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“My expectation is that Paul will live up to a standard that reflects the respectful workplace that we put in place here for the city,” city manager Jeff Fielding said in May.

“Paul is also going to bring some energy to the project that might at a certain points in time ruffle a few feathers. (We’re) going to have some give and take on both sides in order for that relationship to work.”

Keating said the change in leadership on the project isn’t likely to delay the Green Line’s opening.

“Anytime you have a transfer from one individual to another there’s always a little bit of a lag, but I don’t think it’s going to be detrimental to the Green Line,” he said.

The first stage of the Green Line, a 20-kilometre long section from Crescent Heights to Shepard, will begin construction in 2020, with an anticipated opening day in 2026.

The city is currently working to secure land and relocate utilities along the Green Line route, with a procurement process beginning in early in 2019.

Giannelia told council last month the Green Line team would be recommending a massive ‘single-bore’ tunnel for beneath the downtown — a move that was anticipated to reduce street-level disruptions during construction.

At the same meeting, Giannelia’s repeated emphasis on cost control wasn’t always well received by councillors looking for broader details on station design and the Green Line’s impact on surrounding neighbourhoods.

“Our objective is to end up with the lowest cost,” Giannelia said. “That is an objective we can’t ever lose sight of.”

Coun. Jyoti Gondek, who has passionately advocated for the city to push farther north with the Green Line, pushed back.

“Everything is about cost-per-kilometre but it’s not about ridership and modal progression, and it tends to be buried in page seven of whatever report we’re getting. While I respect and appreciate everything has to be done in a cost-effective manner, I am not seeing attention to very important considerations.”

The next quarterly update on the Green Line project is expected to come to council in December.

mpotkins@postmedia.com

Twitter: @mpotkins