Meeting:  chair & music, Ingrid; grace, Art;

 

Attendance/Guests:  23 including Jim Taylor, Down Town Business Association (guest speaker); Roger Silva, Rotary Club of Burnaby, B C; Anthony Lazaruk, Brad's guest

 

Music;  where was Jerome?

 

Belize:  Fred announced our cash donation to the Rotary Club of Placentia's Santas Anonymous was $1240, congratulations to the club members for stepping up; Fred also confirmed that the Rotarians now in Belize will be building bleachers for the soccer field to go with previous projects like park benches and a railing on a disabled person's ramp.

 

Gift Cards:  Rob Dunseith announced that he has the cards; contact him to arrange purchase; profits go to fund our international projects like Belize

 

Tommy Banks/P J Perry:  Ingrid announced a good turnout of Rotarians for the Edmonton Symphony concert on November 11

 

Postponement of new member induction:  Andrew Dey is ill and his induction will be rescheduled

Rotary International Appreciation Award:  Ingrid presented the award to Darrel Ripley for bringing in new members and many possible new members; congratulations

 

Finemaster:  Fred levied fines with table questions centered on TV sitcoms

 

50/50:  Dan Graham & Ed did not match cards; $238 carried over

 

District Governor Visit:  Linda Robertson visits our club from Rotary District 5370 November 24; please plan to attend to receive the Rotary message

 

Guest Speaker:  Rob Dunseith introduced Jim Taylor who has been executive director of Downtown Business Association since 2002 and was a city councilor before that.  He has also held many board of director positions re volunteering to improve the City of Edmonton.

 

Jim gave an update on the revitalization of Edmonton downtown.  He has 2 decades of in depth personal knowledge.  Downtown runs from 97 Avenue to 105 Avenue between 97 Street and 109 Street, N W.  Large development is coming to that area.  In 2012, his association estimated the capital dollars to be spent in the next 5 years to be $4.8 billion on 38 projects.  While some projects have been completed a whole bunch have been added.  Growth of downtown progressed between 1904 and 1984.  There was a decrease over the next 10 years.  1995 started the revitalization (Jim was elected to city council) which centered on older buildings being redeveloped (redundant office buildings were converted to lofts and parking lots developed to low rises and hi rises).   The focus was on luxury hi rises and up scale wooden walk ups which worked to reduce the availability for new down town residents to find rental accommodation.

 

The current round of development projects includes a hotel that will have luxury condos on the upper floors.  These projects could triple the downtown population but the affordable rentals for college/university students is still not addressed.  A new residential grant program is being developed which will address this problem.  It will stipulate that around MacEwan and Norquest the buildings will be restricted to 8 story small apartments to make rent affordable.

 

Jim gave some observations:  1998 no Starbucks, now 12; there is a need for independent restaurants and look at 104 Street to see the success that type of business brings; 1988 was the development of the last office tower (Commerce Place) where there are now several projects in process; 2014 will be an historical year with MacEwan University, Royal Alberta Museum, CKUA recording studios, and the Kipnes Galleria project proceeding.  In 2015, with hockey down town, there will be 1 million people walking the down town streets that were not there before.  Up to now, it has taken 20 years to sell the vision; now is the time to market the reality.

 

Jim was thanked by Steve.