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At a public open house this week, ICE District Properties and Stantec revealed their vision for the next phase of the major revitalization of downtown. The initial plan, dubbed only "ICE District Phase 2" for now, shows a massive mixed-use development of the lands north of Rogers Place arena.
While only a few details were provided, the artist's renderings show a dense build-out of seven or eight highrise towers, interspersed with four-story mid-rise buildings covering an area nearly three square city blocks.
The artist's rendering shows the tallest tower to be about 40 storeys, and according to one display board, would have a maximum height of 150 metres. The concept also depicts a large green space along the south edge, between the development and MacEwan LRT station and Rogers Place.
According to the display boards, the development is intended to be a dense, mixed-use, transit-oriented development that puts major focus on pedestrians by incorporating active street fronts, wide sidewalks, weather protection, open gathering spaces, and narrow roads to slow traffic and increase safety.
The development will incorporate the A. MacDonald building, previously a low-income apartment building before it was bought by Katz Group last year. The brick warehouse, built in 1913 and designated a Historic Resource by both provincially and municipally, is set to be preserved and restored as a prominent landmark in the development.
Though only an early vision, one representative from Katz Group indicated the development would be home to between 3,000 and 10,000 residents, in seven to ten new towers.
What do you think of the initial vision for the lands north of the ICE District? You can get involved in the discussion by leaving a comment below or by visiting the designated Forum thread.
