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Six months since our last update, and progress at the future site of 76 Group Co's Euro-themed Manchester Square has moved ahead significantly. Site clearance has made way for construction crews, as the first instances of heavy machinery and building materials have now made their debut.
The site of a former Brick furniture store, the sprawling commercial property at the corner of 120 St NW and 107 Ave NW in Westmount will bring new life to the area. Bounded to the east by the Edmonton Cemetery, and to the west by a forlorn stretch of semi-suburban road, Manchester Square will fill the space with 20 separate retail bays tucked into a whimsical, Euro-themed, outdoor shopping mall.
While early reviews have been mixed at best, owing largely to what critics point to as the wildly confused mix of the "Manchester Square" nomenclature and the overtly Dutch-influenced style of the development, it would appear that the project is progressing undeterred. Critics have also pointed to the desire to recreate a hyper-inauthentic facsimile of old Europe in the middle of suburban Edmonton as a whim that would have been best left unexplored.
Nonetheless, the parking lot-heavy Manchester Square will soon be upon us, its ocean of tarmac to grace the entire 107 Ave frontage of the development, ensuring that the pedestrian-friendly outdoor mall will only be accessible by car. A missed opportunity to be sure, Manchester Square will at the very least provide a mix of local shops and services to an area of the city that may benefit from their presence.
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.
