Edmonton Construction 9 (2008-08)

[s211]

Originally Posted by Kevin_foster

Has anyone seen this view of the Mayfair before?

(ref www.archatb.com)

It's kind of scary looking.

Wow, that's dense. FAR getting up there. Crane will also need NAV Canada approval. Other sites to south required that, because around 14 floors and up, you're actually into the "flightpath".

[240glt]

^ shouldn't be too hard.... the Parliament, which was built a few years ago is just south of there and about the same height.

Added bonus: The Mayfair will almost completely obscure the Capital 44 building from the west.

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by 240glt

I liked the old, more deco Garneau better

I still like the Mayfair.

i prefer the other Garneau option by FAR....

[Coldrsx]

30,000 people in 2008/09.... really? that is huge considering.

Let's hope we hit 800,000 city proper for 2010/11.

[Kevin_foster]

The Mayfair looks to be 14 stories, not including the podium. To be honest, I think it could use more glass and less brick window.. I also don't really dig the color scheme or moulding. I have yet to see it done right

In any case; if done using only the highest quality materials.. then OK

Still, scares me. It's ingrained in my person to cry foul when I see red and tan brick

[CMD UW]

Originally Posted by cdnklc

would you say the same thing about spending enough money so that office and apartment floors and building lobbies and washrooms were handicap accessible? or accessible for mothers with strollers? or those with arthritis? maybe the river valley and some of our parks should be a bit more accessible and not less?

Good call Ken.

[CMD UW]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

a funicular and the success/start of the quarters have a very low correlation IMO.

take that money and actually do a capital project IN THE QUARTERS such as a park, rehabilitate the sidewalks/streets, work on acquiring the armature etc.

a funicular would be icing on a cake but you need a cake to put it on.

That's what the Quarters Urban Design RFP is about. It's out and closes at the end of the month. The focus of the RFP is one The Armature, Public Realm Preliminary Urban Design Plan.

[Coldrsx]

my worry is stucco... and little brick.

but yes... why can Edmonton not have things like this on UBER prominent corners?





even something slightly different like

[Jasper and one o nin]

30K in a year, that is huge. I do question the accuracy of municipal census. They may have been off last year counting less.

[Kevin_foster]

Perhaps the funny-icular could be a tram from 97a street/98 ave bus stop across the river to the portion of Shaw Convention that peeks over Grierson. like this:

Or maybe just straight up through LMP like this... - but it would be cool to link the queen boat dock to LMP..

Although LMP has a pedestrian bridge on it's east end anyways..

oh, wait, maybe it is a stupid idea afterall.. perhaps doing a zipline would be cooler

[MrOilers]

Originally Posted by Kevin_foster

Has anyone seen this view of the Mayfair before?

It looks like they are trying to make it match with the old Professional Building across Jasper Ave (as seen in that rendering).

[IKAN104]

It looks to me like they're trying to emulate those new york style apartment buildings, like these.

[ue]

I agree I would have preferred a modern design but I don't think it'll be too bad. I saw pictures of building redesgins in Istanbul, and they're classic designs but actually look nice.

And IKAN it looks more Chicago to me.

[newfangled]

It's interesting that because of the height restrictions they're almost going back to a turn-of-the-century-style plan. Rather than a podium with big setbacks and a tower going straight up, it's got all that space at the back. It's kindof like the Mcleod, or the Palliser in Calgary, or even the Fed.

The old-timey plan doesn't explain why the rest of the building couldn't have looked contemporary, but it's an approach to the FAR/APO conundrum that nothing modern in downtown has taken. I guess it's the type of thing that works for small apartments, but not so much for offices.

[acadams]

Originally Posted by ZiZiPop

Interesting!

http://www.edmontonstories.ca/edmonton2030

wonder whose decision it was to use the enron logo for this campaign

[Kevin_foster]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Schwing!

[Coldrsx]

"It looks like they are trying to make it match with the old Professional Building across Jasper Ave (as seen in that rendering)."

very very different styles...

[ue]

The Southgate expansion is definitely looking nice. I love the modern look it's giving to the mall!

[danby]

Speaking of Southgate... You might be seing billboards everywhere that simply say "AUG 5th" and two models... I guess Global says its for Southgates grande opening. I can't wait for it to open!

[Shodan]

Population jump surprises city

Alexandra Zabjek
Edmonton Journal

Thursday, June 11, 2009

's population grew four per cent between 2008 and 2009, an increase of about 30,000 residents, according to municipal census numbers released Wednesday that show the city's population now stands at 782,439 people.

"It shows the resilience of our city," said Mayor Stephen Mandel. "It shows the West continues to be a place of opportunity."

The population increase will result in about $650,000 more for the city in provincial grants for policing and libraries, while other grants such as the Municipal Sustainability Initiative will also be affected.

The numbers surprised many, since previous statistics show Edmonton grew by 40,000 people between 2005 and 2008, the peak years of the boom. The city made the census an annual survey last year after previously doing it on an ad hoc basis.

Steve Thompson, the city's director of elections and census, said the spike between 2008 and 2009 could have been caused by several factors.

Residents this year answered a short questionnaire, which might have increased participation levels. Also, the number of vacant houses in the city has decreased since last year, which could be an indication that more people have been drawn to the city's available housing stock.

"There may be something there with people who have found themselves out of work in the heart of the oilpatch and moved back to Edmonton," he said, stressing that this is only a theory.

Thompson defended the $1.7-million cost of this year's census, conducted in April.

"The census gives us so much good, accurate and current information that it feeds into every program planning the city does," he said. "Plus it's used by school boards, businesses and community groups for their planning and business planning."

Mandel said the city's infrastructure can absorb the four-per-cent growth that occurred last year.

"It's a substantial increase, but it's not going to overload our system so it won't work," he said, noting that a large portion of the city's population is between 25 and 34 years old, an age group that does not use as many city services as others.

City managers noted that while Edmonton's population grew last year, the money it receives from development permits has dropped, which could pinch city finances.

The city is today scheduled to release a preliminary budget document for next year.

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© The Edmonton Journal 2009

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