Downtown

[Greenspace]

Reference ID:	Job No 500349691-002
Description:	To add a Community Service to an existing Health Service (convert upper floor to shelter facility - Hope Mission Women's Shelter)
Location:	10302 - 107 STREET NW Plan B2 Blk 7 Lots 130-132
Applicant:	ARC STUDIO
Status:	Intake - Payment Required
Create Date:	2024-02-08T14:01:02Z
Neighbourhood:	DOWNTOWN

 

[thommyjo]

Reference ID:	Job No 500349691-002
Description:	To add a Community Service to an existing Health Service (convert upper floor to shelter facility - Hope Mission Women's Shelter)
Location:	10302 - 107 STREET NW Plan B2 Blk 7 Lots 130-132
Applicant:	ARC STUDIO
Status:	Intake - Payment Required
Create Date:	2024-02-08T14:01:02Z
Neighbourhood:	DOWNTOWN

 

[SMayo]

Love that we are getting more much needed shelter space and social services, but I really wish that the suburb neighborhoods and cities would start contributing so that the inner city didn't have to take on the whole issue itself.

 

[Munanyo]

Spent quite a bit of time around Old Strathcona and downtown these past few days, here are just a few quick observations for what its worth:

- Old Strathcona was decently busty for a Friday night before a long weekend. I was expecting a bit more foot traffic to be honest, but noticed most popular restaurants/bars/cafes were busy and doing well. I'm also aware that a lot of people likely left town to visit family or maybe went on a road trip.

- Two projects that I really wish would be redeveloped are the former Army and Navy department store and Old Scona garage projects. Both are eyesores right now and have so much potential to really add to Whyte/Old Strathcona and am still disappointed the previous vision of the Army and Navy store didn't see the light of day. I'm really excited about the Hat project here. I think this will really elevate the area as a whole.

- As exciting as it is that we're seeing another major expansion of the LRT through downtown, I'm genuinely sick of the construction and mess it's causing. 104 ave is a shit show and has been one for years now. I would love to fast forward a few years into the future once this is finally done (along with the Warehouse Park and a couple of other major projects) but what a grind its been.

- Nice to see downtown picking up foot traffic and general busyness. Can't wait to see how things are in five years or so once some of these residential projects come online and that includes projects in Oliver as I do believe that will have a spillover effect that will bolster things.

 

[MisterSartorial]

Nice to see downtown piking up foot traffic and general busyness. Can't wait to see how things are in five years or so once some of these residential projects come online and that includes projects in Oliver as I do believe that will have a spillover effect that will bolster things.

I live downtown and my neighbour and I were just commenting earlier today about how downtown has had a lot more foot traffic lately. I was actually walking down a quieter street a couple days ago (102 st north of Jasper) and there were a dozen people walking on the street. Much more than before winter.

 

[Kosy123]

Yeah foot traffic even on weekends has been higher than it was this time last year. I’m seeing more families and people with kids visit during the weekends too! Personally think the Valley Line opening up has been the biggest catalyst for more foot traffic.

 

[IanO]

It's an important reminder to get the NW LRT funded to St.Albert so Churchill becomes a hub of sorts like many major cities which has a considerably positive impact on food/bev/retail.

 

[thommyjo]

Downtown was packed today. Oil kings game, free admission to RAM, AGA, citadel had done free shows, Churchill had games. I’m sure the library is a consistent weekend draw these days. Ice climbing In fan park.

Tons of kids and families. Felt like the Disney symphony night from September.

 

[TAS]

Downtown was packed today. Oil kings game, free admission to RAM, AGA, citadel had done free shows, Churchill had games. I’m sure the library is a consistent weekend draw these days. Ice climbing In fan park.

Tons of kids and families. Felt like the Disney symphony night from September.

Oil Kings are in last place in this rebuilding year but Edmonton #1 in WHL attendance. Their last game was 10,000+ and today was expected to be more.

Hello retailers!?

 

[IanO]

Spent the day walking around Downtown yesterday.

The Good:
-Far more people out and about
-The SELRT seems to have injected a nice boost
-RHW felt busy and lively
-Hearing more momentum for Fox retail

The Bad:
-Broken windows everywhere with many not being repaired
-ECC is sketchy and not inviting at all
-Still a lot of empty storefronts

The Ugly:
-it still feels like few care about the core and do little to keep it up, maintain things, wash, sweep, clean, repair
-In 3 blocks I walked by 3-4 people laying on the sidewalk totally out of it with 2 awaiting an ambulance
-Redd alert continues to be a major presence in the core

 

[Barnaby]

I'm happy to point out that the cleanest, most cared for areas of downtown are also those with the most people living nearby. There's no sense of neighbourhood near ECC.

I was there for the Oilers game last night, took the Capital Line there & back. Good atmosphere all around, transit felt safe and normal.

 

[MacLac]

Spent the day walking around Downtown yesterday.

The Good:
-Far more people out and about
-The SELRT seems to have injected a nice boost
-RHW felt busy and lively
-Hearing more momentum for Fox retail

The Bad:
-Broken windows everywhere with many not being repaired
-ECC is sketchy and not inviting at all
-Still a lot of empty storefronts

The Ugly:
-it still feels like few care about the core and do little to keep it up, maintain things, wash, sweep, clean, repair
-In 3 blocks I walked by 3-4 people laying on the sidewalk totally out of it with 2 awaiting an ambulance
-Redd alert continues to be a major presence in the core

 

[Munanyo]

Spent the day walking around Downtown yesterday.

The Good:
-Far more people out and about
-The SELRT seems to have injected a nice boost
-RHW felt busy and lively
-Hearing more momentum for Fox retail

The Bad:
-Broken windows everywhere with many not being repaired
-ECC is sketchy and not inviting at all
-Still a lot of empty storefronts

The Ugly:
-it still feels like few care about the core and do little to keep it up, maintain things, wash, sweep, clean, repair
-In 3 blocks I walked by 3-4 people laying on the sidewalk totally out of it with 2 awaiting an ambulance
-Redd alert continues to be a major presence in the core

The bolded sentence is something I thought to myself while taking a stroll around downtown on my lunch break yesterday. It was great to see downtown have a lot more pedestrian traffic and just generally more busy, but general maintenance on streets and sidewalks is borderline embarrassing. I completely understand that there are factors outside anyones control that go into this (primarily weather related) however the amount of garbage everywhere and lack of even trying to maybe get rid of some dirt and stones in some areas leaves a bad impression.

 

[northlands]

Since living and working downtown again I’ve really gained a different perspective on it after being very critical of how the City/private enterprise maintains their spaces.

Yes, there are lots that business and property owners that could do better—heck just a quarterly pressure wash job on building frontage and sidewalks would do wonders for most—but the scale of what they’re up against is mind boggling to the point I can understand why some just don’t care or refuse to put money toward it.

Commerce Place along 102 where the old Kasia space were are basically used as urinals. Just reeks of piss and there’s pools of it all over. Quadreal is out regularly washing with soap and water but they finish up and within a few hours it’s disgusting all over again.

Same with garbage. There’s one determined gentlemen who sets up in the alley behind my building regularly. Sometimes it’s everyday for weeks on end. Everyday he accumulates all sorts of crap—tents, tarps, blankets, pallets, carts—plus an almost unbelievable amount of just miscellaneous garbage. Every morning the City comes by and cleans it up. But if the wind is blowing in the right direction, a lot of his crap just blows away everywhere before the City gets there, and things end up looking like shit.

What can be done? It is not like there is no effort being put toward it. But the burden levied on those here in downtown is really unfair given they (plus those in Chinatown, Boyle Street, McCauley, etc) who are bearing the brunt of all the social disorder.

 

[Greenspace]

Not going to comment, you all know my thoughts and my involvement, but just to point out the City has a crew cleaning up after last night's Oilers loss along 104 Ave today. It wasn't particularly efficient in my mind, but they are doing it.