The Calgary Construction Association expressed support Wednesday for city council’s approval of the long-awaited Green Line while still calling for further study on the proposed elevated downtown segment.

“The Calgary Construction Association (CCA) is cautiously optimistic following city council’s decision to approve the latest alignment of the Green Line LRT project,” the group said in a public statement.

“Earlier this week, the CCA submitted a letter urging the project to move forward immediately with construction of the southeast segment from the new event centre to Shepard, while continuing to study and assess the impacts of the downtown portion,” said the CCA.

“We are encouraged to see Council’s recommendations align with this approach, allowing critical infrastructure to proceed while ensuring further due diligence on downtown connectivity and feasibility.”

The CCA, local BOMA and NAIOP chapters and the Calgary Downtown Association sent a letter to Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen calling the elevated-track plan “reckless.”

The four groups’ concerns about the elevated section include soundproofing, assessment values, building safety, and potential tenant loss downtown, according to the reports.

“The CCA remains committed to a Green Line that maximizes service to Calgarians while delivering the best value for taxpayer investment,” said the group in its statement. “We also call on both the city and the province to ensure that a full downtown solution including connectivity to Eau Claire and the north also remains a priority, recognizing the importance of a fully integrated transit network that meets the needs of a growing city.”

As a result of the province’s route revision, a proposed downtown terminus at the former Eau Claire market site was scrapped. Routes presented by the city and province have not included a northern section that would connect the southeast and downtown with northern communities and, possibly, the Calgary bedroom community of Airdrie, Alta.

Both the province and city initially set the goal of including a northern segment.

Prior to city council’s decision, CCA President Bill Black said the province appeared to be rushing the downtown elevated-track plan.

In a statement, Dreeshen called city council’s approval “a win for Calgary, for Alberta, and for the future of public transit in our province.”

City council reluctantly approved its agreement with the province on the Green Line late Tuesday night. The province had threatened to pull a $1.5-billion funding commitment unless its required revisions were met.

“By increasing ridership and expanding access, we are ensuring that taxpayer dollars deliver maximum value while building a stronger, more connected city,” said Dreeshen.

Council’s decision allows construction on the section between the Victoria Park and Shepard districts this year while the city launches a two-year functional (i.e. highly detailed) plan on the downtown segment’s final design.

But Mayor Jyonti Gondek and several councillors remained bitter about the approval Wednesday. The deal calls for the city to foot the bill for additional design and planning-related costs.

“The one thing I’m 100% confident in is, the province will bully their way through this project,” Gondek, who opposed most parts of the deal in a series of votes, told reporters.

The city approved a $6.2-billion version of the Green Line in September and, after the province balked at it, identified an extra $1.3 billion in expenses.

But Coun. Sonya Sharp called the municipal-provincial agreement “a good compromise and a step in the right direction” while voting in favour of it Tuesday night.

“We can’t keep going around in circles on this,” she told council during the meeting, according to Postmedia. “It is time to get on with building the LRT and get going on this Green Line.”

Rendering: AECON