Centre in the Park is about to take centre stage.

The urban village planned for Strathcona County east of Edmonton is being showcased at a United Nations conference in Montreal.

The project will consist of a mixed-use village of residential, commercial and civic properties, and create a focal point for Strathcona County in its Sherwood Park sector.

But that's not why it's on the UN's radar screen. Centre in the Park, even though it won't be completed for another five to seven years, is attracting global attention because it has been designed as an environmentally sustainable project geared to conserving energy and water, while also providing a healthy environment.

Illustration courtesy of Christenson Developments
Centre in the Park will feature a variety of urban village uses and the county government centre.

One of its key "green" features will be a community energy system that will supply heat through hot water piped underground from a central plant. The system will serve existing Strathcona County buildings in the area as well as new buildings being built in Centre in the Park, with the potential for other structures to be added to the system in the future.

This energy system is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1,100 tonnes per year, or 18 per cent less than a conventional system, Strathcona County officials say.

It's because of that type of green thinking that officials from Strathcona County and Christenson Developments - the development project is a public-private partnership (P3) between the two parties - have been invited to take part in the Climate Change Solutions Showcase, sponsored by the Government of Canada in conjunction with the United Nations Conference on Climate Change.

From Nov. 28 to Dec. 9, more than 7,000 participants from 189 countries are expected to attend the main event, also known as Montreal 2005. In addition, a number of parallel events under the Montreal 2005 umbrella are expected to draw a further 2,000 to 3,000 people. They'll be discussing how countries are working together to address climate change, including implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. It's expected to be the largest non-sporting event held in Montreal since Expo '67.

Other Alberta exhibitors at the Climate Change Solutions Showcase are Alberta Environment, the cities of Calgary and Edmonton, and the universities of Alberta and Lethbridge. Between 50 and 70 organizations from across Canada in the transportation, energy and consumption sectors are participating.

"We feel it's a real opportunity. We're quite honoured to be chosen to go there," says Rudy Koop, Strathcona County's deputy manager of planning and development, and project manager for Centre in the Park. "We're very high on the project. We feel it's wonderful for the community."

As part of the vision to create an environmentally sustainable development, all stormwater for the project will be retained in Broadmoor Lake adjacent to the site, and will be used for irrigation when necessary, adds Bard Golightly, development manager for Christenson Developments.

"We're also using the Built Green Alberta checklist to design and build these (residential) buildings; it's a checklist of environmentally advanced building materials and techniques such as a tighter building envelope, low off-gassing flooring, energy-efficient lighting, energy-efficient appliances and low-use water fixtures like dual flush toilets," says Golightly.

Built Green Alberta is a voluntary program administered by the Built Green Society that uses buyer demand, market education and builder training to encourage builders to build homes that have better energy efficiency and healthier indoor air quality while minimizing resource use.

Golightly also points to the village's 65-foot-wide public walkway as another example of environmentally friendly building design.

Many of the surfaces will be permeable, allowing the water to return to the aquifer.

Christenson will be working on up to 12 acres of a total of 20 acres that are under development as part of the Centre in the Park concept.

The remaining eight acres will be developed by the county.

On the Christenson portion, there will be about 650 condominium apartments along with approximately 55,000 sq. ft. of commercial space for urban village uses such as a coffee shop, small restaurant, bank and similar service-oriented retail outlets.

Golightly expects Christenson will ultimately erect 11 to 12 buildings when its portion is complete, with building heights to vary between four and six storeys.

"There will be a lot of green roofs. All parking will be underground and the parkades will have green roofs with various types of plantings," says Golightly. There are also plans for green roofs on the condominiums, he adds.

Construction has already commenced on the first two residential buildings, one a 54-unit, 41/2-storey wood-frame facility, the other a six-storey, 78-unit concrete building. Work on both started just under two months ago and they're expected to be ready for occupancy in spring 2007.

Koop says plans are still being finalized as to what exactly will be included on the county's portion. Strathcona County's existing County Hall is one part, while new additions under consideration include a library and facilities such as a museum or a cultural and civic centre.

Centre in the Park, or at least the preliminary planning for it, actually dates back to the 1970s, notes Koop.

"Back in the early 1970s, when they were doing plans for the community, they were setting land aside," says Koop. "Then council put a team together in 1990 and came up with the Centre in the Park concept plan - to develop the area so it would become a people place with open spaces, (and for) business and residential as well as the civic government centre."

Centre in the Park, located off Sherwood Drive near Granada Boulevard, is already flanked by two schools, a church, the Elk Island Catholic School Board and a performing arts facility, along with the Strathcona County municipal centre.

(Laura Severs can be reached at laura@businessedge.ca)