EDMONTON – If a downtown arena gets city approval, the Katz Group hopes to push ahead this spring with $2-billion worth of nearby development at the same time the new facility is being built.

Their plans include a 26-floor luxury hotel, two condos at least 35 storeys tall, two office towers reaching up to 32 storeys and six other buildings, along with an open-air plaza in the current parking lot on the south side of 104th Avenue.

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Two months after Edmonton city council cut off talks on the proposed downtown arena, they decided on Wednesday to resume negotiations with the Katz Group.

The motion — which was opposed by councillors Linda Sloan and Kerry Diotte — came after Katz Group executive vice-president John Karvellas told councillors he wants them to authorize administration to restart negotiations.

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