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Edmonton's heritage preservationists are experiencing a case of déjà vu at the corner of 102nd Avenue and 101st Street NW, where the monolithic Bank of Montreal Building has been gutted. A massive hole has been punched into the western face of the six-storey granite and glass building, allowing crews to dismantle portions of the interior. No concrete plans have been laid out for the site's future, but recent details from CBC News provide a glimpse of what could be in store.
The study structure has proudly stood across Manulife Place since 1984. It notoriously replaced the 1912-built Tegler Building, which was imploded in dramatic fashion in 1982. Despite its prominence and reputation, the BMO Building has no heritage protection, allowing the new owner, Regency Developments, to move ahead with demolition.
Photos from the Forum show the glass removed from the front entrance and the lobby in shambles. According to the CBC, Regency had intended to find a tenant for the building, which was designed specifically to accommodate the bank. But when confronted with looming LRT construction on 102nd Avenue that would have inhibited deconstruction work, Regency opted to begin taking down the building right away.
The developer is planning to build a mixed-use skyscraper approximately 45 to 50 storeys high with commercial space on the ground floor and residential condominiums and a hotel on the upper floors. In the short-term, Regency is aiming to complete demolition by April and then construct an underground parkade. Work on the new tower could begin as soon as mid-2019.
You can follow the progress in our Forum, where you can also leave your comments.
