Edmonton Construction 12 (December 2013)

[Hallsy's Toupee]

Iceland has heated sidewalks, why not Edmonton?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/iceland-has-heated-sidewalks-why-not-edmonton-1.2461361

[Kevin_foster]

Originally Posted by Hallsy's Toupee

Iceland has heated sidewalks, why not Edmonton?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/iceland-has-heated-sidewalks-why-not-edmonton-1.2461361

If we were situated on a volcano; the costs would be much lower. I'm no HVAC dude; but I cant imagine how much warm poo you'd need to pipe under the sidewalks to keep a sidewalk melted in -20 weather.

[240glt]

If we had all that geothermal activity beneath us it would be easy and relatively inexpensive... and a lot less environmentally damaging

Remember, you can't just heat water and run it under sidewalks either. You need glycol loops which adds expense and potential consequences.

And as our buildings' efficiency increases with heat recovery techniques and condensing boilers, the idea of 'waste heat" will disappear

The one building in Edmonton which most certainly could reject waste heat to some sort of slab heating system is the Toll... but I'm told that there's already a plan for all that waste heat

It may make sense in very isolated locations like right at entry ways to buildings and parkade ramps which we already do heat, but to heat entire blocks of sidewalks, either with buried glycol loops or infrared heaters is frivilous and wasteful, considering the energy required to do it

[Airboy]

Back in the late 60s or early 70s there were plans being drawn up to use the waste heat from Rossdale PS to heat downtown building (Create a DES) and heat the roads up the hills. My father was involved but I cannot remember why exactly it was dropped. I think it was the cost that was floating around that killed it. This design was from the same group that did the first snow melt system at the Professional building.

[Daveography]

Originally Posted by 240glt

The one building in Edmonton which most certainly could reject waste heat to some sort of slab heating system is the Toll... but I'm told that there's already a plan for all that waste heat

Is it a heated pool on the roof?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[240glt]

Originally Posted by Airboy

Back in the late 60s or early 70s there were plans being drawn up to use the waste heat from Rossdale PS to heat downtown building (Create a DES) and heat the roads up the hills. My father was involved but I cannot remember why exactly it was dropped. I think it was the cost that was floating around that killed it. This design was from the same group that did the first snow melt system at the Professional building.

Just knowing the costs assoicated with running and maintaining our parkade ramp glycol loops, I can't imagine the costs of doing several km's of roadway

If we were like Vancouver and had a co-gen plant and a steam grid serving a wide area it would probably be a lot more feasible. (it made setting up the heating plants in the office towers I worked on down there a snap, with just an array of shell & tube heat exchangers instead of a boiler system) But now we don't have anything here that is generating power and heat, so you'd need a dedicated heat source

[Airboy]

One reason I like that Blachford and the quarters is the intent to use of DES. And if Blachford uses Hybrid Street lighting that could be a very neat community to live.

But back to the topic. With our long cold weeks and the amount of heat need for snow melt I do not see an economical way to do all the downtown sidewalks.

[Black Star]

Sometimes infrastructure we want won't be economical to build. But the payoff for a 4 season city/winter would be a very good thing.

[Kevin_foster]

Originally Posted by Airboy

One reason I like that Blachford and the quarters is the intent to use of DES. And if Blachford uses Hybrid Street lighting that could be a very neat community to live.

But back to the topic. With our long cold weeks and the amount of heat need for snow melt I do not see an economical way to do all the downtown sidewalks.

how about just line jasper avenue with convex buildings like this one in london

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by Kevin_foster

how about just line jasper avenue with convex buildings like this one in london

I forgot about the melting building.

Energy Square caused significant increase in the cooling load on the building directly south out it when it was built. I remember having to go in and adjust the ventilation on the North Side of that building with almost the same ventilation rates we have on south facing buildings.

Energy Square has about 36lbs of emulsified gold in the windows.

[Coldrsx]

Workhall womens clothing is open in the building south of blue plate.

[Coldrsx]

Anyone hear anything about a development group buying the building with the Glenora Bistro and Cafe de Ville? (102ave-124st)

Word is a new mixed development.

I am incredibly worried about one of my favourite buildings in the City now. My worry is that ^^we will lose yet another gem... One of the last. Preserving a building versus a facade is something we need to do a much better job of here.

Time for some investigation and fact finding.

[Coldrsx]

http://maps.edmontonheritage.ca/buena-vista-apartments

[Hallsy's Toupee]

Historical designations are used as asswipe in this city.

[ue]

I'm very baffled by the way developers in this city tend to prefer demolishing good urban fabric rather than using one of the countless underutilized lots in the central neighbourhoods for redevelopment. The Day development on 122 and Jasper is a perfect example of this - a solid block of walkable businesses being replaced by an admittedly cool new development. But could that and this potential redevelopment of Glenora B&B not have occurred on 124 St and Jasper, 116 and Jasper, or Stony Plain Rd and 124th?

[CMD UW]

I know the group that purchased the Glenora Block. As it stands there are no immediate plans to redevelop the site. Based on what I know they will plan a great project. Although all of this is speculative until they get more into the design process and see what engineering is necessary to retain or retrofit the existing Glenora Block.

[CMD UW]

Originally Posted by Hallsy's Toupee

Historical designations are used as asswipe in this city.

It has nothing to do with the City and more to do with the Province. Changes need to be made at the provincial level to give municipalities more teeth when dealing with historic buildings.

[ue]

^ Still, even as a developer, without the city gnawing at your planned redevelopment, what is the incentive for tearing down a thriving building or block of businesses when there is ample empty spaces in downtown, Oliver, the North Edge, and the Quarters? We have such little heritage left as it is, I would think developers, planners, and architects would appreciate that and be more inclined to preserve, especially locally based ones. I get that certain owners of underutilized lots (*cough* BP Lands *cough*) aren't interested in selling, but in a city like Edmonton, with as many underutilized lots as there are, there must be some willing to sell.

[EdmTrekker]

I see a sold sign is up on the Bee Bell Bakery Building. Anyone know what is going on there?

Also a big sign in the lot straight across says new mixed use development in the Parking lot area. Is that new?

[Hallsy's Toupee]

Originally Posted by CMD UW

It has nothing to do with the City and more to do with the Province. Changes need to be made at the provincial level to give municipalities more teeth when dealing with historic buildings.

You mean to say that the municipalities cannot simply put in place more laws to protect and maintain historically designated buildings without the province's say-so? That is so monumentally stupid.

If I was the almighty, unassailable and powerful God-King of this province, these would be my rules:
- Allow the city to enforce strict maintenance standards on historically designated buildings so they don't fall derelict nor turned into strip clubs or payday loan outlets
- Failure to adhere to these standards would result in expropriation by the city without compensation
- The building would then be sold to anyone named Gene Dub or John Day
- Proceeds of sale to be used for filling potholes and snow removal
- Owners of the Arlington to be immediately exiled from the province, all assets seized. Owner's son's hot blonde wife to be admitted as the concubine of the almighty, unassailable and powerful God-King of this province