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Downtown

Hearing the Growlery space is moving along, and that Foosh is only a few weeks away from opening.

10152 - 104 STREET NW Condo Common Area (Plan 1024741,1125068) - Sign Development Permit​

External ID
537570470-002
Job Type
Sign Development Permit
Description
To install (1) Fascia Sign(s) limited to On-premises Advertising (Foosh)
Applicant
FIVE STAR PERMITS
Status
Intake Review
Class of Permit

Create Date
October 30, 2024
Approval Date

Location
10152 - 104 STREET NW Condo Common Area (Plan 1024741,1125068)
Neighbourhood
DOWNTOWN
 
Wait what?! Why is this 4 year old topic being brought up again? Didn't NY, NY and a DC suburb share the title of HQ-2? And didn't Amazon just shut down HQ-2? Whose DT is he besmirching? Ours or YYC's?
 
What a dumb comment…. The Amazon HQ2 was a farce, tax grab, and hasn’t actually happened…

What a silly thing to illustrate with.
Yes and it is also very off point - really Amazon didn't pick the location selected based on the quality of its downtown. I hope the quality of the rest of the discussion was better.
 
Sorry guys, there's a whole thread to the tweets if you click on it, didn't mean for folks to just focus on the first one.
 
  • Downtown core is too big
  • Need to make strategy that doesn't rely on gov't assistance to get people living there
  • Positives include post secondary institutions, things for people to do (museums, performances, etc.)

 
  • Downtown core is too big
  • Need to make strategy that doesn't rely on gov't assistance to get people living there
  • Positives include post secondary institutions, things for people to do (museums, performances, etc.)

I’ve always thought this too, in relation to Wihkwentowin being our residential extension of downtown. If we could squish all of Wihkwentowin’s density into 97st-109st and rossdale to 107ave, we would have such a better downtown.

It really makes me think that the quarters need a downsized vision. Townhomes and 4-6 story buildings.

And those comments on our DTs size, likely don’t even factor in whyte ave/garneau splitting our entertainment/nightlife.
 
^ 100% true. The density of things to do is way too low. Which ironically means density outside of the main CBD should probably be lower, allowing the urban fabric to spread farther. When Edmonton was undergoing the big tower boom from like 2013-2019, I wonder if it would have had a more transformative effect on downtown if we had seen more, smaller towers and developments instead of concentrating high amounts of density in big towers, while leaving vast swaths of underutilized land untouched.

Personally, I think there should be clusters of higher towers along Jasper, and then a main core of towers in the CBD and Warehouse District, and then the rest of downtown / Wikhwentowin / Quarters should be 5-6 stories with some smaller towers scattered throughout.

If we end up at a point where we need more density downtown, we can build more towers, but for now we have lots of land, so I wouldn't be too worried about having lower density than condo towers. I think it will be a LONG time before that happens though, as there are also areas like Strathcona, and even other mature neighborhoods that are going to be densifying significantly as well and will start to enable the urban lifestyle you can really only have in Wihkwentowin right now.

Shorter buildings are also far more affordable to build, and thus also more affordable to rent/buy as well which is another bonus.
 
  • Downtown core is too big
  • Need to make strategy that doesn't rely on gov't assistance to get people living there
  • Positives include post secondary institutions, things for people to do (museums, performances, etc.)

There is an element of truth here, but the first two points are really off the mark. Yes, Edmonton is fairly spread out, which is based on the period of time our city grew as opposed to older cities built in the pre-auto era.

The downtown is full of empy lots because in the 1970's and 1980's many older smaller buildings were torn down in anticipation of a huge demand for office space. Sadly for Edmonton, this huge demand never happened here but this office space was built in other cities. We have over the years gradually filled a number of these lots with residential and there has been a modest increase in office space, but there are still empty lots from 30 or 40 years ago. But there is no reason to tear more things down in the name of some bizarre new planning idea, this will only make things worse.

With our still limited demand for office space, related limited employment opportunities in the area and very limited retail downtown, it is not attractive for many more people to live downtown, even if we resolve some of the safety perceptions. The city has never adequately dealt with any of these issues in the past and now needs to if our downtown is going to thrive. However, I do agree with the last point in that post secondary institutions and things for people to do are a positive strength and may attract some people.
 
The Churchill Apartments, perhaps a lobby update.

10015 - 103 AVENUE NW Plan F Lots 86-90 - Major Development Permit​

External ID
537880129-002
Job Type
Major Development Permit
Description
Interior Alteration, Demolition
Applicant
ARC STUDIO
Status
Intake Review
Class of Permit

Create Date
November 1, 2024
Approval Date

Location
10015 - 103 AVENUE NW Plan F Lots 86-90
Neighbourhood
DOWNTOWN
 

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