There is an urgent call for changes by the Downtown Revitalization Coalition (DRC) to save businesses in Edmonton’s downtown.
The group is calling on city council to implement emergency measures, which comes as over half a dozen downtown restaurants announced closures this summer.
Chair Cheryll Watson says it’s really concerning to see businesses shutting down, so the DRC is offering suggestions it says are practical for Edmonton city council to implement.
“Construction is necessary, but the way it is currently being managed is placing an unsustainable burden on businesses that are already dealing with public safety concerns, reduced foot traffic and rising operating costs,” Watson said.
The coalition has crafted a Downtown Economic Stabilization Plan. It includes:
- Immediate changes to how downtown construction is coordinated and sequenced, with business access and minimized customer disruption treated as core project requirements
- Higher standards for contractors working on downtown projects, including clear expectations for site cleanliness, pedestrian access, fencing, signage and the daily maintenance of construction sites to ensure they do not become eyesores that further discourage people from visiting downtown
- Free on-street parking in the downtown core for the remainder of the 2026 construction season
- Waiving patio permit fees for downtown businesses for the 2026 season
- A single senior administrative lead accountable for coordinating the city’s downtown business response
- Regular public reporting on actions taken, timelines and results
“Declaring downtown economic stabilization an immediate priority would send a clear message that the city understands the seriousness of the situation,” Watson said.
“Directing the city manager to act would ensure that this does not become another issue that waits until fall — while more businesses disappear.”
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The DRC says the current measures from the city aren’t working, and if they don’t make changes, there’s fears more businesses will close — and not just restaurants.
Heather Thomson, vice-president of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, supports the DRC’s calls to action.
She says despite some businesses opening in the downtown, more of them are closing.
“Right now, we’re seeing the closure rate to openings is 2:1,” Thomson said.
“That is not a good trajectory.”
The chamber of commerce notes some businesses that have their access impacted for months — if not years — making survival a struggle.
“Yes, construction is going to happen. It’s a great sign of progress,” Thomson said. “But making it coordinated, making sure its clean, making the availability and accesses to businesses is not impactful to their business.
“Unfortunately, a lot of the businesses that we’ve seen closed had very close proximity to the massive LRT construction.”
Mayor Andrew Knack acknowledges more construction is taking place this year, but he says the city has been addressing some of those issues through a motion he put forward last year.
“It’s part of why I made the motion last year to try a different approach. It worked last year,” Knack explained.
“We saw intersections that were originally partially opened for two to three years get done within two months.”
The mayor says despite some impacts, there are some stores opening.
“We are seeing the impacts of some of those closures, and while we also had about 10 new businesses open in the downtown, at least that I’m aware of in the last little while, we need to support the ones setting up and the ones that have been there for a long time,” Knack said.
Knack says he expects conversations about putting more money into the Downtown Action Plan when the next four-year budget deliberations take place in December.
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