The developer, Alldritt Land Corp., has submitted a rezoning application to the city that must be approved before development can move ahead.

Kennedy said the skyscraper would be located between Jasper Avenue and Grierson Hill Road, with the Shaw Conference Centre to the west and 96 Street to the east.

“People have seen this as an area that they have wanted to see developed for a while,” he said. “They see this as a catalyst for the rest of The Quarters development.”

He said the tower would take several years to build.

“We’re setting new height standards,” he said. “And some people are fearful of this.”

Travis Pawlyk, senior planner at the City of Edmonton, said the tower could pose a threat to an uninhibited view of the river valley.

“The main concerns are the impact of the large building, how the shadows would affect the neighbourhood properties and how increased traffic would impact nearby businesses.

“It would bring development to The Quarters area, which has been neglected for some time.”

Pawlyk added that the site is currently under the umbrella of the city’s North Saskatchewan River Valley Area Redevelopment Plan, which would need to be amended for planning to go ahead.