Edmonton Construction 13 (November 2015)

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by SHOFEAR

In Icon 2 the wall separating the parkade from office is cinder block...At least I'm pretty sure it is.

Makes sense, you would not pour concrete for this wall in most situations.

[Hallsy's Toupee]

After eight years, Edmonton mayor hopes city hall shakeup ends transportation headaches
http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-ne...ll-shakeup-ends-transportation-headaches

The shoe finally dropped for Edmonton’s transportation department Wednesday with a move Mayor Don Iveson said he’s been pursuing since first being elected to council.

No longer the backroom powerhouse, the department’s planning and infrastructure branches will be realigned to work beside planning and infrastructure staff in the rest of the city.

“We’ve been talking about this for years; the transportation department, quite frankly, was very siloed and off on its own,” said Iveson, after an internal memo on the changes announced Wednesday was leaked to the Journal.

Mixing transportation and land-use planning staff can help everyone see how transportation choices shape the city, said Iveson, pointing to the current transit review as a good example.

“I’ve been looking for that integration since I got here eight years ago,” said Iveson.

The move follows an October decision to pull all infrastructure projects into one department.

That’s an area “where we’ve had some significant challenges quite frankly,” said Iveson.

The major projects giving councillors headaches recently — the Metro LRT line, new Walterdale bridge delays and the bent steel for the 102nd Avenue over Groat Road bridge — have all been related to transportation.

Moving the construction of roads, bike lanes and bridges into the same department as recreation centres and eco stations is intended to ensure best practices are applied everywhere, he said.

Acting city manager Linda Cochrane’s memo to staff says the changes will take effect March 1.

[CMD UW]

This move was necessary. Good to see.

[Coldrsx]

Huge step in the right direction.

[Daveography]

That is exactly what I have been calling on council to do for the last couple of years. That department was the tail wagging the dog for far too long. I really hope this brings them in line.

[SHOFEAR]

good to see. way to much kingdom building previously.

[ciudad_del_norte]

Originally Posted by Daveography

That is exactly what I have been calling on council to do for the last couple of years. That department was the tail wagging the dog for far too long. I really hope this brings them in line.

The issues are a lot more complicated than they were made out to be, and I think Transportation generally gets thrown under the bus for inconsistent policy decisions and lack of political leadership. The issues have just as much to do with bylaws, the expectations of council and relationships with sustainable development. The everyday expectations of council and the public have typically not been inline with the official expectation in planning documents.

Planning documents: Alternative Modes, Transit, Complete Streets, less reliance on personal vehicles.

Public/Council: Don't impact vehicular traffic of personal vehicle use and make sure there is enough parking.

I think the change makes sense, but the bigger issue is a lack of understanding and acknowledgement that transportation decisions have trade-offs. We've been getting there slowly, and I think council has been learning that sometimes they need to make unpopular land use/planning decisions to keep inline with the bigger picture. Besides an undying love for LRT, I don't see that happening as much with the big Transprotation questions yet.

[Airboy]

Looks like the Final major slab pour at MacEwan was yesterday.

[240glt]

I've dealt with transit enough times to know that they pretty much do whatever they want, their consultation process is a laughing stock and their management is full of ideologues with massive egos. So basically they're just like Sustainable Development before they cleaned house in that department

So good. Very much needed

[GreenSPACE]

Change was necessary, agree that Transportation was often intransigent.

To ciudad_del_norte's point that Council often gives admin conflicting information that is better for them politically, but against the vision that they previously agreed to. Council is also not always that sophisticated when it comes to matters of planning (they're getting better but it's a learning process). So I can see how it can be frustrating for some admin when they vote for a vision then get pressure to do the opposite.

[Coldrsx]

Take a tour: Alberta 'sky palace' open for business with old furniture, Redford's couch

DEAN BENNETT, THE CANADIAN PRESS, CALGARY HERALD 01.27.2016

A penthouse suite that was dubbed the sky palace as it came to symbolize what was seen as the former Alberta government’s sense of entitlement is open for business.

But the space has become a frankensuite with bedrooms turned boardrooms, hand-me-down furniture, bug-eyed plastic guard owls and one-time premier Alison Redford’s old couch.

Construction on the penthouse atop the Federal Building in Edmonton just recently finished and the suite has been available for meetings since Jan. 1.

“I think it’s been used six times,” said Cheryl Oates, spokeswoman for Premier Rachel Notley.

The 11th-floor suite is a design mishmash: half home, half office, equal parts opulent and shabby. A washer and dryer still wrapped in plastic sit just off the main conference room.

It reflects a political trajectory from lavish home-to-be for Redford to toxic symbol of government excess to its latest incarnation as a politically radioactive fallout zone.

Redford’s Tory successors never stepped foot in the sky palace. Oates said Notley and the NDP caucus don’t plan to either.

“It has continued as a physical representation of how the PCs squandered our revenue when times were good,” said Oates.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/poli...iness+with+furniture/11682446/story.html

[Coldrsx]

www.kellyramsey.ca

[Black Star]

Cant wait to see how the mechanical floors will look buttoned up when all said and done....

[240glt]

I do wish they'd upped their game a little with this one.

But given the target market it just might not have been feasible

[Daveography]

Originally Posted by ciudad_del_norte

Planning documents: Alternative Modes, Transit, Complete Streets, less reliance on personal vehicles.

Public/Council: Don't impact vehicular traffic of personal vehicle use and make sure there is enough parking.

I feel like you have it backwards. Council approves those documents, and has been putting out a pretty consistent message about improving the city for pedestrians and cyclists and working toward Vision Zero, but Transportation are the ones who consistently put out projects that are out of touch with those goals, basically saying "sure, put up some nice lamposts or something and paint some sharrows, but DO NOT IMPEDE THE FLOW OF CARS EVER."

That has been my observation, at least.

[Daveography]

Originally Posted by Black Star

Cant wait to see how the mechanical floors will look buttoned up when all said and done....

They were lifting up some pretty big pieces of equipment (presumably HVAC but I'm not an expert), as well as some steel that I believe will be for the crown.

[Daveography]

Speaking of...from yesterday:

Kelly-Ramsey:







CoE:



Normal photo vs. with polarizer







JW Martiott / Legends / Stantec:





Marriott parkade levels starting!

Rogers Place / Casino:



The cladding reflects sunlight very interestingly.



The wrap is off on much of the stainless steel cladding now!



ICE District:





Ultima:

[Coldrsx]

^nice update, so much glass... for a change!

[240glt]

It's a warm one today. Systems want to flip. Chris says NO

[240glt]

Originally Posted by Daveography

They were lifting up some pretty big pieces of equipment (presumably HVAC but I'm not an expert), as well as some steel that I believe will be for the crown.

Looks like air handler parts and an expansion tank presumably for the hydronic heating system