Oliver Crossing | 21m | 7s

IanO said:
*sorta.

There are well thought out and designed project in every city and lesser quality/design as well.
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I should add that my point wasn't to say that we shouldn't criticize or not be disappointed about design/developments, but rather point out that sometimes it is going to happen whether we like it or not (short of someone here swooping in and offering Eagle an amount of money that they couldn't ignore! ;)).
 
westcoastjos said:
Hey, I know you jest, but I still remember when I first moved to Edmonton and how hard it was to find rental with a dishwasher and in suite laundry. That was only ten years ago. At that time, often, you would go to check a place out and there would be five other people/couples checking the place out at the same time as you, because there was zero supply and such high demand.
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I'm thinking of moving to an apartment (I currently live in a basement suite), and I mentioned to my parents when I saw them that one place I looked at, which is brand new, has in-suite laundry. They were shocked, because even now apparently it's still fairly uncommon in Edmonton.
 
Honestly, I get wanting to do the big density projects to make some money as a developer, but why does it have to be as cheap-looking as possible?? There are so many well-designed mid-rise projects out there to get inspiration from, and it doesn't have to be much more expensive to do better imo.
 
At the end of the day must continue to add people to central Edmonton and the Downtown more specifically. We need to add 10-15k around the Downtown and 10k into Downtown proper, but must continue to be vigilant when it comes to the look, feel and built-form of our city.
 
IanO said:
The bar has been raised, but is still rather low.

So long as we have SS appliances, laminate and 3/4" 'stone' countertops, few care about the exterior it seems.

A high tide lifts all boats.
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This was exactly my point earlier above which was labeled as a pity party. Of course we should be happy that there are groups like Beljan and KC raising the bar. But the standard is still low and should not be acceptable for Edmontonians.
 
Someone from Eagle called me back, and we had an interesting discussion. I must say, I've been very pleased with how friendly the folks there have been, and how willing they've been to discuss this. Here's a basic summary of the big points the man told me:

1. This is just an important distinction that since they're not the developer, they don't have control over these decisions. I hadn't thought about that before, so I thought I'd pass it on just for you to keep in mind.

2. Lots of different avenues of preservation were looked at, including wrapping the building around one of the historical ones. Since it's a low-rise project though, that'd entail a loss of ~19% of the residential units.

3. The developer did not submit any formal applications to rezone the land for a high-rise tower. If such a tower were constructed on the south portion of the land, he said that the other historic building might have been converted into more housing units. He also mentioned that he didn't know if residents would even want a high rise on that land. When he said that, I maaayyyyy or may not have told him about this site, and that it was a good place to see what some "more informed" folks think. He just let me know that he read through this thread, so if he reads this post, I encourage him to make an account and join in the discussion haha

4. They'll try to preserve as many bricks as they can (some will inevitably disintegrate during demolition), and the preserved bricks will be put on one of the south-facing corners (I think southwest). They'll also be used on a cafe/coffee shop if there's demand for such a business.

So overall, my position on this has slid a bit. I get where Eagle is coming from; they're in a tough spot since they have no control over the zoning of the land. I really wish that the developer would have pursued a rezoning application. It's relatively close to the LRT and right by Macewan, so I think it's prime real estate for a high-rise building. I agree with @Mattyeg that we also need some mid-rise development in the city, but I'd prefer that it be a bit further out and away, since this is so close to mass transit and a university.
 
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Fenced... wonder if demo is coming or if this is just to prevent more and more tents being set up. Seems like people that were living there have moved on.
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Eagle Oliver Crossing (Development Permit) Mikal LePage - Gardner Architecture
Motion of support with conditions
The Committee recommends that the applicant consider the following:
● Further refinement and development (i.e. tree planting) of landscape on all four sides of the building to improve the interface of the surrounding context (streetscape, laneway, side yard).
● Further explore the opportunity to define the entry into the units and interest (planting, ornamental fencing etc) to provide better visual and physical separation of public and private space.
● Further explore the opportunity of expanding the amenity area on the parkade roof and/or improve overall aesthetics of unoccupied areas from overlook
● Retain and potentially enhance colour and texture within the exterior facade profile (precast) to contribute to perceived articulation

 
CaptainBL said:
This was exactly my point earlier above which was labeled as a pity party. Of course we should be happy that there are groups like Beljan and KC raising the bar. But the standard is still low and should not be acceptable for Edmontonians.
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I think it is sort of an Edmonton thing. I notice we do compete to have beautiful interiors, but not very much for exteriors - plain is fashionable here. Other cities it seems almost the other way around.
 
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