King Edward Park 83 St

Al Mustafa Academy Rezoning

In the late summer of 2024, Hasco Development Corp started the process to rezone 7814 - 83 Street NW. We proposed to change the zoning from the current PS (Parks and Services) zone, which allows for community buildings up to four storeys, to the MU (Mixed Use) zone, which would allow for new residential buildings up to six storeys on the west side of the site. The existing Al Mustafa Academy on the east side of the site would remain.

Through conversations with the community at Community League Day in September 2024 and beyond, a new opportunity emerged—to keep the west field as open space and build housing at a different location. While we explore the land exchange opportunity, we have paused the proposed rezoning of the Al Mustafa Academy site.

This webpage was created to post updates about the rezoning application and answer commonly asked questions. For updates on the land exchange opportunity, please see our webpage here.

*Note that the image above is for illustrative purposes only and is subject to change.

Site History & Al Mustafa Academy

The site was home to the St. James Catholic Elementary School site until 2014, when the Edmonton Catholic School Division (ECSD) decided to close the school because it was under capacity. The school subsequently closed in June 2016.

In 2017, the Al Mustafa Academy started leasing the school from the ECSD. Then in 2020, the ECSD approved the public sale of the site, and members of the Hasco team worked with the Academy and bought the site in 2021.

Today, Hasco leases the school to the Al Mustafa Academy, which has about 300 students from kindergarten to twelfth grade.

The Academy is supportive of the proposed rezoning, and we are collaborating closely with them through this process.

Location

The site is located in King Edward Park on 83 Street, between 77 and 79 Avenue. Most of the land around the site is low density residential. There is a local commercial area directly west of the site, along 85 Street. To the north of the site on Whyte Avenue, there are commercial businesses, low rise residential buildings, and the Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre.

City policies encourage development within the Bonnie Doon District Node and near LRT stations. As a result, many older, smaller scale buildings in the area will likely be redeveloped over time.

The site has great access to transit. It is approximately 360 metres from the Avonmore LRT Station and 480 metres from the Bonnie Doon LRT station. The site is also near a number of schools and parks including Avonmore School, Donnan School/Park, King Edward Park, King Edward Park Community League Halls, Duncan Innes Park, Donnan Arena and Mill Creek Ravine.

What's Changing?

Zoning tells us the type of buildings or uses that are allowed on a property, and rezoning is the process of changing a zone to allow for new or different types of buildings or uses on a specific site.

Rezoning decisions are made by City Council at a public hearing.

We're proposing to change the zoning on 7814 - 83 Street from its current PS Parks and Services zoning to the MUh23 Mixed Use zone. The site's current PS zone allows for buildings up to 16 metres (about four storeys). The MU zone will allow for buildings up to 23 metres (about six storeys).

We're proposing the MU zone because it will allow for new mid-rise residential buildings to be built on the west side of the site, while the Al Mustafa Academy will continue to operate in the existing school building and field located on the east half of the site.

The land development process is a multi-step process that gets increasingly detailed at each consecutive step. As part of the rezoning stage, we have started preliminary design of the site and the new buildings. The detailed design will happen after the rezoning stage.

We're proposing two six storey buildings on the west side of the site. A new amenity area located between the buildings will provide outdoor space for residents, and there will be a new pathway between the east and west side to provide connectivity through the site and to the school's outdoor area. Parking is proposed in the interior surface parking area and underground with access provided from the west lane. The existing school building, playground, basketball court, field area, and on-site parking on the east side of the site will remain.

March 2025 Update: Our rezoning application is on hold while we explore the land exchange opportunity. Please check out our land exchange webpage for updates.

View from the Southeast

View from the Southwest

Pedestrian Pathway, looking north

Amenity Area

City Plan & Future Growth

The property owners chose to invest in the neighbourhood at this location because of the City’s Municipal Development Plan, City Plan, which was approved by City Council on December 7, 2020. City Plan outlines the direction for Edmonton’s future growth, with one of its key objectives being that half of the city’s population growth occurs in existing neighborhoods.

City Plan and the District Plans identify a number of nodes and corridors throughout the City where future growth is encouraged to happen. Local Nodes are community focal points for business, services, gathering and housing, and have active transportation and transit connections. The site and the surrounding area is a Local Node, where low-rise and mid-rise buildings are encouraged.

Infill development is central to the City Plan's goal for Edmonton to be a Rebuildable City. This means creating the flexibility needed to keep our city vibrant and livable as local and global trends shift. A Rebuildable City is one that continuously adapts to improve efficiency and resilience, rather than having to start from scratch with every major change.

Project Stage

Rezoning is the first step in the land redevelopment process, followed by detailed design, permits, and construction.

We're at the very first stage of the project. A rezoning application for this site was submitted to the City of Edmonton in August to rezone the site to the MU - Mixed Use zone.

Our rezoning application is currently paused while we explore the land exchange opportunity. Please check out our land exchange webpage for updates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How wil this impact me?

The site is surrounded on all sides by 83 Street and three lanes.

In addition, the MU zone requires setbacks from the property lines. For portions of the new buildings taller than 16 metres, the buildings have to be setback at least 3 metres from the north, south and west property lines. The proposed site plan shows all floors of the building with a 3 metres setback from the north, south and west property lines.

How tall will the new buildings be?

The MUh23 zone allows for buildings of up to 23 metres (about six storeys) on this site. The current PS zone has a maximum height of 16 metres (about four storeys).

How many new homes will there be?

In the two new residential buildings, there will be approximately 178 new homes. This may change as the building design is refined later on the project process.

What will the buildings look like?

Two six storey L-shaped residential buildings are currently proposed, with main entrances facing the interior parking area. A new amenity area is proposed between the buildings to provide outdoor space for residents. A new pathway is proposed along the east sides of the new buildings to provide a pedestrian connection through the site.

Will there be parking for the new buildings and the school? Where?

“Open Option Parking” was passed by Council on June 23, 2020; this change removed mandatory minimum parking requirements from the Zoning Bylaw. On the east side of the site, the school currently has on-site parking along the north and south sides of the site, which will remain. Parking for the new buildings is proposed in the interior surface parking area and underground. Some of the new parking will also be allocated for the school's staff.

How will the site be landscaped? Will the existing trees be kept?

New landscaping for the west side site will be provided in accordance with Edmonton's Zoning Bylaw requirements. Approximately 38 trees and 175 shrubs are currently proposed for the west side of the site (see the site plan above).

There are existing trees on the site located on the east of the school and south of the playground. These trees will be retained.

Will this rezoning set a precedent for the area?

City Council approves policies that guide the types of development encouraged in different parts of the city. According to Edmonton's key policy, the City Plan, site is located within a Local Node, where low- and mid-rise buildings are encouraged. City Plan also states that residential development should occur at a variety of scales, densities and designs, within all parts of residential neighbourhoods. This means that the MU rezoning application aligns with City Plan policy.

Rezoning Resources

Zoning

Basics

The City of Edmonton's What is Zoning booklet provides an overview of how zoning shapes the city and your neighbourhood.

Rezoning

Process

The City of Edmonton's Rezoning and Plan Amendment webpage explains how the rezoning process works.

Public Hearing

Process

The City of Edmonton's Public Hearing Playbook explains how the public hearing process works.

Active Rezoning

Applications

The City's planning application webpage displays land development applications in King Edward Park.

Questions?

We're committed to being a good neighbour; please feel welcome to contact us with any questions, concerns or considerations.

Project Team

Allison Rosland | Planning consultant | Situate | allison@situateinc.ca

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