New ideas sought to modernize Fort McMurray's 'dated' downtown

Steven Niehaus struggles to attract an evening crowd to his Fort McMurraysandwich, soupand coffee joint.

It's no wonder, he says:the city's downtown core doesn't offer much to pull in theafter-work hours crowds his business needs.

"It's not so bad during the daytime," Niehaus, owner of StacsFine Food, said after managing the lunch rush. "But nighttime, it's been super hard. It's been a super struggle downtown. There's really not much traffic going downtown at all."

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He's excited that Wood Buffalo's regional council has startedsoliciting proposals from organizations, businesses and citizens on what to do withland that was purchased and expropriated by the city and is now used as a parking lot.

In August, the municipality announcedit iswelcomingideasthrough arequests for proposals process.

"They've got toput forward a plan that is both realistic,fits the space and is financially feasible going forward," said Mayor Don Scott.

'The whole town would be in bankruptcy'

The new process differs from six years ago, Coun. Phil Meaghersaid, when the municipality contracted high-priced consultants, then purchased andexpropriated land downtown to buildan arena.

"The arena, to me, was a big mistake," Meagher said. "I didn't think we had a solid plan going in."

Back then, along with the arena, the municipalityproposed a 600-stall parking structure, a hotel and arestaurant. The cost was estimated at $580 million to build, operate and maintain.

Municipal planners hoped the project would draw other businessesdowntown and eventually to the waterfront along the Snyeand Clearwater rivers.

"It was ridiculous," Meagher said. "Having lived in Fort McMurrayfor over 35 years now, I have seen the ups and downs of the oil economy.

"And as soon as the bottom falls out, or heaven forbid, interest rates rise,the whole town would be in bankruptcy. That to me was not leadership. That to me was just dreaming."

The municipality backed away from the development idea in 2015, whenoil prices crashed and there was public backlash.

When Melissa Blake, the region's longest serving mayor,announced she would not run for re-election in 2017, she identified the stalled redevelopment of downtown as one of theregretsof her 13 years in office.

Expropriation 'affected a lot of people'

The city suspended negotiations with the arena proponent, International Coliseums, in the fall 2015,but couldn't reverse the pain the expropriation caused.

The action wascriticized by business owners and the public, and a provincial inquiry called the forced land purchaseunfair and unsound.

An audit commissioned by the municipalityconcluded it lacked proper regulations and paperwork to supportthe land acquisition.

"Back when the land was expropriated, it affected a lot of people," Coun. Keith McGrath said. "It affected jobs and the tax base."

In an interview Wednesday, the mayor said he's weary of those pastdecisions.

"I think governments don't necessarily do a greatjob figuring out what a community should necessarily develop in a space," Scott said.

'It's nice to have a second chance'

The municipality is giving proponents until November to submit ideas.

Meagherwants to hear proposals that call for using the area as anindoorfarmersand craft market.

"It's nice to have a second chance," he said. "I think there's some small towns and small cities that would like to have a redo of their downtown."

"Our downtown does look dated. It's going to take a lot of time and energy to get up to a 2020facade."

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Restaurant owner Niehauswould also like to see the area used as a common area where families can gather or organizations can hold events.

Not a big arena or high-rent development, he said, whichwould only attract a limited number of tenants.

"Just a place where we can decompress for a while, because we are always so go, go, go in this town," Niehaus said. "That's what I would love to see."

Connect with David Thurton, CBC'sFort McMurraycorrespondent, onFacebook,Twitter,LinkedInor email him atdavid.thurton@cbc.ca