Jyoti Gondek seeks meeting with Smith, Dreeshen about Green Line LRT

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says she wants to meet directly with Premier Danielle Smith and Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshenabout the future of the Green Line LRT.

She told reporters outside of council chambers on Thursday she has asked to meet with the premierand is trying to set something up for Friday, aswell as a second meeting sometime nextweek.

Gondek addedher goal is to de-risk the City of Calgary from the project as well as to try and convince the province to walk back its choice to pull funding.

"We need the Green Line," she said.

Earlier, GondekjoinedCBC'sCalgary Eyeopener and said she also plans to meet with Dreeshen.

"There are something like 20,000 jobs that are tied to this," she said.

"The economic growth from this project is massive, the housing that we can deliver on the alignment that we had approved is incredible for our city. So once again, I will make the plea to listen to the experts on the Green Line board and reconsider their decision."

In a statement to CBC News on Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for Smith said the premier "wouldbe happy to set up a meeting," but did not elaborate on when.

Gondek also expressed her disappointment withthe province's decision to pull funding from the public transportation project in its current state.

"I'm not certain what happened. When they received the business case on August the 15th, [it] contained the same information that we had provided early and often in July, and it is the same information that we use to make our decision as a council on the 30th of July," shesaid.

"I'm uncertain as to what changed their mind."

'A step too far'

Meanwhile, the Calgary Construction Association saysit's concerned with the province's decision to pull funding.

The association says the move signals that no project, regardless of its scope or significance, is safe from unexpected funding cuts. It contends the resulting uncertainty introduces a huge element of risk for contractors and businesses involved in provincial projects.

It alsounderminesconfidence in the stability and reliability of government commitments, the group says.

"To literally pull funding and put the brakes onis a step too far,"Bill Black, president and CEO of the association, told CBC News.

Blacksaidit's challenging when large infrastructure projects like the Green Line are delayed, as it's already difficult for contractors to retain construction workers.

"You're left with a scramble on some of these companies as to how do they replace the work that they thought would bein the market before the end of this year?" Black said.

Black calledthe projectan economic lifeline that the industry hasbeen "counting on."

Is theproject in the province's hands now?

Gondek said the project is, in effect, in the province's hands now, as the city can't afford to go ahead without the$1.53 billion in funding from the provincial government.

In a letter sent Tuesday inwhich he said the province would not fund the Green Line LRTin its current form, Dreeshencalledthe city's recently revisedplan "unacceptable" and one that was "fast becoming a multibillion-dollar boondoggle."

Dreeshen added in his letter to Gondekthat the provincewill move forward by contracting a third party to provide alternative proposals for the LRT,includingreviews of the project as it stands.

Gondek said she's not sure what the province hopes to get out of another review of the project, statingan extensive review was donein 2020 and 2021 under former Calgary city councillor and then-minister of municipal affairsRic McIver.

"Their administration provincially worked closely with our administration at the cityand many things were reviewed, including a line from City Hall to the south," she said.

"It was deemed at that time in that review that such a project could not work because we don't have enough capacity. So, I'm not sure what this review will conclude that hasn't already been done."

Gondeksays she intends to urge the province to take another look at the current planapproved by the Green Line board,which would be the largestinfrastructure project in Calgary's history. City council installedthe Green Line boardin 2021 to oversee this project.