Banff Train Station Development

Site MapSouth Side of Railway:
New Parking Lot

Liricon Capital Limited. Is proceeding with work to create a parking lot on lands at the Banff Train Station. A Development Permit was provided on March 14, 2018, to develop a lot with 496 passenger vehicle stalls, 24 bus parking stalls, and 20 RV stalls. To prepare the land east of the train station, crews are installing site construction fencing, preparing a site access road, and clearing and hauling trees where the lot will be constructed, with a targeted July opening date.

Local residents will experience some sound of construction during daylight hours, and construction traffic on Mountain Goat Lane until the site access road from Railway Avenue is built.

After the construction is complete, the Town of Banff will plant trees outside the perimeter of the CP Rail land.

North Side of Railway: Proposed Redevelopment 

Liricon Capital presented Town council with a proposed development of land around the Banff Train Station to add a 2,000 stall visitor parking lot on the north side of the train tracks and develop a gondola to connect to Mt. Norquay. The proposal also encourages council to implement a resident-permit parking pass system to reduce visitor vehicles in the townsite. Liricon holds a lease on the CP Rail land at the train station, including about 20 acres on the north side of the tracks. Liricon also owns the Mount Norquay resort.

 The proposed gondola that crosses the highway and connects to the Mt. Norquay resort would require approval from Parks Canada after extensive environmental assessment. Liricon proposes closing the road up to Mt. Norquay, if a gondola is approved. In addition, Liricon proposes providing the town with a 2,000 stall intercept parking lot, rent free, for 30 years, on train station lands. The concept would have all day visitors park in the large lot and hotel guests park only in hotel lots. For the proposal to succeed, Liricon proposes the Town create a system that requires all visitors to park in the station parking lot, leaving other townsite parking for residents.

 March 25, 2019, presentation to Town council:

Landscaping & Planting

As part of the development approval for this project, the Town of Banff has committed to tree planting on adjacent Town lands to supplement on-site landscaping, and enhance screening of the new lot from adjacent neighborhoods. Below is a map of planting locations.

The Town is contracting this work, and all planting is expected to be complete by Friday, June 29, 2019. Work will happen on weekdays between 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Work on Saturdays is allowed between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Planting Areas

Area Redevelopment Plan Required
Before proceeding with significant development, an Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) will be established for the train station lands, to set out what type of businesses and activities should be allowed for the lands.
 Public consultation will be a key component of creating the ARP. Liricon Capital will require further public consultation in 2019 on detailed elements of the ARP before it comes to Council for review.

 On February 11, 2019, council endorsed the Railway Lands Area Redevelopment Plan Terms of Reference (PDF) that will form the basis of the ARP. 
The Municipal Government Act allows for a municipality to formalize land use policy for an area within its jurisdiction through the adoption of an ARP as a municipal bylaw. The ARP is intended to provide a land use planning framework to guide future redevelopment by:
  • describing the objectives of the plan and how they are to be achieved;
  • establishing land uses and development standards for the redevelopment area;
  • preserving or improving land and buildings in the area;
  • rehabilitating buildings in the area;
  • removing buildings from the area;
  • constructing or replacing buildings in the area;
  • establishing, improving or relocating roads, public utilities or other services in the area;
  • facilitating any other development in the area; and
  • any other proposals that council considers necessary.
Liricon Capital will be responsible for leading public engagement and consultation during the preparation of the plan. Once a draft of the proposed amending bylaw and related area redevelopment plan is prepared, it will be posted on this website along with an appropriate feedback mechanism in conjunction with the public hearing process.