Update: December 3, 2025

After receiving input from several residents from neighborhoods near and around EPIC, the City is suspending its consideration of permanently opening the south gate at this time.
The City will continue to evaluate design options and complete the traffic studies in the area. The City will host an informational session on Monday, March 2 to allow for dialogue and Q&A with staff and project managers.

Over the past year, the City has been conducting a comprehensive study to determine the appropriate long-term use of the south Stuart Street gate at EPIC.

As part of this evaluation process, the City has temporarily opened the gate during 13 large events in 2025 to address immediate safety needs for event attendees. To date, the gate has not been opened or used during morning or afternoon pick up/drop off times at the nearby elementary school.

The City will be exploring the following steps during the site evaluation at EPIC over the next several months:

Feasibility, Design, and Cost Analysis: Evaluation of potential design options and associated costs related to safety and emergency access at the facility, including during large events which happen approximately 10-20 times per year on evenings and weekends.
Traffic Study: Assessing impacts of the gate being open/closed across multiple seasons, during large events and typical weekly operations. The first phase of this study was completed in summer 2025, the second phase is currently taking place (December 1-6). Note: Upon completion, staff will review the data in collaboration with traffic experts, the City’s internal operations team and consultants to evaluate the impact of having the gate open during large events. The City will also evaluate additional solutions such as placement of special event traffic staff or adjustments to traffic signals during events to help increase safety.
Community Input & Engagement: Once the study is complete, staff will host an open house for neighbors to learn more about the traffic study findings, provide feedback about large event impacts and ask questions about the project. This input will help inform the final recommendation. Staff will also be communicating with neighbors in person throughout the next few months to both inform and receive further feedback and information. All feedback shared with City Leaders to date has been provided to the project team for review.

While the City continues to assess the site, no immediate or permanent changes will be made to the operations at EPIC.