City administrators are asking council for $215 million to start buying land along future LRT lines in west, southeast and downtown Edmonton.

The west, southeast and downtown connector lines will eventually allow low-floor trains to travel from Mill Woods in the southeast to Lewis Estates.

Administration has estimated $115 million will be needed to acquire land along the southeast line; $85 million for the western section and $15 million for land along the downtown connector line.

City council will be asked to approve $160 million for the first phase of land acquisition at a meeting next week.

The LRT line will go through the Strathearn house and property where Les and Rose Sortland have lived since 1974. They say no one from the city has approached them about a land buyout.

"We are thinking and thinking, what should we do?" Rose Sortland asked. "We don't want to leave here unless we get a place where we can both live happily ever after. But I don't know where to go."

While some homeowners have had contact with city officials at open houses, the majority have yet to be approached because land acquisition funding isn't yet in place.

The process will start as soon as council approves the land buyout money, said Adam Laughlin, the city's director of facility and capital planning

"If we do have funding in place, we will be coming and speaking with them and trying to see if we can work out a deal with them," said Laughlin.

The $160 million will fund land acquisitions along the southeast and downtown connector lines and some key acquisitions on the west line.