Edmcowboy11
Senior Member
So when might work on the park begin?
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Warehouse District Park
- Thread starter Daveography
- Start date
archited
Senior Member
^^^^ Apparently the City is going to have an international design competition to kick off the Planning -- so at least 2 years.
TAS
Senior Member
Ugh
Edmcowboy11
Senior Member
In lots of ways a fancy designed park is whats needed. In other ways, how bout just a simple park with some paved walk ways, benches to sit, 1 or 2 public washroom facilities, and plenty if green spaces with lots of trees for shade
Stevey_G
Active Member
I think the design competition went out the window because of Covid-19. The city page is kind of vague about it. But their timeline is within the next year.
CaptainBL
Active Member
An international design competition like Blatchford's where the prize to the winning designer is to ask the City to remove their name from the project, like Blatchford? What could go wrong with another City led design competition again?
CplKlinger
Senior Member
For those unfamiliar with Blatchford's kerfuffle:
"Perkins + Will, the firm which created the original design for Blatchford, criticized the city for scaling back sustainable features when the project was approved in 2014. They argued that the plan was made inferior by removing features such as geothermal energy and pneumatic waste collection, and that it fell short of its original goals. They further criticized the city for forcing them to defend their work at such a late stage of the planning phase."
To clarify: It does still have a geothermal energy centre, but instead of providing electricity as originally envisioned, it only provides heating and cooling.
archited
Senior Member
^^^^ Yes, the City has a habit of taking the juice out of everything. It is back to the age-old factoid -- it is difficult to justify expenditures in a capital construction budget even if the long term maintenance budget is thrown completely out of whack. Annual maintenance budgets are easier to justify as "necessary expenses", but -- Capital Budgets -- we look like fiscal geniuses if we can reduce the expenses there, says Joe Councillor. E.g. downtown Edmonton Public Library, Lewis Farms Recreation and Community Centre. The same may well happen to the Warehouse District Park; I wouldn't be surprised if Edmonton Planning gives us another "benches and planters" solution in lieu of engaging an outside group who actually knows what they are doing. And, in "good enough for Edmonton" fashion hardly anyone will complain.
IanO
Superstar
The international design comp has been (thankfully) scratched.
CplKlinger
Senior Member
Why don't you want an international design comp?
IanO
Superstar
1. We have highly skilled design professionals/firms here
2. Duration
3. Track record
4. Context
2. Duration
3. Track record
4. Context
CplKlinger
Senior Member
Interesting, thanks for the quick response. If you don't mind, could you expand on the last two points? I'm out of the loop.
ChazYEG
Senior Member
1- and they would be allowed to compete. Having an international competition would be yet another way to project the city outside of our borders, even if the designer of choice was from Edmonton, in the end.
2- it's not like the city has a good cashflow right now. Taking longer might be a good way to have the city's financials in order and protect the project from ending up cheaping out.
3- effectively, when was it that NOT opening the field to more competitors yielded a better result for the city? In any kind of project.
4- please, expand on that. Doesn't make a lot of sense.
IanO
Superstar
1. Have locals pair with international, not the other way around.
2. The dollars are a separate pot and ready to roll.
3. Revisionist history
4. Int'l design comps often miss the mark and the context.
2. The dollars are a separate pot and ready to roll.
3. Revisionist history
4. Int'l design comps often miss the mark and the context.
itom987
Active Member
On #4, anyone remember Zaha Hadid's entry into the design competition for the new art gallary? Zaha had a 'viewing level' that was supposed to allow people to see the river valley. Context...