Edmonton Construction 9 (2008-08)

[noodlenoodle]

Originally Posted by edmontonenthusiast

But one doesn't know if they're Downtown or UofA. Yes it's a large number, doesn't mean its going downtown. And I'm sure most aren't. I'd assume most would be working on the Eastern edges of the city, where it meets Strathcona County at Refinery Row, the industrial areas around that, a good portion of them going downtown as well, but not most. That's my speculation.

As someone who grew up in Sherwood Park and commuted via StrathTrans to highschool and the University I can count on one hand the amount of times that anyone got off the busses prior to Downtown or the University in the literally thousands of trips I took. Strathcona Transit is primarily a commuter service. Heck, they even run peak service directly to Gov't Centre.

[ue]

^Oh well. I believe you, I never said anyone was wrong, but my thoughts were different, and there are no sound facts.

[feepa]

Oh, there are sound facts, maybe not just available to the public, but I'm sure Strathcona transit knows where its ridership is going. As a former park resident, and one that used transit out there quite a bit, I can attest to what noodlenoodle is saying. Bus are full in the morning going to the uofa and downtown, but they don't stop in the industrial sections. Pretty much 80-90% of the people are heading to the downtown or uofa...

[Mikemike]

Originally Posted by EdmTrekker

I agree with your assessment. Bus system will feed from the East and West to that line. There is not sufficient ridership from St. Albert to guarantee operating revenues (or pay for the capital cost). Same holds true for Sherwood Park. There is not 5000 commuters in each of those burbs a day heading to downtown Edmonton or the University to generate the revenues needed.

There are 5000 commuters each in the park and the bert, but there are more in castledowns and lake district. 97st make by far the most sense, especially if St Albert doesn't start paying NOW on the nait stub that they will be using.
We need to make the decision now so that the SE corner of griesbach can be a dense TOD. It's a spot where high-end condo TOD could be very popular in the north end.

[deedub35]

Citizens Invited to Review Options for City Centre Airport Lands

http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/news/2009/14385.aspx

[Shodan]

City expects more bang for its buck
Estimated $500-million drop in construction costs means capital budget could be stretched

Gordon Kent
The Edmonton Journal

Friday, May 22, 2009

The end of the economic boom means Edmonton is likely to save more than $500 million in construction costs over the next three years, a new report says.

The city wrestled for years with the soaring prices charged by busy contractors, such as the rapid inflation that in 2007 helped push the bill for the 23rd Avenue-Gateway Boulevard interchange almost four times higher than initial estimates.

But the world has changed since the financial crisis started last fall. A drop in costs and interest rates after the civic budget was approved in December means the city can shave $170 million off its 2009-11 capital spending plan, according to a report released Thursday.

"This one's huge," said Edmonton chief financial officer Craig Warnock. "This is largely the result of the economic conditions. We have seen construction costs come down from what we saw last fall.

"This reduction in costs is a lot higher than you have seen in years."

At the same time, prices are down about 20 per cent on multi-part composite projects, primarily paving and neighbourhood renewal, allowing an extra $354-million worth of work to be completed for the same budget, Warnock said.

"Now is the time to get the work done. It will be a great benefit to the economy, and if we delay, it will just cost that much more."

The biggest changes include a $69.8-million drop in the price of overhauling Whitemud Drive, Fox Drive and Quesnell Bridge, originally set at $181 million, and an almost identical decline in the expected $371-million cost to build north central, Clareview and Meadows recreation centres.

The report, to be discussed by city council Wednesday, recommends using part of the savings to expand or start other projects, with the bulk of the cash earmarked for roads connecting with the northwest Anthony Henday Drive.

That leaves $108 million in tax-supported funding still to be allocated, but Coun. Tony Caterina said he hopes the city can spend its entire capital budget.

"The capacity is there ... We're getting quality work at hugely reduced prices at this time," he said.

"That certainly bodes well for keeping the economy going, keeping people working."

He thinks the nose dive in costs is even steeper than when Alberta's economy went into the tank in the 1980s, possibly because construction inflation has been so high for the last couple of years.

Coun. Don Iveson and Coun. Kim Krushell hope the city takes this opportunity to push ahead with an LRT line to NAIT from downtown, despite the recent move by the federal and provincial governments to provide LRT funding aimed mainly at extending the system northeast to Gorman.

While Iveson said it makes sense to buy land for a future line in this suburban area, he doesn't consider the project a priority right now.

"Make the investment in LRT in the core of our city where people actually live," he said.

"Nobody lives anywhere near (Gorman), and it doesn't make sense to build LRT to nowhere."

[email protected]

NUMBERS GAME

What A Difference Five Months Makes ...

Construction inflation rates for 2009-11 estimated in the city's December budget:

- 2009: 13 per cent

- 2010: 16 per cent

- 2011: 16 per cent

Construction inflation rates for 2009-11 estimated by the city Thursday:

- 2009: Buildings (-10 per cent), roads (-15 per cent), other capital projects (-5 per cent)

- 2010: Zero

- 2011: Buildings (five per cent), roads and other capital projects (three per cent)
© The Edmonton Journal 2009

Copyright © 2009 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.
CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.

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[Shodan]

Developer bullish on urban core
ProCura of Calgary sees bright future for downtown Edmonton

Scott McKeen
The Edmonton Journal

Friday, May 22, 2009

Coming Monday: Part 2 of Scott McKeen's look at downtown revitialization

- - -

When a Calgary developer is more optimistic about Edmonton's downtown than local loyalists, I'm all ears.

ProCura is the company. Randy Ferguson is its man on the ground in Edmonton. And, oh, what ground ProCura has given Ferguson to work with.

The developer bought so much real estate in and around moribund Jasper Avenue you almost wonder if it was on happy pills that day. Not so, says Ferguson. ProCura is bullish on Edmonton, especially its urban core.

Ferguson, as nice a guy as you'll meet, has worked in commercial real estate and development in 14 Canadian municipalities. None, says Ferguson, hold a candle to contemporary Edmonton.

He said this, I should mention, after I beseeched him to not over-hype Edmonton's potential. He's a rah-rah guy, but I hate it when people get our hopes too high.

As we all know -- and are constantly reminded -- Calgary has boomed in the recent past. Edmonton, despite recent years of rapid population growth, much of it suburban, still hasn't seen its boom yet, says Ferguson.

Given the world's energy needs -- given that Edmonton is the closest major city to the oilsands -- the boom is coming, says Ferguson. And given that the emerging generation is eco-conscious and urban-centric, much of that boom will hit transit-friendly downtown.

It doesn't hurt that borrowing is cheap and construction costs are down in the recession. Thus, ProCura isn't waiting for the boom, but preparing for it.

Here are some of its current projects and future plans:

The old Professional Building on Jasper Avenue, between 108th and 109th Street, will soon be known as the Intact Building, named for its major tenant, Intact Insurance Company, formerly ING Insurance.

Procura stripped the building down to its concrete-and-steel shell, then rebuilt it to LEED environmental standards. It also expanded the building to the east and brought the footprint to the front sidewalk, essentially doubling the floor space. The $75-million project, which will include ground-floor retail, is 70-per-cent leased. It will open in the late fall.

Across Jasper Avenue from the Intact Building is the Mayfair Hotel. It will be demolished to make way for Mayfair Village, a $185-million, 15-storey, 708-unit apartment complex in two buildings. Mayfair Village will also occupy the dead parking lot to the west of the hotel.

The complex's second building will sit on the adjoining land on 109th Street, to the south, meaning the former funeral parlour, now home to Globe nightclub, will come down.

ProCura is completing geo-technical studies to get the city's final approval. If all goes well, ground will be broken in early November.

ProCura is also hoping for some buy-in from the three levels of government to defray costs and make Mayfair Village rents truly affordable for students, seniors and downtown workers.

There is a grassy knoll on Jasper Avenue, just to the east of 110th Street and west of the ProCura-owned Associated Engineering Building. The knoll is the future home of Azure, a 15-storey, 84-unit condo complex. Given the saturated condo market, ProCura has Azure on hold. But only partly. It will soon begin work on the first phase, a $6.5-million, three-storey parkade with retail fronting onto Jasper Avenue. When the condo market returns, the tower will begin construction.

On the west side of 109th Street, just south of Jasper Avenue, ProCura plans Cascadia, a striking, step-down building of brick, glass and green roofs. Cascadia reaches 14 storeys at its north end and then, well, cascades down to three storeys at its southern border, 100th Avenue. Current plans are for Cascadia to host 265 condo units -- Ferguson already has his picked out -- and 30,000 feet of ground-level retail. No dates or price tag on Cascadia yet.

ProCura owns a chunk of land on the south side of Jasper, midway between 107th and 108th Streets. Ferguson's ambitions for the parcel envision a day when parking is at a premium in Edmonton's downtown. He sees a 10-storey parking garage. Yuck, right? Except Ferguson says it won't look a parking garage from the street. It will look like an office building with stores on the sidewalk level.

The need for district parking garages will come, says Ferguson. New apartment and condo buildings won't include much parking. For example, ProCura's Mayfair Village only includes a spot for one in three units.

Yes, the times are changing.

Much has already been written about ProCura's plans for a 40-storey office tower on the south side of Jasper, between 102nd and 103rd Street.

No dates for this one either. Current tenants, like The Hat Restaurant and the Paramount Theatre, signed leases with demolition clauses. If a major tenant is found, demolition will come sooner rather than later.

So that's part of the ProCura story in downtown Edmonton. There's more to come in my Monday column.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a scathing review of Jasper Avenue. I said it was likely the ugliest downtown in any Canadian city.

I stand by that column. City Hall has to do its share, by improving the street, sidewalks and lighting.

But the private sector must step up with creative ideas, inspiring architecture and affordable lease rates to entice interesting boutiques, shops, cafes and such downtown.

ProCura is doing more than its share already. On Monday, I'll delve further into the company's mindset, as well as introduce you to more of its plans for downtown.

When I saw them all strung together, I admit I was overcome by a strange feeling. I think it might be hope.

[email protected]
© The Edmonton Journal 2009

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CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.

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[Coldrsx]

"ProCura owns a chunk of land on the south side of Jasper, midway between 107th and 108th Streets. Ferguson's ambitions for the parcel envision a day when parking is at a premium in Edmonton's downtown. He sees a 10-storey parking garage. Yuck, right? Except Ferguson says it won't look a parking garage from the street. It will look like an office building with stores on the sidewalk level."

i understand the need for parking but what a friggen waste.

[Kevin_foster]

I had no idea Intact was moving to the Professional Building. Formerly ING, they occupied 5 or 6 floors (maybe more?) of the ING tower.

iirc... ING is Class B office space? Might be tough to fill right now...

[Coldrsx]

^i am sure someone could 'bridge' that gap.

[Coldrsx]

I will be a panelist at 3pm on the 6th floor of the WTC in the 'philisopher's cafe' should anyone have some time.

---------------------------
Edmonton's Doors Open this weekend
by Lawrence Herzog
Inside Edmonton | Vol. 27 No. 20 | May 21, 2009

Robertson-Wesley United Church. Photo by James Tennant
The second annual Doors Open Edmonton Festival this weekend celebrates the city’s built heritage of old and new structures. Started in France more than 20 years ago, the Doors Open concept showcases historical and culturally significant spaces and places.

The common thread is the glorious buildings that help to define our urban and rural spaces and places. The festival shows how landmark buildings and spaces contribute to Edmonton's development and civic pride and offers the opportunity to visit and experience buildings that rarely, if ever, are open the public.

“Doors Open Edmonton builds awareness of the city and how it has evolved and continues to evolve through time,” says Adriana Davies, Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Heritage Community Foundation. “Our special buildings and spaces define us as individuals and communities.”

As Davies puts it, “If we believe in 'disposable architecture and buildings,' we will leave no legacies for future generations.

Festival Producer Miki Andrejevic says "the buildings we live in and the public spaces where we work and congregate shape our lives so we should preserve them both physically and emotionally. This is the way to build pride in our great city."

The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton and Real Estate Weekly are proud to support this year's festival. Events on Sunday include specially created tours that will take the public behind the scenes of the City of Edmonton Archives, and visits to places of worship near downtown and the historic buildings of the city’s Francophone Quarter.

Several downtown area churches will be open starting at 1 pm Sunday for self-guided visits. They include Saint Joachim Catholic Church, St. Josaphat's Cathedral, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, Anglican parish of Christ Church, Sacred Heart Church, McDougall United Church, Roberston-Wesley United Church, and Beth Shalom Synagogue.

The oldest of the bunch is Saint Joachim, constructed starting in 1898. The 400-seat church at 9920 110 Street was the heart of a French Catholic enclave which included the General Hospital and first Misericordia Hospital, a convent, seminary and Grandin Catholic school. Now, only the church, the original rectory and Grandin School remain.

Patterned after Quebecois-style churches of the 19th century, St. Joachim provides Edmonton a historical link with the colonization and missionary efforts of the order of Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Western Canada. The most distinctly French-Canadian feature is the galvanized steel roof.

Its grand central tower, flanking pinnacles, superb brick craftsmanship and grand staircase provide a striking invitation to what awaits inside. The 31-foot high arched fir ceiling, elaborate woodwork, religious icons, altars sculpted from Italian marble and plaster, arched stained glass windows and original pipe organ combine to generate a feeling of reverence that few local places of worship can match.

While the neighbourhood around it has evolved from predominately French speaking to English, from single family dwellings to multiple family housing and from heritage area to concrete jungle, St. Joachim has remained true to its roots. Those who have come for mass include Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier, and Maurice "the Rocket" Richard.

Constructed between 1939 and 1947, St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral is a showcase of grand Byzantine influence, with elements of Roman, American Colonial and Renaissance schools of design. With its seven domes, superb brick craftsmanship, grandiose entrance stairway and glorious religious paintings, St. Josaphat is one of Edmonton’s most recognizable and architecturally unique churches.

The church at 10825 97th Street was designed by Rev. Phillip Ruh, who completed more than 30 Ukrainian churches across Canada. But St. Josaphat’s may be his crowning achievement; it has been called “one of the finest examples of Ukrainian church architecture on the continent.”

Ruh's design, while finding inspiration in traditional Ukrainian church architecture, actually heralded a new style called "Prairie Cathedral." The cornices and drums supporting the domes are of Roman influence, the cupolas are Renaissance and the eight modified Tuscan columns that support the entrance portico are American Colonial.

Ruh originally environed a higher church. But plans were changed because the large interior space would have been costly to heat and the height of the church would have interfered with a flight path for the municipal airport.

Professor Julian Bucmaniuk, hailed as one of the most outstanding Ukrainian mural artists of this century, spent five years painstakingly decorating the expansive interior. Bucmaniuk, with help from his son, used tempera (powdered pigments, eggs, milk, linseed oil and carbonic acid) to adorn the walls and ceilings with richly coloured Baroque-style murals and frescoes.

In other Sunday afternoon events, Edmonton’s Poet Laureate Ted Blodgett will lead participants along the Louise McKinney Park Trail, stopping to read his poems below each light post. The poetry trail will begin at 1 pm at Louise McKinney Park, near the bottom of Grierson Hill between 95 and 99th Streets.

The city’s Francophone Quarter will host a poetry reading and historic buildings tour, starting at 1 pm. The tour begins at the Pavillon Lacerte - La Salle Historique at the Campus Saint Jean, 8406 Marie-Anne-Gaboury Street (91 Street). Four bilingual Edmonton women, whose mother tongue is French, explore various themes common to their heritage, starting at 1:30 pm.

For more info on Doors Open Edmonton events visit www.doorsopenalberta.ca, part of the Alberta Online Encyclopedia www.albertasource.ca, developed and maintained by the Heritage Community Foundation. For event registration and information, call 780 424 6512, ext. 226.

©Copyright 2000-2007, All Rights Reserved. All articles, text and photographic material presented here is copyright. Unauthorized copying or re-distribution is strictly prohibited.

http://www.rewedmonton.ca/content_view_rew?CONTENT_ID=2534

[wco]

EPCOR - pics by me as per usual....









Some kind of repair at City Hall?

[s211]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

"ProCura owns a chunk of land on the south side of Jasper, midway between 107th and 108th Streets. Ferguson's ambitions for the parcel envision a day when parking is at a premium in Edmonton's downtown. He sees a 10-storey parking garage. Yuck, right? Except Ferguson says it won't look a parking garage from the street. It will look like an office building with stores on the sidewalk level."

i understand the need for parking but what a friggen waste.

Mr. Ferguson, April Fools Day was almost two months ago.

[bulliver]

^^ They are replacing broken glass.

[noodlenoodle]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

"ProCura owns a chunk of land on the south side of Jasper, midway between 107th and 108th Streets. Ferguson's ambitions for the parcel envision a day when parking is at a premium in Edmonton's downtown. He sees a 10-storey parking garage. Yuck, right? Except Ferguson says it won't look a parking garage from the street. It will look like an office building with stores on the sidewalk level."

i understand the need for parking but what a friggen waste.

This would be the parking lot for The Bank, no? I can see where they are coming from and it's a reasonable business case. My biggest issue is that the business case only holds water once the rest of the area is redeveloped to the point we're retail and parking constrained. I'd prefer for them to include some sort of commercial space on top of the parking structure, but the overlay is pretty snug at that section of Jasper. Maybe once the ECCA issue gets sorted they'll revisit the idea. Or perhaps, like the Azure (and the aborted Manulife 2) they'll engineer for further construction at a later date.

(I know you'd previously shown us a building from Chicago, if I remember correctly, that had retail, above ground parking and a tower on top Cold. Would that be more ameniable?)

[CMD UW]

Originally Posted by feepa

Oh, there are sound facts, maybe not just available to the public, but I'm sure Strathcona transit knows where its ridership is going. As a former park resident, and one that used transit out there quite a bit, I can attest to what noodlenoodle is saying. Bus are full in the morning going to the uofa and downtown, but they don't stop in the industrial sections. Pretty much 80-90% of the people are heading to the downtown or uofa...

Absolutely correct, the commuter transit buses to Edmonton are almost always full...

[240glt]

Great article on Procura.

I remember talking to some property owners when they started buying up in DT Edmonton a few years ago. Those in the know said that they were the ones who were going to pick up where everyone else left off. Those not in the know, well they made comments like s211

[CMD UW]

Originally Posted by Kevin_foster

I had no idea Intact was moving to the Professional Building. Formerly ING, they occupied 5 or 6 floors (maybe more?) of the ING tower.

iirc... ING is Class B office space? Might be tough to fill right now...

That space is already committed....

[Coldrsx]

Nice Epcor pics... i drove by last night and noticed it is above ground now.

[240glt]

EDC May 26 agenda: http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/EDCMay26Agenda.pdf