Touch the Water Promenade / River Valley "Seawall"

[archited]

What does it tell you when on this venue there is not whole-hearted support for any of the ideas? It suggests to me that the overall is meek, weak, freaky, and in need of major tweaky. The City flops once again!

 

[realkevbo]

Be mediocre, it's the most Edmonton thing you can do.

 

[KyleBlanchett]

I would love to see a plan to have this project incorporate some restaurants and shops on the waterfront. The picture below is what EIA is proposing for the development near the outlet mall. If the airport made a canal and lake just to put restaurants and shops with "Floating" patios I'm pretty sure that the city with a quite handy river running straight through it can make this work . I would love to eat at a restaurant or café that is right on the river on a warm summer day or stroll through the promenade in winter with lights everywhere.

 

[northlands]

I would love to eat at a restaurant or café that is right on the river on a warm summer day or stroll through the promenade in winter with lights everywhere.

You and I both. Seriously, HOW is that not a thing yet? How Sway?!

 

[kcantor]

i do have to give the acting branch manager full credit for responding to my inquiry/criticism about why there is so little ability to touch the water in the touch the water concept plans:

"Both concepts propose new and unique ways to experience and interact with the river in the central stretch of the river valley, while improving user access and safety to and within the area. The project title is not intended to create a singular vision for the project, or the approach to design. That said, both concepts do propose direct water access in Rossdale (one with a staircase to the water, another with a boat dock and pathway), as well as fishing points and overlooks at Government House Park. We encourage you to provide any additional feedback through the range of tools on the Engage Edmonton site (https://engaged.edmonton.ca/touch-the-water-promenade) which also includes a portal to ask direct questions to the project team."

emphasis added...

for me that's a bit like going to a restaurant and being told they don't serve any meals, just appetizers or dessert, or going to a book store and being told they only have two books for sale or going to get your car serviced at the dealer and being told they only rotate the tires and clean the windows.

 

[TAS]

I'm not sure if it was intended, but the pedestrian and bike paths around the Walterdale bridge enable people to touch the water. I biked around that area a lot this summer and there was often decent sized gatherings of people. Underneath the bridge on the southside of the river I saw people and their dogs walking along the shore and in the river several times - and people hanging out on the boulders that were part of the landscaping. A few guys were sometimes on their sea-doos around there and putting on a good show for people. Lots of folks picnicking there, too. Would we great to see more of that!

 

[positive1]

Just watched the video on the City website and like the second concept best. If they could just add a (some) café/beer garden n the trails then way more people would be attracted. I refuse to believe that a bar/restaurant/brunch place somewhere in the old power plant would not be a success. If you could cycle in the river valley and stop somewhere for a cold beer....would be just like a grown up city!

 

[Avenuer]

Just watched the video on the City website and like the second concept best. If they could just add a (some) café/beer garden n the trails then way more people would be attracted. I refuse to believe that a bar/restaurant/brunch place somewhere in the old power plant would not be a success. If you could cycle in the river valley and stop somewhere for a cold beer....would be just like a grown up city!

Unfortunately, there are still some in our fair city that are vehemently against any and all commercial enterprises in the river valley, which is bullocks considering we are a city of a million people. If you don't want development in a semi-natural urban park, please do us all a favour and move to a cabin in Wood Buffalo National Park.

A couple of cafes and pubs at the main destinations in the river valley won't kill Yogi Bear and Bambi or cause the river to become a festering sewage lagoon.

 

[northlands]

Unfortunately, there are still some in our fair city that are vehemently against any and all commercial enterprises in the river valley, which is bullocks considering we are a city of a million people. If you don't want development in a semi-natural urban park, please do us all a favour and move to a cabin in Wood Buffalo National Park.

A couple of cafes and pubs at the main destinations in the river valley won't kill Yogi Bear and Bambi or cause the river to become a festering sewage lagoon.

Yep. If the topic at hand regarding developing commercial enterprise in the river valley was "Should we allow Katz to build a mall that rivals WEM in Hawrelak Park?", then a polite yet firm "no ****ing way" is in order. But how can you argue against a few restaurants/cafes to allow people to enjoy and experience the river valley in a new way?

I will give the CoE credit over the last century for being so protective of our river valley and only allowing swanky private golf courses to hog up premium river valley park land, as we could right now have a lot less urban parkland to experience than we currently do. It's one of our best assets as a city here, imo

 

[kcantor]

^
and 50 plus acre solar farms...

 

[Platinum107]

@nv96 Exactly, these people will complain about a small commerical building taking up a whopping 0.000002% of our river valley, yet don't bat an eye at the 4 massive golf courses taking up kilometers of natural space in the heart of our city. Like seriously, the floodgates have been open for a while before now.

 

[KyleBlanchett]

 

[KyleBlanchett]

 

[KyleBlanchett]

 

[KyleBlanchett]