archited
Senior Member
Here's a thought that could provide a win-win-win-win for the City, the Province, the Feds and the Community around the soon-to-be Alldritt tower. The Province is looking to dump the surplus Remand Centre on 97th street near 105th Avenue, but the City doesn't want it (financial albatross). The Federal Gov't owns the historic Grierson Centre -- the one-time Edmonton RCMP headquarters and barracks -- and uses it as a minimum security prison and rehabilitation centre. Now if the Feds would swap (as an even trade) the Grierson Centre for the somewhat larger Remand Centre they would end up with a secure facility that is significantly updated from the Grierson Centre with potentially more capacity and more opportunities for adjacent uses. The Province would rid itself of the Remand Centre and gain the Grierson Centre. The Province could then sell (or swap for some other City-owned asset -- perhaps land near the Legislature grounds) the Grierson Centre. With ownership of the Grierson Centre, the City's real estate arm could call for proposals for private purchase and reuse of the Grierson Centre from development/architectural teams. There is enough surface parking land here to add several levels of underground parking and a river-valley-view mixed use tower (or 2). The City could even demand development of the cross-street top-of-valley land into a useful pedestrian park, adding to a chain of river valley parks with spectacular outlooks. The historic building (like the Molson site and even more like Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco) could then be repurposed as a retail/hospitality centre with boutique shops, pubs and eateries, and entertainment venues. What a win this would be for Edmonton!. I have just dropped this proposal in the laps of 4 City Councillors with whom I have a rapport and with Mayor Iveson.
The development of this Centre would most certainly spur the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Barbara ownership into developing their parking lot in similar fashion. I have already reached out to Fr. Kipriyanovich to offer services for architecture and landscape architecture to refurbish the historic church, improve the demeanor of the grounds, and add a mixed use tower on the south-facing parking lot. Let's see what happens!
If these three developments could go off in unison, I am sure that someone would pick up the hole-in-the-ground left by BCM's Corners project and then the rejuvenation of the Quarters would flow apace.
The development of this Centre would most certainly spur the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Barbara ownership into developing their parking lot in similar fashion. I have already reached out to Fr. Kipriyanovich to offer services for architecture and landscape architecture to refurbish the historic church, improve the demeanor of the grounds, and add a mixed use tower on the south-facing parking lot. Let's see what happens!
If these three developments could go off in unison, I am sure that someone would pick up the hole-in-the-ground left by BCM's Corners project and then the rejuvenation of the Quarters would flow apace.
