Residents fear Glenmore Landing project is growing beyond original scope

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Residents who live near Glenmore Landing are worried that redevelopment plans for the southwest shopping plaza have been quietly increased by the builder, adding more highrise buildings that would nearly double the original scope of the project.

But the area’s representative on city council says RioCan’s most recent plan for the proposal is not necessarily what will be delivered, and that a lack of clarity regarding the divisive application has arisen due to a breakdown in communication and a loss of “good faith” between residents and the project’s proponent.

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RioCan, which operates Glenmore Landing, submitted an application to the city in 2023 to redevelop the shopping plaza at the intersection of 90th Avenue and 14th Street S.W.

At the time, RioCan’s plan featured six residential highrises on the perimeter of the plaza, in addition to a below-ground parkade and seven other multi-storey buildings that would provide enhanced retail and mixed-use development.

All in, the development was to accommodate roughly 4,200 residents.

But a more recent plan submitted to the city this spring shows up to 15 towers dotted around Glenmore Landing, each ranging from 11 to 30 storeys and accommodating up to 8,000 people.

Residents who have opposed the proposal, which was made public June 24, claim the new plan blindsided them.

“These changes represent a new project, yet there has not been public consultation or notice to the surrounding community associations,” the Communities for Glenmore Landing Preservation group said in a news release on Wednesday.

Palliser resident Karen Pauling Shepard, a member of that group, said her opposition to RioCan’s proposal stems from the development’s potential effects on the site’s aging below-ground infrastructure. She also worries how the development could affect the water quality of the nearby Glenmore Reservoir.

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While the preservation group has asked RioCan and the city for hydrogeological studies and environmental impact assessments to be released publicly, Pauling Shepard claimed the requests have gone unanswered.

“This massive redevelopment will take place on the shores of Glenmore Reservoir, which is the primary source of our drinking water,” she said.

“To put a massive development on that small plot of land with old infrastructure is worrisome.”

The area’s councillor, Kourtney Penner, confirmed that what RioCan submitted to the city in the spring is different from what circulated previously. However, she noted the intensification is because the city, as the development authority, requires an outline plan to show the maximum long-term development potential of a site.

The requirement is “for the purposes of ensuring that the utility upgrades proposed would match the maximum, versus what is realistically going to be developed,” Penner added.

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She called the most recent plan a “future-proof” document to ensure the long-term viability of utility and infrastructure upgrades, in the event that RioCan expands its development 15 or 20 years later.

“There’s no immediate plans to do towers in those areas,” she said, adding the city is looking at a development horizon of at least 10 to 15 years for the four to six towers on the south and east side of Glenmore Landing.

And how tall those towers ultimately become is subject to change, Penner noted.

“They can say they want 27 storeys and come in with 14, because that’s what the market can bear at the time.”

Penner acknowledged the proposal for Glenmore Landing has been contentious among her constituents, causing heated exchanges at town halls and meetings that have led to a strained relationship between some residents and RioCan representatives — and even a legal challenge to the city.

She claimed a lot of “misinformation” has come from the public about what RioCan’s plans are.

“There’s sort of an onus on all parties to come to the table with an open-minded curiosity of asking questions,” she said.

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“It’s been tricky for the proponent to willingly want to come to the table and engage with them, not knowing if they’re going to be met with good faith.”

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