Gronk!
Senior Member
Sunterra, Starbucks, Sam Abouhassan, GoodLife Fitness, Icon, LUX Steakhouse, City Centre Dental, Tim Hortons, Subway, Edo, Canton Wok, Lorenzo's, Sushi Ya and Y-Not Indian would like a word with you.
|
|
|
Downtown
- Thread starter Daveography
- Start date
Sunterra, Starbucks, Sam Abouhassan, GoodLife Fitness, Icon, LUX Steakhouse, City Centre Dental, Tim Hortons, Subway, Edo, Canton Wok, Lorenzo's, Sushi Ya and Y-Not Indian would like a word with you.
David A
Senior Member
I would say of all the downtown towers, Commerce Place's retail is probably still amongst the better, they actually have various things on both levels. Although after the construction perhaps National Bank/Manulife may perk up and surprise us.
However, I can understand that a high end chocolate place may find it hard to make a go of it in a building with a bunch of penny pinching public employees. They likely were more effected by CIBC's recent move to ICE District than the return of provincial employees.
ADob
Active Member
His chocolates are spectacular but also quite $$$. To be honest, I'm shocked he's lasted as long as he has!
policyenthusiast
Senior Member
Canton Wok lines absolutely exploded when Chicken For Lunch closed. Sunterra also makes quite a killing.
Greenspace
Senior Member
Days Inn is becoming a Best Western:
644842771-002
Job Type
Sign Development Permit
Description
To install (3) Fascia Sign(s) limited to On-premises Advertising (Best Western)
Applicant
PRIORITY PERMITS LTD
Status
In Development Review
Class of Permit
Permitted Development
Create Date
January 26, 2026
Approval Date
Location
10035 - 106 STREET NW Plan NB Blk 5 Lots 57-59
Neighbourhood
DOWNTOWN
10035 - 106 STREET NW Plan NB Blk 5 Lots 57-59 - Sign Development Permit
External ID644842771-002
Job Type
Sign Development Permit
Description
To install (3) Fascia Sign(s) limited to On-premises Advertising (Best Western)
Applicant
PRIORITY PERMITS LTD
Status
In Development Review
Class of Permit
Permitted Development
Create Date
January 26, 2026
Approval Date
Location
10035 - 106 STREET NW Plan NB Blk 5 Lots 57-59
Neighbourhood
DOWNTOWN
policyenthusiast
Senior Member
While it's not a new hotel, I would bet this will be followed by some nice remodeling. Great news.
kcantor
Senior Member
You’re not really throwing anything at offices with RTO. If you have enough office space to work the one or two or three days a week when everyone isn’t WFH, you have enough office space for five days a week. You also have better cyber security and easier IT and phone systems maintenance etc. than you have with WFH.
David A
Senior Member
I suppose with two or three days you could still do some desk or office sharing, but IMO that is not great. It is better for employees to have a specific dedicated space.
So if you have all the infrastructure in place as mentioned then it makes sense RTO will end up being primarily in office, hopefully with some flexibility still for those who need it.
davcocom
Active Member
This location is in desperate need of a facade refresh
kcantor
Senior Member
It will be interesting to see what upgrades will be required by Best Western in exchange for the change in brand as they’re typically a higher standard throughout than a Days Inn.This location is in desperate need of a facade refresh
Gronk!
Senior Member
As long as they retain Cora then I'm good
CplKlinger
Senior Member
From an April 2025 report on workforce optimization:
"As of year-end 2022, the City had a total asset replacement value of $34.7 billion. The City’s large inventory of capital assets means it has extensive renewal responsibilities to keep all its infrastructure in working order. This sizable responsibility demands cost-effective decisions about when and how to maintain, repair, renew and replace the vast network of assets that serve the diverse needs of a steadily growing population. The City’s renewal responsibilities are typically in excess of the City’s revenue-raising capacity, which contributes to its fiscal gap. The City’s total renewal investment requirement over 2023 to 2032 is $8.37 billion, with annual requirements in the range of $721 million in 2023 to $1.02 billion in 2032. Over the 2023 to 2026 capital budget cycle, the required renewal investment is $3.58 billion. As of the spring 2024 supplementary capital budget adjustment (SCBA), only 57.5 per cent of the City’s ideal renewal need was funded in the current budget cycle. Currently, 60.1 per cent of the City’s facility assets are considered to be in Fair condition and approaching the end of their lifecycle. Of those assets in Fair condition, approximately one third will fall into Poor condition over the next 10 years. Based on analysis supporting the 2023-2032 Capital Investment Outlook, the ideal investment to keep the entire portfolio of facilities assets in an optimum physical and functional condition is estimated at approximately $2.2 billion over the next 10 years.
"Century Place is 51 years old and Chancery Hall is 59 years old. Both buildings require significant investment to maintain and modernize, keep in good working order and achieve the City’s climate resilience goals. Repairs are becoming increasingly complex and costly system replacements will soon be required. Facility systems should be renewed at certain intervals as part of asset management best practices. Building renewal includes work to extend the service life of certain systems (e.g., elevators, building envelope, etc.) and replace certain components that have reached the end of their service life (e.g., electrical systems). The estimated capital investments required in the short-term and over the next 10 to 20 years for Century Place and Chancery Hall include amounts for both lifecycle renewal of facility systems and required floor renovations.
"Additionally, with the adoption of hybrid work, office spaces across the corporation are underutilized as allocations do not fully reflect the impacts of hybrid work. Approximately 1,350 City employees work out of Century Place and Chancery Hall and can be moved to other existing City-owned or leased facilities. A space analysis has been completed, and it has been determined through space optimization, staff at Century Place and Chancery Hall could be accommodated within existing City spaces. Staff will be relocated primarily to the Edmonton Tower. In addition, a smaller amount of staff will be relocated to other existing City leased or owned spaces. This will include optimization of City Hall and Kathleen Andrews Transit Garage office space."
Although they kept the dollar figures private in case the buildings are listed on the market, I imagine that renewal work on components like the envelopes and elevators, and replacement of things like electrical systems, would cost a not-insignificant amount. Add on top of that day-to-day expenses like utilities, janitorial and groundskeeping, maintenance, etc., and I think it makes sense that the city would try to leverage hybrid work as a way to save on all of those costs. With the renewal gap they highlight in the first paragraph, I personally think this is the sort of fiscal management people want their council to exercise.
Not necessarily. In the GOA for example, they've been able to end a lot of leases by shrinking the number of workstations to reflect the actual occupancy in a given day, and the people who work hybrid just find a desk when they come into the office. That way they're only paying for space that actually gets used. Ditto for the feds. Now that the GOA ended hybrid, it is hundreds of workspaces short, and multiple ministries need to lease new spaces and fit them out. In the meantime, my ministry set up temporary cubicles in a bunch of the common areas and meeting rooms.
Again, I can't speak for Edmonton, but the vast majority of GOA employees don't have phones. I think only management does. Cybersecurity is a fair point; I know we use a VPN and 2FA when working out of the office, but I don't know what is required behind the scenes.
David A
Senior Member
There is a lot of interesting information here. I think the key point for this particular discussion is in the third paragraph:
Approximately 1,350 City employees work out of Century Place and Chancery Hall and can be moved to other existing City-owned or leased facilities. A space analysis has been completed, and it has been determined through space optimization, staff at Century Place and Chancery Hall could be accommodated within existing City spaces
Approximately 1,350 City employees work out of Century Place and Chancery Hall and can be moved to other existing City-owned or leased facilities. A space analysis has been completed, and it has been determined through space optimization, staff at Century Place and Chancery Hall could be accommodated within existing City spaces
CplKlinger
Senior Member
For sure. I was on the fence about adding the other stuff, but thought it'd help paint a picture for why this is such an important thing to think through carefully
