Little known even to locals, large-scale development plans for Frank Oliver Park, adjacent to the Fairmont Macdonald, have been a distinct possibility going back to the 1980s. Thirty years later, and a fresh proposal for a 58-storey tower known as "9955 Jasper Avenue," has been put forward to the City by Toronto-based developer Great Gulf. 

9955 Jasper Ave, looming large over the Fairmont Macdonald, image via Great Gulf

The architectsAlliance-designed tower would stand tall at 184 metres, the residential high-rise to be home to approximately 400 units. Located at the crossroads of downtown Edmonton, the development would inject upwards of 700 new residents into the core, close to transit and within walking distance to virtually every one of the city's major attractions and entertainment districts. 

9955 Jasper Ave, Frank Oliver Park Park, image via Great Gulf

Fronting onto Jasper Ave, the tower would meet the street with a multi-storey retail/commercial podium base. While details to date are scare, it is more than likely that major tenants would be interested, considering the project's prominent address. 

9955 Jasper Ave, street level, image via Great Gulf

9955 Jasper Avenue would open onto what would be the remaining acreage of Frank Oliver Park, the restoration of some trees and green space, along with what appears to be new landscaping and outdoor seating (above), to remake the space into a pleasant urban environment. While some may point to the loss of green space, others will argue that it was underused, owing to the private nature of the Fairmont. 

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.