotiations with the city in 2019 regarding the plans, and feel they were bullied and intimidated by the city in the process.
The city council voted to wind down the Green Line project due to the province withdrawing its share of funding, leading to the termination of the project. Former River Run residents feel that the city’s actions were unnecessary and unjust, as they were forced out of their homes for nothing. The city acquired the River Run townhomes through the provincial Expropriation Act earlier in the year, compensating homeowners based on an independent appraisal. The homeowners rejected the expropriation process and commissioned a provincial inquiry into its fairness, resulting in a scathing report criticizing the city’s conduct.
Former residents are currently appealing the inquiry’s ruling in the hopes of receiving compensation for their legal fees, which the city has not paid. The situation is with city administration, and conversations are ongoing about the future of the Eau Claire area, including the vacant Eau Claire Market building. There are plans to reimagine the area as a festival and market destination in Calgary, tied to improvements in the Eau Claire promenade. Demolition of the Eau Claire Market and River Run townhomes is on hold pending a review of a new alignment for the Green Line by the province, which is expected to be revealed by the end of the year.
The provincial government has expressed no desire to tunnel under the downtown core, and instead plans for the Green Line to run at-grade from downtown to Seton within the project’s budget. The former residents do not believe they will be able to return to the townhouse complex, but are hopeful for a ruling on their appeal to continue their expropriation dispute. They emphasize the importance of the city treating its taxpayers fairly and hope for change moving forward. The City of Calgary did not respond to requests for comment on the situation, and Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong expressed empathy for the residents affected by the expropriation process.
