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Manchester Square, soon to become Edmonton's answer to Euro Disney, has begun to take shape. In particular, the development's iconic bell tower has recently been framed up and appears to be ready for cladding.
Set to become a slice of Amsterdam in the midst of suburban Edmonton, the aptly named Manchester Square seeks to blend features of both together into something of a middle ground between old world charm, and strip mall chic. Bounded to the east by a large cemetery, and to the west by a long stretch of hardscrabble suburbia, Manchester Square will have plenty of space to fit its ocean-esque parking lot and whimsical collection of 20 separate retail bays.
Thus more or less closed off from a pedestrian perspective, the large parking lot will front onto the local streetscape, the warren of stores within the site to be connected via a self-contained circuit of sidewalks. Taking the shape of an outdoor mall, which have become increasingly popular, Manchester Square will no doubt attract the usual blend of chain stores and dining options synonymous with the suburban retail experience.
Despite all of the development's apparent shortcomings, however, the relatively high-density mix of stores, cafes, and dining options will serve the local community well, Manchester Square having replaced a single-use Brick furniture outlet. Lastly, as only time will tell, the arrival of cladding to the development will be informative for all future opinions on the project, which though perhaps doubtful, may have a positive effect upon popular opinion.
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.
