Councillors mull future of Edmonton's City Centre Airport

Municipal councillors will be busy over the next few weeks reviewing three days of public consultations on the future of Edmonton's historic City Centre Airport.

About 80 speakers came forward during the consultation process to weigh in on what should be done with the 217 hectares of land the airport occupies.

Some argued the downtown airport should stay open because it's a hub to the north and critical for medevac flights.

Others say the airport should be closed and the land used for a high-density, transit-oriented community. They argue medevac flights could easily go through the international airport.

Councillors will debate the issue July 8, after reviewing the information gathered during the consultations.

Coun. Don Iveson said he expects a lot of lobbying from supporters of both sides in the lead-up to the debate.

"I'm expecting a raft of correspondence from supporters on both sides of the issue, so I don't think we've heard the last from the public yet," Iveson said. "This will be hotly debated in the hallway for the next two weeks, I'm sure, and probably long after."

Many hope city council will come to a final decision and put the long-standing debate to rest.