Edmonton Construction 9 (2008-08) - Page 260

newfangled · #**5181** Posted **May 8, 2009, 6:22 PM**

And as for the venetian, my mom likes it, and I've had to explain to a few of my girlfriend's friends just how awful it is.

But people do like it, so yay for pandering I guess.

Coldrsx · #**5182** Posted **May 8, 2009, 6:29 PM**

"But people do like it, so yay for pandering I guess."

people also liked this

doesnt mean it should have got off paper.

wco · #**5183** Posted **May 8, 2009, 6:34 PM**

Ahhh....the Pontiac ASStec....sorry, couldn't resist.

newfangled · #**5184** Posted **May 8, 2009, 6:35 PM**

I was going to say the Edsel.

But residential housing is all about selling the tastelessness. Those stupid fake carriage-house hinges that are the rage on the garagedoors of the SW. And my parents' house was one of the many, many 70's/80's designs that has the wooden grid that clips into all the windows to make the modern plate glass "look" like "traditional" multi-pane.

The Venetian is it's own special nightmare, but we know people will buy anything.

240glt · #**5185** Posted **May 8, 2009, 6:35 PM**

I'd rather have a condo in the Venetian than one of those. Just sayin'

The ultimate in fake was the plastic straps & belt buckles on the trunk my friends' 79 Thunderbird back in high school that was supposed to make it look like a rumble seat or something like that. Plus a gold soft top, and gold honeycomb mags.

THe biggest joke was that someone in 1979 walked into a Ford dealer and said "Yeah, I want THAT one!"

240glt · #**5186** Posted **May 8, 2009, 6:48 PM**

EDC May 12 agenda: http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/EDCMay12Agenda.pdf

Coldrsx · #**5187** Posted **May 8, 2009, 6:49 PM**

House buiiding a bright spot in sluggish Edmonton market

BY BILL MAH, EDMONTONJOURNAL.COMMAY 8, 2009 12:20 PMBE THE FIRST TO POST A COMMENT

EDMONTON - Homebuilders in the Edmonton area started 206 single-detached homes in April, a 16-per-cent increase over the 178 begun in the same month last year, according to preliminary figures released Friday by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

"This represents the first year-over-year improvement in single-detached activity since June 2007," said Richard Goatcher, CMHC's senior market analyst.

Single-home starts was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal April, when total housing starts in the Edmonton census metropolitan area fell 48 per cent from the previous April to 355 from 683. But for the first four months of the year, single-detached home construction remains down from last year.

To the end of April, 607 single homes were under construction across Greater Edmonton, down from 835 houses during the first four months of 2008.

After four months, total housing starts for 2009 totalled 1,116, down more than 60 per cent from 2,998 for January to April of 2008.

Multi-family starts totalled 149 units in April, down 71 per cent from 505 in the same month last year.

[email protected]

© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/House+starts+bright+spot+sluggish+market/1577606/story.html

CMD UW · #**5188** Posted **May 8, 2009, 7:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

when will we ever see something of this calibre in Edmonton?

http://www.busby.ca/clients/thevento/index.htm

Not sure, and the design is not f*ckin rocket science either....

kcantor · #**5189** Posted **May 8, 2009, 7:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by newfangled

And as for the venetian, my mom likes it, and I've had to explain to a few of my girlfriend's friends just how awful it is.

But people do like it, so yay for pandering I guess.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

"But people do like it, so yay for pandering I guess."

people also liked this

doesnt mean it should have got off paper.

except you're comparing something that people apparently do like and are prepared to buy with something people did not like and refused to buy - exactly the opposite - and treating them as equal.

you are entitled to your opinions IanO - we all are - but those that do like the venetian as just as entitled to their opinion as you are to yours.

besides, is pandering to people any worse for them than preaching at them?

Coldrsx · #**5190** Posted **May 8, 2009, 7:50 PM**

" but those that do like the venetian as just as entitled to their opinion as you are to yours."

to each their own... fine

my disgust is with the developer and city approving this.

this project would be laughed out of most progressive cities

it makes me feel as though we are striving to be a rural backwater town rather than a progressive metropolis.

EdmTrekker · #**5191** Posted **May 8, 2009, 8:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by newfangled

Glad you like them.

Thank you for this effort. I have no such skills to offer. But let me tell you how much this means to so many folks who go on Google Earth and see our City. Last week a friend living in the US and visiting got directions from there and called to say he was dumbfounded to find that Edmonton is so big with so many skyscrapers etc. I told him there are lot's more still not showing up and I thought the volunteer work effort is incredible.

Newfangled - your great. Imagine if you had a few friends or NAIT students to help finish everything from the UA to West Downtown, the Muttart, the Zoo and Ft. Edmonton as you have proposed. This would be one of the top sites on Google Earth...its certainly up there right now!! I am going to see if WEM is there and if not the Ghermezians should pay you to do it. Imagine a link from their WEB to GE and a visual walk through that you created.

ue · #**5192** Posted **May 8, 2009, 8:10 PM**

/\Unlike many American cities where most of it was modelled by Google, Denver has a large set and it was all done by 1 guy.

re newfangled: That cloud texture is neat. I wonder why they got rid of it it makes Energy (gold box) look nicer.

Re Venetian: It is a horror. I've heard many people actually like it, I don't get it. It sticks out like a sore thumb you can easily spot it on 104 ave. I wonder how sales are for this monstrosity.

But it isn't just an Edmonton thing. I think we may have more crap buildings per capita than say Denver or St. Louis but I've seen (via picture or in person) crap buildings in Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle, Winnipeg, Portland, and Minneapolis. I sure hope we never get any more Venetians/TNP/Meridian/Vivacitys in this city save the suburbs - where they actually belong. Where every other city put's their crapitecture.

EdmTrekker · #**5193** Posted **May 8, 2009, 8:18 PM**

Heres a little gem of a read:

http://www.ghermezian.com/

BUT then look at the balance sheet of Peoples Trust, a federally chartered People's Trust company, Canada's second largest non-public banking institution that they wholly own (Yes those are Billions) with offices in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. (but apparently not Edmonton).

http://www.peoplestrust.com/financials.htm

I wonder why there has not been greater investment in Edmonton tower projects or redevelopment at "the" mall.

0773|=\ · #**5194** Posted **May 8, 2009, 8:23 PM**

@ Newfangled

Nice job doing the High Level... just curious, do you think it would be possible to model the Shaw Conference Centre, or does the Topography given by Google Earth make that one next to impossible?

s211 · #**5195** Posted **May 8, 2009, 9:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wco

RE: Venetian

I girl in my office said she was looking to buy a condo there because it was "cute" ......I just shook my head.

CUTE? To the scrap-booking crowd, maybe. 'nuff said.

kcantor · #**5196** Posted **May 8, 2009, 10:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by s211

CUTE? To the scrap-booking crowd, maybe. 'nuff said.

to each his own... not everyone likes or wants to live in the venetian. by the same token, not everyone wants to live hidden away here:

(photo by lynne s of oz)

or on display here:

240glt · #**5197** Posted **May 9, 2009, 12:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdnklc

Um YES PLEASE!!!

naidoo · #**5198** Posted **May 9, 2009, 1:35 AM**

Stunning.

Any green roofs in existence/planned in Edmonton?

ue · #**5199** Posted **May 9, 2009, 2:24 AM**

^There is greenery atop the podium on Manulife Place. Not at the top of the skyscraper.

mcc16 · #**5200** Posted **May 9, 2009, 3:34 AM**

Maybe it's already been discussed, but has anyone noticed the two blank walls on the second tower of icon. The windows have been moved to the balconies leaving the west and north walls blank. I realized it is close to the buildings beside it but i think this is kind of ridiculous. I try to be open minded about all buildings unlike most of the snobs on edmonton's skyscraperpage forum, but i am liking the icons less and less. And as far as The Venetian goes, at least it is something different. And i can appreciate any building that people either LOVE or HATE. It is buildings that people feel indifferent to that i would consider a failure. And 112st in general can be appreciated for the density it brings to the area. And not ALL buildings need retail, so in my opinion 112st works. I would never want to live in that area but at least it offers variety. And although you all hate subburbanites, at least 112st offers buildings that would probably appeal to subburbanites and bring them downtown instead of to the outskirts. Honestly, there are SO MANY areas left downtown for redevelopment, that i don't think we have to be too concerned about areas like 112st. Eventually you will have your glass towers all the way down the length of jasper ave and 104 ave so why not have a bit of crappy alternatives inbetween?

Oh, and p.s. i am extremely happy that they are going to redevelope the sea lion exhibit. The valley zoo makes me want to cry and at least this is one step in the right direction.

Obrigado e tchao. Check out sabor divino! ANd no i dont work there, lol