City officials and developers broke ground on the Muttart Urban District on Monday, a new residential development near the Stadium LRT Station.

The long-awaited transit-oriented development will link the new residential and commercial spaces to Commonwealth Stadium on the north side of the LRT tracks.

The city has faced problems in the past trying to create high-density communities with links to transit at Century Park and the Blatchford neighbourhood development.

Councillor Tony Caterina is thrilled with the development of the Muttart Urban District. (Travis McEwan/CBC) Coun. Tony Caterina said the new development, named for the Muttart Lumber Yards that once occupied the site, will be a "milestone" in the city's goal to convince more people to ride transit.

"Today is a milestone and it coincides with everything else that we're doing in the city and in this particular area with the rejuvenation of the Stadium station, which is long overdue," Caterina said.

First residents expected by 2020

Russel Dauk, vice president of land and commercial for Rohit Land Development, at the groundbreaking for the Muttart Urban District on Monday, July 8, 2019. (Travis McEwan/CBC) Russel Dauk, vice-president of land and commercial for Rohit Land Development, said Muttart is the largest infill project the company has been involved with.

The first phase will include 243 rental apartments and 2,500 square feet of commercial space. The development will include shared spaces, including an outdoor courtyard, a study room, a soundproof music room and a fitness centre.

The cost for all three phases of the project, including 720 residential units and 7,500 square feet of commercial, will be more than $150 million, said Dauk.

The first residents are expected to move into the six-storey apartment building by the fall of 2020.

Jim Gendron, a member of the neighbourhood development committee of the Parkdale Cromdale Community League, said he was happy to see the new development going up. (Travis McEwan/CBC) Jim Gendron, a member of the neighbourhood development committee of the Parkdale Cromdale Community League, said he was happy to see the new development going up, in addition to the improvements being made to the Stadium LRT Station.

"All of these things are really adding up to be, in my estimation, a great thing for our community," said Gendron.

Having Brookfield Residential involved with the project from the outset has improved the likelihood of the project's success, said Gendron. "My understanding is Brookfield was a motivator to get the Muttart lands going," he said. "And now that Rohit has come in as a developer, I think that indicates to me as well that I wouldn't say it's a sure thing but it's pretty close."

"It's great to be partnering with groups like Brookfield that have done the groundwork to make this area possible, and to work also with the City of Edmonton and the investment that they've done in the area from the recreation centre to the transit facilities," said Dauk.

"When you start ticking off all those boxes of what's liveability, what do you want in a location to live, this place just ticks off all of those boxes," said Dauk. "And it was also easier to come in here because Brookfield and the city had laid the groundwork with the zoning in place, with the land assembly, with the new infrastructure, the new sidewalks, the new parks, and everything is in place."

'A great area to live in'

Plans to develop the empty lot, which has been a source of frustration for residents, were initially shelved in 2010.

"It was extremely frustrating," said Caterina, noting that plans to develop the area were resurrected with the interest of Brookfield Residential, which partnered with the city to build the infrastructure on the property, including a tree-lined road and urban park.

Nat Peardon, who lived in the area around Stadium station for three years, said the new development could draw him back. (Travis McEwan/CBC) Nat Peardon, who recently moved out of the area around Stadium station, said the new development could draw him back. He hopes it will be affordable.

"I saw the pictures of the development whenever it was happening and it looked great," said Peardon. "I'm hoping that I can move back.

"This area was a great area to live in. People said it was a little rough but I didn't find it rough at all," said Peardon. "I thought it was a beautiful area close to the transit."

Peardon, who works as a retail store manager at Kingsway Mall, said the location was ideal for using public transit.

"I could easily hop on the train and just transfer at Churchill, whether it was day or night," he said. "It was really easy to get to and from work."

Cities like Vancouver have established dense communities with links to transit, and the idea of transit-oriented developments is now catching on in Edmonton, said Caterina.

Excavation is set to start next week, with the first building ready for occupancy by October of next year.