Edmonton Construction 5

[Coldrsx]

Province to fund hundreds of homeless-shelter spaces
The Edmonton Journal
Published: Tuesday, November 07, 2006
EDMONTON - The Alberta government has agreed to fund 400 extra emergency shelter spaces in Edmonton as the city braces for a sharp rise in homeless numbers this winter.

The $809,000 provincial grant, announced Monday, will be distributed by the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund to local social agencies such as the Salvation Army and Hope Mission.

Jason Chance, spokesman for the Seniors and Community Supports department, said if the need becomes even greater this winter, the province will look at extra funding.


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Font: ****"Last year in Edmonton, the shelters were not full," he said.

"Two years ago, you had to open the LRT stations.

"So you need flexibility depending on the situation."

Rob Martin, executive director of the housing trust fund, called the funding announcement great news.

Edmonton agencies had asked the province for $2.4 million, he said, but that was based on a worst-case scenario that another 340 places to sleep, on top of the 400, would be needed.

"The agreement is that if we get to a beyond-all-expectations situation, we'll go back to the province for money," Martin said.

The province turned down a request for $60,000 to fund two staff positions to help Edmonton's homeless -- an outreach nurse at the Boyle McCauley Health Centre and a person at the Mennonite Centre for Newcomers.

A count of Edmonton's homeless population is expected to be released Wednesday.




© The Edmonton Journal 2006

[Coldrsx]

Is sports centre site the right place?
Coun. Leibovici questions whether other areas of city need facilities more than south end
Gordon Kent, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Tuesday, November 07, 2006
EDMONTON - The city needs to look at other possible sites to build a $35.9-million sports centre proposed for John Fry Park, Coun. Karen Leibovici says.

The GO Community Centre, in the works since 2002, would feature nine basketball courts, eight volleyball courts and 560 square metres of gymnastics space on 5.5 hectares of land near 28th Avenue and 92nd Street.

Backers from the Ortona Gymnastics Club, the Edmonton Grads Basketball Centre and the Edmonton Volleyball Society want the city to contribute up to $9 million for the complex, as well as property worth $3 million.


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Font: ****The rest of the money would come from the other two levels of government and a $9-million fundraising campaign.

The city won't have to provide its contribution until the other funding is secured. Though the scheme received support Monday from council's community services committee, Leibovici questioned whether alternative locations have been sufficiently examined.

"We have many other areas in the city that don't have any recreation facilities, in the west end and the north end, and it seems like we have a concentration of them in the south end."

Construction of a $90-million southwest recreation complex is scheduled to begin next year.

Leibovici also wants to ensure the GO centre, set to open in 2009, doesn't duplicate amenities in other buildings.

"What's the goal of the city -- are we looking at becoming a world destination for sports activities?"

As well, councillors asked for information about bus service and the plans of organizers to run outreach programs to ensure at-risk youth attend programs at the complex. But Harry Oswin, the city's director of east-end community buildings, said the John Fry location combines the amount of land needed with the best road and transit access, utility services and nearby motels for tournament competitors.

"It seemed like a very good opportunity for the citizens of Edmonton, because if the board of the GO centre is successful ... the citizens will get a $36-million facility for $9 million (plus land)," he said.

The proposal will be discussed next Tuesday by city council.

[email protected]




© The Edmonton Journal 2006

[Coldrsx]

maybe mandel has talked with China Air.....YEG - Beijing


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Ghermezians pay $1B for control of Minneapolis mall
Purchase ends legal dispute with partners
The Associated Press
Published: Tuesday, November 07, 2006
MINNEAPOLIS - The Ghermezian family of Edmonton will pay more than $1 billion US to acquire sole interest in the Mall of America from its investment partner, according to a report.

The deal ends a legal dispute between the family and the partners, Simon Property Group and Teachers Insurance and Annuity, according to a report on the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal website.

The Ghermezian family gains full control of the Bloomington mall through its family-owned Triple Five group, which has become the mall's managing general partner.


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Font: ****A spokeswoman for TIAA-CREF, the teachers group, confirmed that the organization sold its holdings in the mall but declined to confirm details.

The 2.6-million-square-foot mall, the largest fully enclosed shopping centre in the U.S., continues to plan for a 5.6-million-square-foot expansion that would include a performing arts centre, an ice rink, water park, museum and four hotels.

The source of the dispute dates to the 1999 purchase by Simon Property of a portion of an ownership stake held by TIAA-CREF, the mall's lender.

That deal allowed Simon to increase its equity in the mall to 50 per cent from 22.5 per cent.

The Ghermezians said they were never told of Simon's plans to buy TIAA-CREF's stake and filed a lawsuit accusing Simon and its affiliates of breaching their fiduciary responsibilities and enriching themselves at Triple Five's expense.

In April 2005, a U.S. federal appeals judge upheld a lower court's ruling that stripped Simon of the mall's management responsibilities and awarded them to the Ghermezian family.




© The Edmonton Journal 2006

[Coldrsx]

Casino owner rolls the dice on land purchase

Paula Simons
The Edmonton Journal




Cuddle up, little ones. Auntie Paula wants to tell you a story.

Once upon a time, trains ran right through downtown Edmonton.

It's true. Back when Auntie Paula was a little girl, CN had rail yards north of 104th Avenue. Then CN moved out of the downtown. The land where the trains once ran was sold for redevelopment. Some of it became the site of MacEwan College. Some became the Oliver Square shopping district.

But another parcel, between 104th Street and 101st Street, was zoned for high-density residential development. So many people were expected to live in the area, the city set aside 0.48 hectares of land -- when Auntie Paula was young, we called that 1.2 acres -- to be a nice green park for the people in those condos.

AREA CHANGED

But the development never happened. Instead, a casino was built on the land. Thousands of people drove to the Baccarat to play, drink and gamble. The promised park remained an empty lot.

Meanwhile, the area began to change. People turned the old warehouses along 104th Street into trendy lofts. Developers began buying up the industrial lands north of the old rail yards and rezoning it for residential use.

Then one day, the people who owned the casino decided they wanted to build a much bigger, better facility, farther west on their land.

There were just two problems. First, the people living in the area didn't want a bigger, better, 24-hour nightclub in their neighbourhood. Second, the casino wanted to build not just on land it owned, but right on the land that was reserved to be a city park.

But city council said no. Two-and-a-half years ago, in a 7-6 vote, councillors voted against the casino's proposal.

So why is Auntie Paula telling you this old story today?

Because that "park that never was" is back in the news.

Gateway Casinos, the British Columbia-based company that owns the Baccarat, wants to buy the designated half-hectare parkland for $1.95 million.

PUBLIC HEARING

It already struck a deal with the city's asset management and public works department.

The proposal goes to council's public works committee today. A public hearing at city council follows Wednesday.

Gateway hasn't unveiled its new casino proposal yet, but has one in the works. It's clear the company wants to eliminate one stumbling block that tripped up its last application. If it owns the designated parkland, city council will have one less reason to turn down any future casino plan.

Why should the city sell the land at all? There are a couple of decent reasons.

The parcel isn't in the best location for a park. It never was. It's no natural beauty spot. It's not particularly close to either the 104th Street warehouse district or the Central McDougall community to the north.

And if the city moved ahead with its ambitious long-term plans to run the LRT down 105th Avenue, the land would back onto an LRT station. Sell the land now, argue the folks in the department of asset management, and the city could use the money to buy parkland in a better location.

But Auntie Paula isn't convinced by those arguments. First, there's the issue of birds in the hand versus birds in the bush. While $1.95 million might sound like a lot to you and me, it wouldn't be enough to buy a replacement piece of land of comparable size in the downtown core -- not at today's prices. Sell this parcel now and who knows when or where or whether we'd ever get a replacement park.

The need for parkland in that area now is more pressing than in 2004. Just two weeks ago, city council approved Carma's Aurora, City of Light development, which sits directly north of the park property. Construction begins in spring on a complex of towers and townhouses that will be home to some 3,000 people. While the development includes its own green space, a park would be a fine amenity, for the Aurora residents and future neighbours.

Then there's the more subtle question of political leverage. Whatever proposal Gateway brings back to council is bound to be controversial. If we must have a massive new casino, it's council's job to do everything within its legal powers to ensure we get the best one possible -- the one with the finest design, the least surface parking and the best location. Gateway owns a five-hectare parcel and the casino ought to be situated so its least disruptive to nearby residential neighbourhoods.

If the city sells the park property now, before seeing the casino plans, it will have sold off one of its best bargaining chips, giving a strategic advantage to Gateway. That's no way to negotiate.

At the very least, council should be wary of selling the land until Gateway puts all its cards on the table and shows us what it wants to build and where.

The economics of downtown Edmonton real estate have changed remarkably in the last three years.

We have an opportunity to plan a magnificent downtown, one that balances residential, recreational and commercial interests. Let's not rush to sell off public parkland for a casino and bar -- not until we know how we want the story to end.

[email protected]

© The Edmonton Journal 2006

[widedetox]

I thought I should provide everyone with a little insight on the pain in my side:

Concordia University College of Alberta- Hole Academic Centre- under construction
Developer: ?
Architect: Janusz Najfeldt
Location: Highlands Campus, at 7128 Ada Blvd
Number of floors: 4
URL:http://concordia.ab.ca/hac/
Picture:




I'm trying to dig up some actaully pics of construction but can't find any decent ones right now.

So there it is the building that is currentlt making life hell for the Students of Concordia University College of Alberta

[Coldrsx]

City hosts world's Charolais breeders
International congress gives Alberta industry chance to showcase its strengths
Paul Marck, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Tuesday, November 07, 2006
EDMONTON - Along with 2,200 cattle entries in the Hereford, Shorthorn and Angus national breed shows at Farm Fair International, more than 200 international Charolais breeders are in Edmonton this week.

The occasion is the 34th world congress, the third to be held in Canada but the first in Edmonton. The last Canadian-hosted congress was in 1986.

Garner Deobald of the Canadian Charolais Association said the week-long congress is a showcase event where breeders get together to discuss ways to harmonize tracking pedigrees and registrations, discuss better breeding and compare industry news from around the globe.


View Larger Image
Mayor Stephen Mandellmugs for the camera Monday with "Rosie" at Farm Fair International, held at Northlands Agricom.
Larry Wong, The Journal

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Font: ****The event coinciding with Farm Fair is particularly fortunate, given the Canadian Genetics Exposition and Exchange which is also taking place, Deobald said.

It is also a showcase for Alberta Charolais producers to showcase their breeding programs, as Canadian cattle bloodlines are well known and respected around the world, Deobald said.

"It gives them an opportunity they wouldn't have any other way, to bring those people that are interested, and they sincerely are interested, in using Canadian genetics right across the world in beef-producing countries," Deobald said.

The BSE scare of a couple of years ago dealt Alberta's cattle industry a setback, and the congress and Farm Fair should be a good boost for the sector, Deobald said. "It gives them that access to another market. I think especially right now, post-BSE, it's something that we really need, something to build the enthusiasm and get the industry picked up again, because it has been very difficult."

Plus, in the 20 years since the congress was last held in Canada, there has been good research and improvements in such things as feeding efficiencies and carcass qualities.

About 19 countries are represented by Charolais producers, including New Zealand, Australia, Uruguay, Brazil, France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, the U.S. and Germany, to name some.

Mayor Stephen Mandel said at a news conference kicking off Farm Fair that all of the cattle features are important to Edmonton.

"Over the years, this has become a premier event of the cattle industry and these are great showings of livestock," said Mandel. "It ties a rural part of the region and the province to the cities and I think it's a spectacular event."

[email protected]




© The Edmonton Journal 2006

[Coldrsx]

As for the parkland beside the casino....i like the idea of seeing the plans, then deciding if selling that "parkland" is a good idea, get a real good $$$ for it, and buy more in the north edge for Aurora.

[rapid_business]

/\ get the casino out of there....

[JAH]

Doesn't part of the North Edge project include parkland already?

[Coldrsx]

^ "yes"...

[rapid_business]

yeah, I though all of 105th was being turned into a pedestrian park?

[Coldrsx]

^a blvd with a pedestrian focus which should turn out quite nicely.

But not "official parks" really....plans for allocation, but not specifics.

I think that land could still be a cool urban park with a water element, tennis courts, and a few baskaetball courts for downtown residents.

[EdmTrekker]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

As for the parkland beside the casino....i like the idea of seeing the plans, then deciding if selling that "parkland" is a good idea, get a real good $$$ for it, and buy more in the north edge for Aurora.

I agree with you. Lets see them put their cards on the table first.

Why indeed would we give our negotiating position away. Also - what IS the real market value of that land today? If it is worth more than $1.9M - then we would be giving them a subsidy - to develop a project we have not yet seen - not very strategic - but then we are playing with casono operators. Seems the City Planning people are out of their league in this...and if this is how the City is operating "negotiating" we are in big trouble.

[mick]

Personally, I'd prefer to see the Casino go east, perhaps as part of a revamped proposal for the stationlands, as some on here have suggested. Make it a mixed use hotel/casino, possibly some condos, and I'll bet they'd get council on board pretty quick.

[Coldrsx]

^i believe that Gateway Casinos requires all of its properties to be owned, not leased as a promise to its shareholders.

[Auditor]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

^i believe that Gateway Casinos requires all of its properties to be owned, not leased as a promise to its shareholders.

They could build a hotel/casino and lease the hotel portion to an operator, but how many people DT want to walk through a casino floor in order to get to there room.

I personally want to see a mixed condo/hotel building that is higher end and in the core. With condo owners having the option to put there units in a pool for LT rentals (month or longer). I think this would fly- however we need a developer to step up.

As for office towers I hope we get something along the design of the Hearst Tower in NY.. that would be neat.

[Coldrsx]

BTW, here is a rendering of "Meridian" on 111st north of jasper. This is about 1yr old though...so who knows if it is current:

[Citysource]

Then she should get off her kiester and get a rec centre for her own ward rather than trying to screw the plans in he rival's ward. What a typical City Councillor reaction.

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Is sports centre site the right place?
Coun. Leibovici questions whether other areas of city need facilities more than south end
Gordon Kent, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Tuesday, November 07, 2006
EDMONTON - The city needs to look at other possible sites to build a $35.9-million sports centre proposed for John Fry Park, Coun. Karen Leibovici says.

The GO Community Centre, in the works since 2002, would feature nine basketball courts, eight volleyball courts and 560 square metres of gymnastics space on 5.5 hectares of land near 28th Avenue and 92nd Street.

Backers from the Ortona Gymnastics Club, the Edmonton Grads Basketball Centre and the Edmonton Volleyball Society want the city to contribute up to $9 million for the complex, as well as property worth $3 million.


Email to a friend

Printer friendly
Font: ****The rest of the money would come from the other two levels of government and a $9-million fundraising campaign.

The city won't have to provide its contribution until the other funding is secured. Though the scheme received support Monday from council's community services committee, Leibovici questioned whether alternative locations have been sufficiently examined.

"We have many other areas in the city that don't have any recreation facilities, in the west end and the north end, and it seems like we have a concentration of them in the south end."

Construction of a $90-million southwest recreation complex is scheduled to begin next year.

Leibovici also wants to ensure the GO centre, set to open in 2009, doesn't duplicate amenities in other buildings.

"What's the goal of the city -- are we looking at becoming a world destination for sports activities?"

As well, councillors asked for information about bus service and the plans of organizers to run outreach programs to ensure at-risk youth attend programs at the complex. But Harry Oswin, the city's director of east-end community buildings, said the John Fry location combines the amount of land needed with the best road and transit access, utility services and nearby motels for tournament competitors.

"It seemed like a very good opportunity for the citizens of Edmonton, because if the board of the GO centre is successful ... the citizens will get a $36-million facility for $9 million (plus land)," he said.

The proposal will be discussed next Tuesday by city council.

[email protected]




© The Edmonton Journal 2006

[Citysource]

Originally Posted by EdmTrekker

I agree with you. Lets see them put their cards on the table first.

Why indeed would we give our negotiating position away. Also - what IS the real market value of that land today? If it is worth more than $1.9M - then we would be giving them a subsidy - to develop a project we have not yet seen - not very strategic - but then we are playing with casono operators. Seems the City Planning people are out of their league in this...and if this is how the City is operating "negotiating" we are in big trouble.

Let me help you see this from the "inside":

The department dealing with all City land sales is Asset Management and and Public Works. They have nothing to do with the Planning and Development Department and they are not urban planners. Urban Planners working in the Planning and Development Department call these guys "The Land Pimps". Their prime motivation is to make money. They never work cooperatively with Planning on much, and they never tow the policy lines. They don't "get-it". They are the biggest slum lord in the City. See an old run down heritage building currently used as a rooming house, chances are its owned by the City. Do they want to restore it - nope.

[Citysource]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

BTW, here is a rendering of "Meridian" on 111st north of jasper. This is about 1yr old though...so who knows if it is current:

The Meridan

Eeeewww - this smells like Peregrine Pointe!! And its Massive.