Edmonton Construction 13 (November 2015)

[kcantor]

Originally Posted by s211

Hard copy back issues, before the internet existed?

before what existed?

it doesn't matter whether it's hard copy or electronic back issues, the trend to copy trends without even striving for any real design integrity in the process will just leave us with a city full of europa boulevards.

[Black Star]

Originally Posted by kcantor

before what existed?

it doesn't matter whether it's hard copy or electronic back issues, the trend to copy trends without even striving for any real design integrity in the process will just leave us with a city full of europa boulevards.

Well said....

[s211]

Originally Posted by hqcan

John Day is on this. It'll turn out fine.

I'll admit that Day is no Gooch, but that's by definition damning with faint praise.

And "fine"? In Edmonton?

[hqcan]

Originally Posted by s211

My turn to go broken-record again: what is being proposed along the Jasper Av corridor here and in nearby properties is exactly why LRT should have been extended westward underground along Jasper instead of at surface along 104th.

Am I honestly missing something fundamental?

Agree in full...My guess is that they eventually come around to it. The density on the western portions of Jasper Ave and down 124th st. are already quite high, with all these new projects I'm guessing this will be the most dense node in the city.

Long term my guess is that the Jasper Ave tunnel is run down the entire bend throught to 124th st and up to 104th ave to link with the West LRT.

[hqcan]

Originally Posted by s211

I'll admit that Day is no Gooch, but that's by definition damning with faint praise.

And "fine"? In Edmonton?

By fine I mean great. As in what ONE/Katz would put up in the Ice District, Gulf would put up behind the Hotel Mac or what Westrich would put up in the core...not like what Langham would put up on 104th...

[canucklehead2]

Originally Posted by hqcan

Agree in full...My guess is that they eventually come around to it. The density on the western portions of Jasper Ave and down 124th st. are already quite high, with all these new projects I'm guessing this will be the most dense node in the city.

Long term my guess is that the Jasper Ave tunnel is run down the entire bend throught to 124th st and up to 104th ave to link with the West LRT.

I emailed a transit planner around Y2K and the plans even back there were to use the Jasper Avenue west portal* (that exists as a blank wall shortly passed Corona station) and then push the trains west below Jasper until 102 Avenue/124 St. With the Valley line going that way-ish, I propose going under 121 St and then looping back on the surface along 105 Avenue/Columbia Avenue which would function as a long transit mall... That way you'd have a true central LRT loop that could run 24-7 on high capacity basis and encourage towers 50+ stories with limited or no parking on site... That's what this city really needs... True urban density that you'd only find in a few select cities...

[s4.audios]

There is enough bus frequency down Jasper to get people quickly to 124/104 future LRT station or to Corona. I am glad the new LRT will be on 104, it will help spur more development North of Jasper. Do we really went one single high density "strip"? Jasper is doing great on its own and good on it. But I for one am super excited to see how Oliver as a whole continues to develop outside of that one strip also.

[Black Star]

IMG_7084 by BLACK STAR III, on Flickr

[s211]

Originally Posted by s4.audios

There is enough bus frequency down Jasper to get people quickly to 124/104 future LRT station or to Corona. I am glad the new LRT will be on 104, it will help spur more development North of Jasper. Do we really went one single high density "strip"? Jasper is doing great on its own and good on it. But I for one am super excited to see how Oliver as a whole continues to develop outside of that one strip also.

You accidentally nailed it. 104th is and will be a glorified Baseline Road or 97th Street north of 137th for at least a generation, i.e. a ten-block non-stop strip mall with at best medium density nearby.

But hey, maybe your right. Maybe Edmonton should ignore the much more dense area around Jasper Av and to the south.

[MichaelC]

Video Link

[Vixx]

On the one hand its nice to see things moving forward with the Edmonton Motors site; I honestly thought we wouldn't see any renderings for at least 5 years. On the other hand, these initial renderings are pretty mediocre. They resemble Fox towers and thats not a good thing. For such an important site, this should have high quality design and avoid stucco at all costs. Hell, even Falcon towers look better then this.

[EdmTrekker]

I am not sure what to think of the Edmonton Motors renders ... but I can say I don't like recessed windows in high-rises that become places for pigeons to roost, collect dirt, soot and snow. Flush is better, provides better views and is more practical. To be fair these are first concepts. Ground floor podium for such a massive development should be higher to accommodate retail. And I think they should consolidate the sites by intreating the back alley to create a larger podium with a mall like feel to it and a single underground and possibly above ground parking. I would like to see some curtain wall - but floor to ceiling windows are better than "punched out". Maybe the refined drawings will step up and create something a little more polished than this utilitarian look.

As for John Day being involved - that means precious little given as a developer his past compromises. Is this a priority project for John Day and his partners? They have lots of projects on the go.

I agree that underground LRT will be inevitable - makes perfect sense given growth on the horizon. Please leave room for a connection to an underground station from the underground parkade to the mall like retail concourse.

[Mikemike]

Bonny Doon logo = EPL + Edmonton Space Science Centre

[Black Star]

Originally Posted by Mikemike

Bonny Doon logo = EPL + Edmonton Space Science Centre

Haha...true. Good eye.

[s211]

As I hear that there's studies underway for the Rosedale area, has there been any discussion of making part of the area a replacement exhibition grounds area to replace Northlands?

Maybe it's already been discussed and discounted, I don't know. But it would surely be a way to keep the ballpark around (concert venue for exhibition) and maybe tie redevelopment of the old power plant into an exhibition hall? I'm trying to think of some ideas that would create a venue for significant events. Something to really kick the zone off.

Just spitballing? Blue sky thinking?

[Albicaulis]

Bonny Doon: I see they went with the ubiquitous green roofs on every building and never-to-be-developed water feature and meandering creek to nowhere.

It's like they have a bet to see who can disappoint the public more.

[s4.audios]

Originally Posted by s211

You accidentally nailed it. 104th is and will be a glorified Baseline Road or 97th Street north of 137th for at least a generation, i.e. a ten-block non-stop strip mall with at best medium density nearby.

But hey, maybe your right. Maybe Edmonton should ignore the much more dense area around Jasper Av and to the south.

Yah it's not too pretty how 104 developed commercially, but it is still a destination and has lots of employment. There is demand in the area and I disagree that it will stay medium density.

[SHOFEAR]

Originally Posted by Albicaulis

Bonny Doon: I see they went with the ubiquitous green roofs on every building and never-to-be-developed water feature and meandering creek to nowhere.

It's like they have a bet to see who can disappoint the public more.

Directly from Morguards website:

Sustainability
Sustainability is a strategic priority for Morguard. Our approach to Responsible Property Investment (RPI) is a best practice in the Canadian real estate industry. Incorporating environmental, social and governance indicators into property business and capital plans, provides investors with critical insights and allows Morguard to manage and operate efficient buildings. With a direct correlation between RPI and investment performance, this process results in value creation and operational excellence.​

We are pleased to report on continuous improvement year-over-year - and against our updated 2015 baseline year. We have engaged with our stakeholders on the issues that are material to them, reduced our environmental footprint and improved health and safety of our employees.

4.0% reduction in energy use, enough to power 1,880 homes for a year
5.1% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to eliminating the annual GHG emissions from over 1,010 passenger vehicles
4.5% reduction in water usage, equivalent to 30 Olympic swimming pools
11 LEED certified green buildings in operation with 6 properties currently in the certification process
60 properties currently certified through BOMA BEST with 5 properties currently in the certification process
5 consecutive years of recognition as one of Canada's Safest Employers
- See more at: https://www.morguard.com/company/sustainability#sthash.9g4hXIUf.dpuf

[CMD UW]

Originally Posted by s4.audios

Lol man has it ever become difficult to please Edmontonians.

The Edmoton Motors site from the far view doesn't look too good but in the closer images I am a lot more pleased. I think both buildings could work very well.

BMO site, a little too much going on that does not blend.

I agree re: Edmonton Motors.

I am not too sure about the BMO site redevelopment...its better than what I thought, but at the same time needs some work.

[Picture Me Rollin']

https://www.edmonton.ca/residential_...street-nw.aspx

Langham received the upzoning they seeked. That's a win for them and has made this parcel much more valuable. Now it's time for the EDC to lay down the hammer when reviewing the design of this project. I fear more ugly white Langham boxes will litter our skyline. Of all the towers they have created, these are the most important ones by far since they are significantly taller. I'm not as concerned about the podium because this is a lesser frequented part of 104 Street, but these tall towers will protrude above all else and become significant pieces of our skyline. The community should put pressure on Langham NOW while they are in the early stages of designing their floor plans based on this footprint. I'm not implying that the entire structure needs to be glazing. Some punched windows are okay if done properly. But I worry we'll see more bland architecture from them.

Langham has been a good sturdy developer in this city who has brought lots of life to downtown. I applaud that. But far too many times they have gotten away with value architecture in prominent locations. They easily have the highest margins among all of the downtown resi developers for this reason IMO. They've made a lot of money off of the people of Edmonton. I'm not saying it's "time to give back", because this is a business decision, but stepping up their game for the betterment of the appearance of the city would be nice. If they want to claim to be delivering "world class" product, let's hold them to that level. This design is nowhere near that level.

Now other than contacting them directly, how else can someone like myself influence the design of this project?