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Mac Logan, the city’s general manager of transportation, said he’s looking forward to showing the hundreds of pages of reports council reviewed Wednesday to Transportation Minister Brian Mason to “hopefully get him more excited about the long-term vision.”

The committee approved the full 46-kilometre alignment after hearing from several citizens who spoke favourably of the selected route.

“I see this as very similar to the airport tunnel. The costs are a little overwhelming, but you get one chance to get it right,” said Jamie Cooper, the senior vice-president at Remington.

Roy Wright, reading a statement from Calgary Stampede CEO Warren Connell, said the organization supports the route.

“Future generations of Calgarians will believe city council made the appropriate decision,” he said.

Several speakers also praised city officials for extensive public engagement throughout the project.

“The Green Line team has set the new standard for City of Calgary projects moving forward,” said Jeff Binks, president of the LRT on the Green Foundation.

But not everyone was happy with the final plans, including the owner of a unit in a heritage building in the Beltline who expressed concerns about the structural effect that train construction will have on his building, and a handful of Crescent Heights residents disappointed the selected route no longer includes a station at 9th Avenue.

Ward 12 Coun. Shane Keating said cutting the station will save at least $200 million, and he praised the work done to reach Wednesday’s milestone.

“It’s been a six-year process, but that six years have gone from nothing to let’s start building,” he said.

aklingbeil@postmedia.com