One year to the day after reporting activity on their Whyte Avenue site, Wexford Developments celebrated the official topping-off of Raymond Block.

Raymond Block, with the Post Office on the right, photo by Dave Sutherland

Media, retail representatives and others were invited to take part in a celebratory tour of the DIALOG-designed building at the prominent corner of 82 Avenue and 105 Street in the heart of Old Strathcona.

Inside the ground floor retail, photo by Dave Sutherland

The six-storey building is named for the Raymond Hotel which stood on the site in the early 1900s. The property has existed as a fenced off lot since 1998, after a gas station was shut down and demolished. The soil was under remediation until 2012, and the property was finally sold in 2014.

Remedy, Miniso, 7-Eleven, Blaze, and Five Guys announced as retail tenants, photo by Dave Sutherland

Remedy Cafe, Miniso Japanese Lifestyle store, 7-Eleven, Blaze Pizza, and Five Guys Burgers and Fries were announced as tenants for the 19,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, which boast ceilings up to 19 feet high.

Office floors with views overlooking Whyte Avenue, photo by Dave Sutherland

Above that, lease negotiations are taking place for the 20,000 square feet of office space on the second level, which also offer an impressive floor-to-ceiling height of between 14 and 16 feet. Ninety-five rental apartments occupy the remaining floors, which are set back from the street to reduce visual impact on the historic streetscape.

A look inside a residential floor, photo by Dave Sutherland

Kendal Harazny, co-founder of Wexford Developments, photo by Dave Sutherland

Construction work is expected to be substantially completed and the building ready for occupancy in September.

Views from the rooftop, photo by Dave Sutherland

Let us know what you think of this project in the comments below or in the Forum thread, where you can find more photos from the tour.