When the sidewalk in front of the Starlite Room had been torn to pieces, right as co-owner Tyson Boyd was expecting multiple big tours, he was worried.
Boyd said he’d received no formal communication from the City of Edmonton about street work that week. Instead, his business partner learned about it from construction workers who were prepping for the job.
But neither realized it meant the entire path that leads into the venue would be out of commission, save wooden boards right at the entrance. Boyd said that space is needed not just for the large crowds which flock to the music venue, but also for the touring acts to bring in their equipment.
“There’s a lot of pre-planning that goes months in advance, if not, for some tours, a year in advance,” Boyd said. “So when something like this happens, it really throws a big wrench in the gears.”
For a place like the Starlite, a music venue which sees most of its revenue come in relatively short windows on evenings and weekends, losing one or two shows can have huge financial impacts.
There is also a cost to relationships, Boyd said. This upcoming weekend, the venue is hosting an AC/DC pop-up that tours cities along with the band. It features famous props from past shows and pieces of the band’s history. If that had to be cancelled, it could harm the venue’s relationships with artists, Boyd said.
But while the construction was initially a bit of a shock, Boyd said he’s now looking at it through a positive lens. It ended up being a race against time, but the city was able to finish a good portion of the project before a major tour came through on Saturday. Once they began communicating, Boyd said they were able to co-ordinate with the city to help speed things up.
He said he’s expecting any remaining work near the Starlite to be finished well before the big AC/DC event this weekend.
“The city did respond well,” Boyd said. “We’re all trying to be more collaborative and positive and try to build things back.
“I think that a great majority of these construction projects are not as well communicated as they could be. And one important takeaway from this is that through just a little bit of collaboration and work, we were able to expedite the project.”
The news comes as other Downtown businesses have been grappling with issues related to operating in the core, with construction being a major focal point.
Another business area, High Street, also faced construction that initially blocked off access to its parking lot. Luwam Kiflemariam, executive director with the 124 Street and Area Business Association, said she heard businesses on High Street hadn’t been told that construction was happening either.
While access to the parking lot was restored shortly after the city was contacted, she said communication about construction needs to be more consistent.
She’s noted that some businesses in other areas get advance notice around construction, while others don’t seem to get any warning. She said there needs to be a holistic approach to oversight on construction, especially when multiple projects could have overlapping impacts.
Kiflemariam noted that 124 Street businesses are already worried about impacts due to work on the Wellington Bridge, Jasper Avenue and Valley Line West.
“The city really needs to look at construction through an economic lens,” said Kiflemariam.
Ward Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi Coun. Jon Morgan said he’s working to help improve communication between the city and businesses that operate in the evening with something called the nighttime economy strategy.
Morgan said he had asked last month for a report on where progress was on the item, which originally came up through the last council in 2024, but has sat dormant. He said he wants to revive that work and that the strategy could lead to a dedicated office working with the nighttime economy.
“I think there are some communication challenges, because they’re just not working at the same time,” Morgan said.
He said a report on that strategy will be coming back to council in mid-October.
Bookmark our website and support our journalism:Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and
You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.