The City of Edmonton announced Thursday it is dedicating $3 million to a fund meant to help move community-led projects forward that will bring people downtown.

Businesses and other organizations in the city can apply to access funding through the Downtown Action Plan Fund, which has three different funding streams: programs involving sports, fitness, the arts; recreational amenities; and placemaking and beautification. 

“The fund is focused on long-term and impactful shared investment,” said Tom Girvan, director of Downtown Vibrancy and Safe City for the City of Edmonton.

Funding can be applied for if proposed projects align with the Downtown Action Plan. 

Project applications can include anything ranging from block parties, sports programs, fitness classes, musical and artistic performances to new amenities like basketball or pickleball courts. 

Beautification efforts are also encouraged and can include decorative lighting, street fixtures and interactive art installations. 

Mayor Andrew Knack said the fund is intended to achieve goals like increasing property values, increasing the number of residential units in the area, increasing foot traffic from workers, students and visitors, and reducing the commercial vacancy rate.

“Our continued investment in people-first, sustainable projects such as O-day’min Park and Centennial Plaza move us closer to our shared vision of an energetic downtown,” he said.

Cheryl Probert, president of the Downtown Edmonton Community League, said it will take a multipronged approach to address larger issues such as social disorder and helping the city’s most vulnerable residents.

“The ongoing efforts regarding safety and security, while not a silver bullet solution, are definitely driving improvements in social disorder and the real and perceived safety of residents, workers and visitors in our downtown,” she said.

The city said it invested $14 million into 126 projects between 2022 and 2024 through a previous fund called the Downtown Vibrancy Fund. 

Quinn Phillips, director of marketing and communications with the Edmonton Downtown Business Association, said funding projects and events has a tangible impact.

She noted the success of an event called Winterval, which was funded entirely through the Downtown Vibrancy Fund and drew 10,000 people to attend. 

“What is really encouraging is that most of the businesses that reported back to us saw an increase between 10 and 30 per cent in their sales compared to a regular Saturday in the winter,” Phillips said.

“The proof is just in the pudding, that when you’re bringing the people downtown for an event or something … that is funded by the city, then it impacts our local businesses.”