Edmonton borrowing $15 million to accelerate southeast transit garage
City council approves additional funding for 500,000-sq-ft facility backed by $291 million federal grant.
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Edmonton is borrowing $15 million to move up construction on a new southeast transit garage, pushing the total project cost to $367 million.
Council heard the supplemental capital budget adjustment Tuesday. The 500,000-square-foot facility will have capacity for both diesel and electric buses once completed. The project is backstopped by a $291 million federal grant.
"We are short buses — we need them yesterday," Mayor Andrew Knack said.
The city has saved more than $18 million on other capital projects that came in under budget this year, including the Kathleen Andrews Transit Garage, Northgate Lions Senior Centre rehabilitation, and the Growth Bus expansion. Those savings are being redirected to cover shortfalls in the 2023–26 budget cycle, including the Koermann Block demolition, budget requirements for the Edmonton Police Service and Edmonton Public Libraries, and land purchases for new fire halls.
Looking further ahead, the 2027–30 capital budget will need an additional $70 million. Major infrastructure projects on the horizon include rehabilitating the northbound Low Level Bridge, which will cost an additional $2.22 million (total $25.4 million), and the 178 Street bridge over Whitemud Drive, requiring $15.9 million (total $16.4 million).
Council has already committed $2.8 billion to projects in 2027 and beyond, and added $338 million as part of the spring adjustment. The city expects to reach its self-imposed debt limit of 18 per cent by 2029.