A recent open house for Westrich Pacific's Grandin Tower proposal has unveiled a set of new details pertinent to the size and scope of the project, and our very own Daveography was in attendance on April 6, 2017. Designed by Stantec, the current proposal is for a 90-metre, 30-storey residential tower with 165 units. The present rezoning application is asking for permission to significantly exceed the current four-storey limit that exists in the area. 

Grandin Tower, SW view, image by Forum contributor Daveography

Set to replace a set of detached homes, the site will be on the tight side, with the tower wedged between a low-rise apartment block and a parking garage. There will be a minimum amount of space left over for landscaping, which will be restricted to a thin partial wrap around the base of the tower. Visible in the above rendering and the site plan below, Grandin Tower will sit perpendicular to the street. The existing laneway along the side of the tower will allow vehicular access, while pedestrian access will be granted via the main entryway on 111 Street. 

Site Plan, Grandin Tower, image by Forum contributor Daveography

Designed with townhouses at its base, the tower will ingratiate itself into the streetscape with a more typical domestic typology for the neighbourhood, with private car parking offered via the laneway. The bulk of the units will fall into the category of single-floor highrise units, adding a great deal of density into the area, which is just steps from Grandin LRT Station with service to downtown. 

Street view, Grandin Tower, image by Forum contributor Daveography

If approved as proposed, Grandin Tower will represent the changing face of Edmonton's Oliver neighbourhood, where the area's low-rise mid-density character is slowly but surely giving way to higher density highrise projects. 

SkyriseEdmonton will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below. 

Related Companies:  Ferris + Associates Inc.