Not sure if this has been said here, but browsing through the building's webpage, I found this:
"History has been a key design element in all aspects of this project. Historic brick has been collected (many tens of thousands coming from the Riverdale brick yard, which matches the old brick buildings in the area), and other building materials which have been part of Edmonton for the last 105 years or more."
Now, the original renders, which we know are not going to be the final product, doesn't seem to have any brickwork on them, and did seem a bit out of place for that area. I like the idea of using old bricks and original salvaged material in the public area and the podium, of well done, can blend in with the old brick brick buildings in the area (Flatiron, Brighton Block, Pendennis...) And give a lot of character to the building.
Also, the website has been updated recently to include the current design phase as " ongoing", instead of being a future step.