I think that this has potential -- opening it up like the Brewery District with the ability to redevelop portions of the parking over time -- putting it underground, adding to significant mixed use possibilities with housing/micro-hotels atop ground-floor retail and second-floor services. I know that this is not connected to LRT but it has other site advantages being adjacent to the architectural marvels at Coronation Park -- the soon-to-be Velodrome, the Space Sciences Centre, the historically significant Planetarium and the Peter Hemingway Fitness and Leisure Centre. Other pluses include Ross Shepard High School with its attendant athletic grounds, a public library, and a mid-rise retirement centre. In all the makings of a 15-minute City Centre. And if you wanted to dream, how cool would it be to see a Gondola project revived that initially went from the Westmount Transit Centre following the contours of the Groat Road into the River Valley and up the other side to the University of Alberta with LRT connectors at Sam Dickson Park (Stony Plain Road adding another station to Valley Line West) and the intersection of University Avenue and 114 Street with an aerial pedway connection to the Hospital LRT Station and all adjacent Special purpose buildings . Other stops in this dream world could be Government House (breathing new life into the former Museum building), a redeveloped Victoria Park, and Hawrelak Park -- 6 stops in all, a similar scale as to what was proposed from Strathcona to Downtown. A future expansion could run east along Whyte to Bonnie Doon (also thereby connecting to LRT) and North along Groat Rd. extension to St. Albert.
) it still has pretty great bus connections and, with some dedicated bus lanes on 111th ave, service could be upgraded nicely. The surrounding areas and amenities are pretty heckin great as well!
