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The Quarters

Quarters needs 10+ projects to reach the sort of patchwork the warehouse district has. The warehouse getting 10 more projects makes it start to feel much more “complete” vs a sea of parking.

Would some of these warehouse projects be going ahead if this student money wasn't available as per what's been happening already with 4 multi-family projects along 108Ave? And the Shift on 106th?

Maybe warehouse area gets another big bump with a few projects with this money, but should it get them all?

I believe the priority for this federal government money was providing the most affordable housing for students and getting units built. Yes, being able to give a boost to our downtown is a great opportunity, too, but the biggest priority should be providing some very affordable housing options in a range students say they are looking for ($500-$750/month). If there are a couple of Quarters projects promising student rates of $650+/month (similar to the Hive on 97st) versus the warehouse priority area offering nothing less than $800 - then would that not be beneficial for the priority of this money - students?
 
Would some of these warehouse projects be going ahead if this student money wasn't available as per what's been happening already with 4 multi-family projects along 108Ave? And the Shift on 106th?

Maybe warehouse area gets another big bump with a few projects with this money, but should it get them all?

I believe the priority for this federal government money was providing the most affordable housing for students and getting units built. Yes, being able to give a boost to our downtown is a great opportunity, too, but the biggest priority should be providing some very affordable housing options in a range students say they are looking for ($500-$750/month). If there are a couple of Quarters projects promising student rates of $650+/month (similar to the Hive on 97st) versus the warehouse priority area offering nothing less than $800 - then would that not be beneficial for the priority of this money - students?
Is the Hive still happening? It was announced almost a year ago and I haven't heard much since. I assumed it died on on the vine, which wouldn't be terribly surprising from Five Oaks.

EDIT: from Boyle-McCauley news this spring: https://bmcnews.org/story/a-home-for-students-at-the-hive
 
The key to the Quarters is to create a hub in and around the Quarters LRT station. The Hive location is perfect, just build something next to that location or near there. As usual more people living and working in areas, more gentrification, more homeless and problems pushed away.
Ideally if the parking lot east of the old old farmers market building were filled with a mixed use building with mainly residential, I could see this area clean up pretty quick.
 
The key to the Quarters is to create a hub in and around the Quarters LRT station. The Hive location is perfect, just build something next to that location or near there. As usual more people living and working in areas, more gentrification, more homeless and problems pushed away.
Ideally if the parking lot east of the old old farmers market building were filled with a mixed use building with mainly residential, I could see this area clean up pretty quick.
I suppose this is where we get into implementation more than planning, but I agree. A few things in key places could make a huge difference and they wouldn't necessarily have to be huge projects to start.
 
This used to be Danny Hooper's Stockyard Night Club -- I used to frequent it regularly back in the day. Someone should grab this up! Edmonton could use another engaging music venue.
 
Ah yes, the good old "neglect" and "lack of maintenance" excuses.

Rather than demolish a 113-year-old building, why not sell it to a competent developer who can transform it into something else?
While the organization does good work locally, I'm not sure if the senior management and admin is local any more. So perhaps that partly explains it.
 
When building does start happening, it will benefit from a decently mature treescape along 96st.

20250817_141534.jpg
 
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Ah yes, the good old "neglect" and "lack of maintenance" excuses.

Rather than demolish a 113-year-old building, why not sell it to a competent developer who can transform it into something else?
I worked in that building 15 years ago. It was falling apart back then, the foundation is in very rough shape and the whole thing is infested with mice and mold. My favorite was that I could poke a stick through the brick in my basement office and it would pop outside in the dirt, the draft was incredible. I don't even want to think about what condition it is now. It would take serious money to rehab the building and I have a hard time seeing a viable economic case in that neighborhood. Aside from its age the building is actually not that architecturally interesting, there are much better churches to focus on saving.

While the organization does good work locally, I'm not sure if the senior management and admin is local any more. So perhaps that partly explains it.
I don't think it would matter. I have problems with the management of The Mustard Seed but getting facility dollars is so hard for any non-profit that choosing to spend it on a massive money sink like this building would never make the priority list for any of the homelessness support focused charities. When I was there we redid the kitchen, and that took nearly a decade of fundraising.
 
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