Manulife Place Renovations | 145.99m | 36s | AIMCo | MdeAS

What do you think of this project?

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#manulifeplace | Jeff Simkin

CBRE is proud to partner with Manulife Investment Management to bring Edmonton’s premier office & retail landmark, Manulife Place, to the market. With a variety of office leasing options and flexible workspaces to support a wide range of tenants, Manulife Place offers modern office space that...
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Jeff Simkin

CBRE is proud to partner with Manulife Investment Management to bring Edmonton’s premier office & retail landmark, Manulife Place, to the market.

With a variety of office leasing options and flexible workspaces to support a wide range of tenants, Manulife Place offers modern office space that helps companies achieve their goals and support their employees’ wellness and lifestyles.

Celebrated for its iconic history and central location, Manulife Place is at the forefront of Edmonton’s urban renewal and we’re excited to activate and infuse Manulife Place with the same energy and vibrancy that has set it apart from any other tower in Edmonton.

Rediscover #ManulifePlace today.

Get in touch to learn more about this landmark opportunity!
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I honestly think turning the majority of Manulife Place into a large format retailer that people would actually use would be great. Maybe a more budget-conscious grocer like Freshco or No Frills to give people in the area who don't live in fancy new Warehouse District condos somewhere to buy more than what Shoppers provides. But with the (planned?) exit of Best Buy forthcoming, that could also be an interesting addition. Home Depot, Rona, Canadian Tire, H&W Produce, or London Drugs would be great additions to the core of the core of Edmonton. We often talk about Simons and there or the BMO site would be great for that too, but other less trendy "destination" retailers would be great too.
 
Unique approach, but for me this gem needs to remain an epicentre for business and begin to attract new, expanding, scaling companies to the core.
 
I think whoever takes over this building will need to make some changes to update things. Perhaps this property has got lost in the shuffle with changes happening at Manulife.

Also another issue with some Toronto focused companies is they don't pay enough attention to their properties here. I realize they may not be their bigger assets, but they still do need some attention from time to time. Otherwise neglect can lead to gradual decline which is something I think is happening here, but it is a good building/location overall so I feel it can be reversed with some thoughtful attention and changes.
 
dunno said:
I honestly think turning the majority of Manulife Place into a large format retailer that people would actually use would be great. Maybe a more budget-conscious grocer like Freshco or No Frills to give people in the area who don't live in fancy new Warehouse District condos somewhere to buy more than what Shoppers provides. But with the (planned?) exit of Best Buy forthcoming, that could also be an interesting addition. Home Depot, Rona, Canadian Tire, H&W Produce, or London Drugs would be great additions to the core of the core of Edmonton. We often talk about Simons and there or the BMO site would be great for that too, but other less trendy "destination" retailers would be great too.
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You're not wrong. You would see a blend of large-format and boutique retailers at key downtown retail streets in our biggest cities - Best Buy and London Drugs right next to smaller retailers at Granville and Robson/Georgia comes to mind in Vancouver. This also exists to an extent in Calgary.

In terms of Ian's comments, the building can continue to attract businesses with a grocery store or Winners below without issue.
 
The erosion of Edmonton's corporate presence continues.

Fall from grace might be most fitting if you put a Winners or home hardware store in what was our premier shopping and office tower.

I'm all for the brands/offerings listed, but good god not there.

Manulife will rise again, but with a different direction from what is thought of here.
 
If boutiques are indicative of corporate heft - the world is in a massive decline. Even retail on Chicago's Golden Mile is transforming away from this - and is also home to more than its share of Fortune 500 icons.

Downtowns moving away from this kind of high end shopping is a major global trend - while grocery anchored daily shopping drives most successful efforts. The mix you see at the Brewery District next door is indicative of this.

There's nothing wrong with this suggestion in a world that recognizes Amazon and West Edmonton Mall's existence.
 
IanO said:
The erosion of Edmonton's corporate presence continues.

Fall from grace might be most fitting if you put a Winners or home hardware store in what was our premier shopping and office tower.

I'm all for the brands/offerings listed, but good god not there.

Manulife will rise again, but with a different direction from what is thought of here.
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Edmonton hasn't had real corporate heft for most of our lives. In Canada, that really only exists in Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal, with a few occasional nods to Vancouver (but not really). I'd rather the space be used by something that Edmontonians, and particularly downtown/central residents, would frequent, rather than chasing this idea of something we're not. It's completely ok to not be a high-end, lux city, and it's very clear that what market there is for that in Edmonton wants to be in WEM or Southgate, which really isn't the end of the world like some make it out to be. Lots of cities are like this. Even Canada's "Mink Mile" in Toronto's Yorkville, centred on Bloor has budget-conscious retailers like Winners and (well, not for long) Nordstrom Rack alongside the Gucci and Holt Renfrew.
 
I agree, a Winners here would not be a good fit, but even worse it would also be robbing Peter to pay Paul - no net addition or benefit downtown.

I have thought the Holt Renfrew space might make a good Simons or something similar, not too upscale, but a nice place for everyone.

I agree the era of lots of high end boutiques downtown is probably coming to an end even in bigger more corporate cities for various reasons.

However Manulife isn't a mall, it is primarily an fairly premiere office tower with some retail space. So I don't see its focus being on the discount end.
 
dunno said:
I honestly think turning the majority of Manulife Place into a large format retailer that people would actually use would be great. Maybe a more budget-conscious grocer like Freshco or No Frills to give people in the area who don't live in fancy new Warehouse District condos somewhere to buy more than what Shoppers provides. But with the (planned?) exit of Best Buy forthcoming, that could also be an interesting addition. Home Depot, Rona, Canadian Tire, H&W Produce, or London Drugs would be great additions to the core of the core of Edmonton. We often talk about Simons and there or the BMO site would be great for that too, but other less trendy "destination" retailers would be great too.
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I thought Best Buy wasn't planning on leaving the 109st location.
 
David A said:
I agree, a Winners here would not be a good fit, but even worse it would also be robbing Peter to pay Paul - no net addition or benefit downtown.

I have thought the Holt Renfrew space might make a good Simons or something similar, not too upscale, but a nice place for everyone.

I agree the era of lots of high end boutiques downtown is probably coming to an end even in bigger more corporate cities for various reasons.

However Manulife isn't a mall, it is primarily an fairly premiere office tower with some retail space. So I don't see its focus being on the discount end.
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A Simons would be perfect, in my opinion. I guess it could create quite a buzz, if it were to open here.

I would definitely like to see another grocery store downtown, especially something more budget friendly than Loblaws, but I believe that the ideal place would be somewhere south of Jasper, maybe in the Falcons or something. It would have less catchment overlap with Loblaws and serve an area that is currently under served (and which contains a large part of the core's population).

Now, another thing that, as counterintuitive as is might sound, I think could be interesting to see downtown, is a luxury car showroom. Not a full dealership, but maybe one of those specialized exotic/luxury vehicle showrooms, that would definitely catch some eyes and draw some people around, even if it's just to see the cars from the windows.

I can't even count how many times I saw people go out of their way to drive by and stop at that one on Airport Rd, for example.
 
soupcrate said:
I thought Best Buy wasn't planning on leaving the 109st location.
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They have renewed their lease for 3 years, with the option of extending it , and part of the reason is the postponing of the ECC renovations. It is my understanding, from conversations I've had with a client of mine, that they have an LoI with La Salle to relocate there as an anchor for the renewed mall.
 
ChazYEG said:
They have renewed their lease for 3 years, with the option of extending it , and part of the reason is the postponing of the ECC renovations. It is my understanding, from conversations I've had with a client of mine, that they have an LoI with La Salle to relocate there as an anchor for the renewed mall.
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I suppose that explains some things. A Best Buy in City Centre would actually make good sense. For instance, with the departure of the Bay, there is no appliance retailer in this area any more and no larger electronics retailers either.

Other than a few high end and Winners, there is not much left for men's or women's clothing around, which is why I think a Simons here could actually do very well.
 
ChazYEG said:
A Simons would be perfect, in my opinion. I guess it could create quite a buzz, if it were to open here.

I would definitely like to see another grocery store downtown, especially something more budget friendly than Loblaws, but I believe that the ideal place would be somewhere south of Jasper, maybe in the Falcons or something. It would have less catchment overlap with Loblaws and serve an area that is currently under served (and which contains a large part of the core's population).

Now, another thing that, as counterintuitive as is might sound, I think could be interesting to see downtown, is a luxury car showroom. Not a full dealership, but maybe one of those specialized exotic/luxury vehicle showrooms, that would definitely catch some eyes and draw some people around, even if it's just to see the cars from the windows.

I can't even count how many times I saw people go out of their way to drive by and stop at that one on Airport Rd, for example.
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Yeah, Simons would be great at Manulife or the BMO site, don't get me wrong, especially if a Best Buy is in a repurposed City Centre. I was just brainstorming other useful but less "flashy" things that people in the area would actually benefit from. Right now downtown struggles from its existing residents needing to go to Kingsway, Southgate, Westmount, etc for many things. We often think about drawing people from across the city to the core and while that's important, often overlooked is the needs of those who already live in the area.

I do agree that a more budget-conscious grocer in a spot with less overlap from Loblaws would be better. The old Sobeys on 104th was honestly the perfect location between the existing apartments south of Jasper and the developing condos north of it, plus LRT access direct.
 
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