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Downtown Real Estate

“Adding things like Norquest and Grant MacEwan in the past 3 years.” Say waht? Pretty sure Don Getty announced the new campus in the late 80’s and it opened in ‘90? Norquest was already there before that.
The expansion projects at those institutions.
 
"The next chapter of development, including residential development north of the arena, will be built around business partnerships, not the Katz Group going it alone, Shipton said."

Makes sense. That probably means that this isn't close to starting up as I imagine, as some have said, there is a hesitancy to build downtown right now.

ICE District Phase II construction ground-breaking is on my 2024 Prediction list!
 
The expansion projects at those institutions.

Not to belabor this - but that is not what was said or implied.

This is what was said:
"those things have been such saviours of our Downtown over the past three years"

It's not that those things were built or expanded on in the past three years. It was with Covid happening and WFH during the last three years hollowed out dt. If if wasn't for Mac, Norquest etc, the last 3 years would have been even more dire.
 
Yes, they have been there for a long time, but both Norquest and MacEwan have recently expanded, or are planning to do so in the future, so that is probably what he means.

I do agree it would have been bleaker for downtown over the last year or two without Ice District, but we have a smaller office and residential base than most other cities our size or larger, so that sort of offsets this.

So, it remains a challenge for retail and service businesses downtown, particularly those not hospitality related or as close to Ice District.
 
David Staples has always been a mouthpiece for the ICE District but it's hard to argue with his latest article

> Prominent critics of the arena plan feared the new arena would create a dead zone, but the opposite has occurred. McBryan, who lived in that area until recently
Did Puneeta McBryan move out of downtown?
 
I do wish the DBA had kept a street front presence rather than moving to second floor space in an office tower.

In my opinion it does not send a good message for an organization that does seem to want to revitalize downtown street level activity.
 
I do wish the DBA had kept a street front presence rather than moving to second floor space in an office tower.

In my opinion it does not send a good message for an organization that does seem to want to revitalize downtown street level activity.
Restaurant or retail would do more for vibrancy than an office.
 
I do wish the DBA had kept a street front presence rather than moving to second floor space in an office tower.

In my opinion it does not send a good message for an organization that does seem to want to revitalize downtown street level activity.

To be fair, had the DBA remained out of the way in the west portion of the Edmonton Unlimited building then they could have been hosed by the closure of Abbey Glen Park. I prefer their current location on the pedway level at Bell Tower.
 
High traffic area, well balanced in terms of CBD for location, not sure what there to not like. They’re more a B2C org than B2C. So I don’t think street presence is as critical.
 
Back to Flour taking office space at Telus House. Found it interesting when I escorted my wife there last week cause she had to “get on their server, to solve a computer issues she had…..she works from home for them. They had their signage up in the hallway for what looked like “half of the floor.” ATB still had a sign up for what looked like the northern half of the office…..floor 13 I think. The guy who let us into the office mentioned, after I questioned him, “why here?” He said they had “moved to Telus House from the Enbridge Tower because they don’t do business with Enbridge no more.” So this move wasn’t an increase in space but rather just a move. It looked like the office was big enough to handle at least 75-85 peeps.
 

The amount of public dollars flowing into downtown Calgary between this arena, the BMO redevelopment, and their housing funding announcement compared to the amount of public dollars downtown Edmonton is not getting from those same governments is absolutely staggering and shameful. I have no idea if there is behind the doors lobbying but we need a mayor with a set who will fight for what Edmonton is owed and deserves because Sohi and council are not that.

It's almost ridiculous the disparity between public dollars in the two downtowns.
 
'It's almost ridiculous the disparity between public AND private dollars in the two downtowns.'


Corrected that for you.
 
Spoke with an agent today.

In the last 6 months... 5 x 1bdrms have sold, FIVE... and that includes Oliver.

That said, many are renting longer term and pulling supply from the MLS which is a positive thing for sellers.

He expects to see a 5-7% increase in price for quality units between 200-350k between now and May.
 

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