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Local developer 76 Group Co is moving forward with a new retail development in Queen Mary Park on the site of a former warehouse for The Brick.
Designed by Gardner Architecture, Manchester Square is set to re-purpose a sliver of the old warehouse structure at the corner of 107 Avenue and 120 Street into a retail strip-mall development, which will see Amsterdam-inspired false-frontages added to the remaining structure — complete with decorative hijsbalk, the cantilevered lifting beams that adorn the gables of older Dutch buildings.
The choice of architectural design combined with building a car-oriented, internally-facing strip mall on an inner-city main street has proven to be contentious within the discussion Forum, where members have also expressed confusion over the "Manchester" name versus the decidedly "Amsterdam" styling.
The project continues to inch forward, with much of the old warehouse now demolished. A development permit application is now in progress to complete the shell of the building, which will include dividing the interior vertically with an added mezzanine.
As part of the permit application process, the project team presented to the Edmonton Design Committee (EDC) on Tuesday, December 4. The result of their deliberations will likely not be known for at least another week, until the minutes of the meeting are approved and made public.
During the EDC meeting, SkyriseEdmonton learned from the developer that they will also be seeking a rezoning from City Council in the new year, an unusual step in that rezoning is usually completed before seeking a development permit. The rezoning will attempt to update the parking requirements, and to permit interior mezzanine levels to be extended by a further 20 percent of the floor area.
SkyriseEdmonton will be sure to revisit this project as it progresses. What do you think of the proposal? Leave a comment below, or join the conversation in our discussion Forum. You can also find more information and images in our Database file.
