Edmonton Construction 13 (November 2015) - Page 245

Hallsy's Toupee · #**4881** Posted **Oct 14, 2016, 3:19 AM**

So as mentioned earlier, Enbridge Centre office tower is finally open

CBC:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/kelly-ramsey-building-opens-as-enbridge-centre-1.3804225

CTV:
http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=972016

Global:
http://globalnews.ca/news/3001207/edmontons-oldest-newest-office-tower-opens-in-downtown/

Journal:
http://edmontonjournal.com/business/comm...-ashes-of-historic-kelly-ramsey-building

Metro:
http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmonton/20...s-business-hub-to-downtown-edmonton.html

240glt · #**4882** Posted **Oct 14, 2016, 4:14 AM**

Not noted in the articles but noteworthy for the technical enthusiasts, the building has some unique features including nearly 100% LED lighting with dimming capability (the only incandescent lamps in the building are in the AHU plenums), a heat recovery wheel that transfers heat from warm exhaust air to cold supply air, air cooled chillers with integrated dry coolers which are healthier and require much less chemical treatment, a rainwater cistern that regulates the flow of storm water to the city's system, all fans are Ventrol fan wall systems including the compartmentals and parade exhaust, nearly every rotating piece of equipment is direct drive and VFD'ed, to name a few features

CMD UW · #**4883** Posted **Oct 14, 2016, 4:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

Not noted in the articles but noteworthy for the technical enthusiasts, the building has some unique features including nearly 100% LED lighting with dimming capability (the only incandescent lamps in the building are in the AHU plenums), a heat recovery wheel that transfers heat from warm exhaust air to cold supply air, air cooled chillers with integrated dry coolers which are healthier and require much less chemical treatment, a rainwater cistern that regulates the flow of storm water to the city's system, all fans are Ventrol fan wall systems including the compartmentals and parade exhaust, nearly every rotating piece of equipment is direct drive and VFD'ed, to name a few features

Sounds like a fantastic mech/elec system. Good stuff.

CMD UW · #**4884** Posted **Oct 14, 2016, 4:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by noodlenoodle

"All of the price of a full-size apartment with none of that pesky space to put stuff!"

You would be amazed with how many built-in shelves/cabinets/closets we put in each unit. And each suite comes with a secure storage locker. People still have 'stuff'.

noodlenoodle · #**4885** Posted **Oct 14, 2016, 2:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMD UW

You would be amazed with how many built-in shelves/cabinets/closets we put in each unit. And each suite comes with a secure storage locker. People still have 'stuff'.

If you think I'm gonna be amazed by closets, cabinets & storage lockers you've got a much lower bar for "amazing" than I do, given that those should basically be a given.

rapid_business · #**4886** Posted **Oct 14, 2016, 2:37 PM**

A well designed small space, with good built-in's and storage options, can be much more efficient than a larger one that is poorly designed. That being said, there is a market for tiny units, and people will pay a premium for new, well designed and most of all, location.

Black Star · #**4887** Posted **Oct 14, 2016, 4:25 PM**

^agree.

And to add emphasis. If a person doesn't like a tiny appt.

Don't buy it or rent it and then you don't have to worry about it

noodlenoodle · #**4888** Posted **Oct 14, 2016, 4:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rapid_business

A well designed small space, with good built-in's and storage options, can be much more efficient than a larger one that is poorly designed. That being said, there is a market for tiny units, and people will pay a premium for new, well designed and most of all, location.

The thing is, they're asking professional-level pricing for a decidedly non-professional location with cumbersome/middling non-car transportation options to the major professional employment nodes.

As I stated elsewhere they're targeting people:

•Who make > $60,000/year (or don't mind spending a ridiculously disproportionate amount of income on housing.)
•Don't own a car & doesn't mind the kludgy transit in the area (gotta bus to take the train)
•Don't own too much stuff to fit into a 400sq ft space (it's about the size of a large hotel room)
•Who want to live on Whyte (rather than say, in Oliver at The Hendrix with larger suites & better transit access)

I truly wish them all the best & I'm sure there's some people who fit the demographics & will really dig this building. I don't think this portends any sort of shift to micro-suites though & I don't really see it having any sort of broad appeal beyond their chosen niche. It's a neat experiment nonetheless.

Shame about all that stucco though.

E: Furthermore, space-efficiency notwithstanding for $50 more you can get literally double the space a block away.

kcantor · #**4889** Posted **Oct 14, 2016, 5:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xelebes

Hey guys, let's try to keep this thread more for construction updates. Quite a few participants in this thread would rather keep this thread for the latest updates on construction and what not. If you have an itch to ramble on any other topics, please create a new thread. If you have suggestions or having musings on what could be done, please use the Urban Design thread. Let's free this thread up for information on what is going on in Edmonton.

i see the urban design thread didn't last very long...

coincidently, it's not the greatest patio weather here at the moment anyway.

Airboy · #**4890** Posted **Oct 14, 2016, 7:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

Not noted in the articles but noteworthy for the technical enthusiasts, the building has some unique features including nearly 100% LED lighting with dimming capability (the only incandescent lamps in the building are in the AHU plenums), a heat recovery wheel that transfers heat from warm exhaust air to cold supply air, air cooled chillers with integrated dry coolers which are healthier and require much less chemical treatment, a rainwater cistern that regulates the flow of storm water to the city's system, all fans are Ventrol fan wall systems including the compartmentals and parade exhaust, nearly every rotating piece of equipment is direct drive and VFD'ed, to name a few features

Nice to hear the mech system is finally changing from the norm. I am sure you will change out those plenum lights with LED soon enough. Only used the fanwall once but may get a few more chance later next spring.

240glt · #**4891** Posted **Oct 14, 2016, 7:28 PM**

^ still a little skittish about LED's in fan plenums, i know the lead content is way down in the new ones but still haven't found an appropriate lamp for that environment. I think for this application incandescent is still king

The fan walls are fantastic. Linear, quiet, motors are off the shelf HE type and the cells can be unracked individually so practically no down time. Definitely the way of the future

I am still tickled about not having a condenser loop in the building. Anyone who's had to deal with cooling towers will echo that sentiment I am sure !

CMD UW · #**4892** Posted **Oct 15, 2016, 5:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by noodlenoodle

The thing is, they're asking professional-level pricing for a decidedly non-professional location with cumbersome/middling non-car transportation options to the major professional employment nodes.

As I stated elsewhere they're targeting people:

•Who make > $60,000/year (or don't mind spending a ridiculously disproportionate amount of income on housing.)
•Don't own a car & doesn't mind the kludgy transit in the area (gotta bus to take the train)
•Don't own too much stuff to fit into a 400sq ft space (it's about the size of a large hotel room)
•Who want to live on Whyte (rather than say, in Oliver at The Hendrix with larger suites & better transit access)

I truly wish them all the best & I'm sure there's some people who fit the demographics & will really dig this building. I don't think this portends any sort of shift to micro-suites though & I don't really see it having any sort of broad appeal beyond their chosen niche. It's a neat experiment nonetheless.

Shame about all that stucco though.

E: Furthermore, space-efficiency notwithstanding for $50 more you can get literally double the space a block away.

You said it right there. This project has been specifically designed to cater to a 'niche' market. There are only a select number of locations in the city that will support this type of concept.

I'm waiting for your cheque so we can change the stucco to brick or whatever.

240glt · #**4893** Posted **Oct 15, 2016, 6:33 AM**

Heh.. Same thing applies for the griping about ECC. Anyone who isn't happy about the $50 million they're investing in the asset is more than welcome to write Oxford a cheque for the additional $200M required to complete the type of renovation that would meet their exacting standards.

itom 987 · #**4894** Posted **Oct 15, 2016, 3:26 PM**

If I write a cheque, I would want something in return, like a percentage in ownership of the building and a slice of the profit.

Hallsy's Toupee · #**4895** Posted **Oct 15, 2016, 4:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

Heh.. Same thing applies for the griping about ECC. Anyone who isn't happy about the $50 million they're investing in the asset is more than welcome to write Oxford a cheque for the additional $200M required to complete the type of renovation that would meet their exacting standards.

Montez Corp is spending $140M on their renovations of Londonderry Mall, so take that as you will.

Coldrsx · #**4896** Posted **Oct 15, 2016, 4:39 PM**

Simply put, a new garage and food court ain't going to do much of anything. Oxford has to step up, sell it, or demo it. The selection of stores is embarrassing. That said, WE need to support it if we want better stores, more stores and a respectful mall. Chicken and the egg.

240glt · #**4897** Posted **Oct 15, 2016, 5:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by itom 987

If I write a cheque, I would want something in return, like a percentage in ownership of the building and a slice of the profit.

But you wouldn't get a return because you'd likely have over invested in the asset

itom 987 · #**4898** Posted **Oct 15, 2016, 5:59 PM**

Ownership is still ownership, profit or no profit.

240glt · #**4899** Posted **Oct 15, 2016, 6:07 PM**

Well, Oxford does JOA's and co-ownerships all the time. Pony up that cash and I am sure they'd cut you a slice

Hallsy's Toupee · #**4900** Posted **Oct 15, 2016, 7:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

The reality is that fashion retail is dying a slow painful death

The other reality is that ECC is just not the draw that the suburban malls are, for a wide variety of reasons. So people can prostheletize all they want but it's just background noise

But with the new arena now open and ICE District coming along with all the new residential towers, office towers and hotel, ECC can be a big draw along with the rest of the downtown core. It's early yet, but during events at the arena there are already more people spending time downtown than before.

So what's Oxford doing in response - converting ECC retail space to parking, which is already proven to be oversupplied in the downtown core.

Meanwhile, just to deepen the sting, downtown malls in other cities have undertaken major impressive changes in the last few years (e.g. Ottawa's downtown Rideau Centre is converting lower level parking to retail, the precise opposite of what ECC is doing).

No offense, 240, but from my layman's perspective my impression is that Oxford is dropping the ball here. However, not being privy to Oxford's ultimate plans for ECC (I think you've hinted this is may be just phase 1 of an overhaul), I hope I am proven wrong here - nay, I want to be proven wrong.