Back in late July, the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) announced that it would be redeveloping the HSBC Bank Place tower in downtown Edmonton. The DIALOG-designed revamp will see the 19-storey, 317,000 square-foot office tower upgraded from Class A to AA, the final product to seek LEED Gold Certification.

HSBC Bank Place Revitalization, image via DIALOG

Set for completion by late 2019, the podium level of the tower, located at the corner of 101 St NW and 103 Ave NW will be transformed, remade with a fresh, modern aesthetic. The lobby and main entrance will face the street with a double-height glass curtain wall, leading to a fair amount of hopeful speculation that a strip of ground-level retail may one day enliven base of the tower. 

Demolition work underway, image by Forum contributor Daveography

Before work can proceed, demolition crews must remove the existing HSBC bank storefront, along with the rest of the tower's former entrance and lobby space. 

Demolition, close-up view, image by Forum contributor Daveography

Once complete, the revitalized HSBC Bank Place tower will have all new mechanical systems, new floor-to-ceiling glass, a revamped lobby, and will become the first office block in Western Canada to be Wired Certified. Close to the ICE District, and part of the ongoing transformation of the core, this project fits nicely within the current slate of urban renewal projects now underway. 

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.