Edmonton’s centenarian horse track has almost finished galloping its way into the city’s dusty history and the city’s original temple of hockey is not far behind.
Officials gave an update on the $10.8-million demolition of the original 118-year-old racetrack at Northlands on Monday. Work is on schedule and so long as the snow doesn’t make an early appearance this winter, the land should be graded and ready for development next year.
“If we get an early freeze or a lot of snow, then we’ll have to wait until spring to really grade the site properly,” said city infrastructure services general supervisor Jack Ashton. “We would have to bring in material to fill in the hole and get it to a certain compaction and get it ready for the developers.”
The plan also involves demolition of the Edmonton Oilers‘ old home. Using a $55-million grant to finish the work, Ashton said the project has already begun, with abatement crews sweeping the Coliseum. Once that work is complete, the outer concrete panels will be removed.
He added roughly 80 per cent of the demolition material, including the concrete and steel, will be recycled into other new buildings.
“You’ll see scaffolding along the perimeter of the rooftop and a stair tower which will provide access to the roof,” he said. “Once the site is clean, then we can actually start the demolition.
“We’re taking a lot of lessons learned from this project and applying them directly to that project now. We’re doing a lot of intensive testing already.”
Members of the media and city officials watch the demolition of the former Northlands Spectrum, Monday Sept. 21, 2026. The demolition involves heavy equipment removing sections of the last remaining building on the historic Northlands Park Racetrack and Casino property.
Physical demolition of the Coliseum is anticipated to begin next spring, with work expected to be finished by spring of 2028.
Work on taking down the iconic recreation hub has been ongoing since fall of 2025 and plans to raze the area to make room for upwards of 3,500 new homes were on the books since 2021. The racetrack and casino, last known as the Edmonton Spectrum building, was most recently a temporary shelter for Hope Mission until it was deemed unsuitable for human occupancy in 2023. Because the older buildings contain lead and asbestos, a comprehensive demolition plan had to be in place before the wrecking balls could move in.
Once the land is cleared, work will begin on a new 3,500-home Edmonton Exhibition Lands neighbourhood which will ultimately include the land the old Coliseum currently sits on. Before that project can commence, the landscaping will need an overhaul to ensure proper drainage and utility access for the new homes. Officials are optimistic the first 20 acres of new homes could be constructed as early as 2027.
City director of land development Neal Osaduik noted the project may move faster or slower depending on the whims of the market and Mother Nature.
“The total build-out timeline will probably be in the area of 20-30 years,” he said. “If the market picks up, we’ll go faster. If the market slows down, we’ll go slower.
“We were anticipating we would be done all of our servicing work by the end of this year. Unfortunately with all the rain we are two-and-a-half months behind.”
Builders will be required to make homes in the development “net-zero ready,” which is to say the homes will be more energy efficient than traditional builds and won’t be as costly to retrofit to get the rest of the way should a homeowner desire Types of homes will range from single-family homes to a large 12-storey building where the Coliseum currently sits.
Longer-term plans for the area include a rebuild of the Coliseum LRT station and a new station towards Stadium station, though there is currently no budget for either.
Demolition of the 118-year-old racetrack at Northlands is on schedule, according to officials.
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