2020 vision: What will downtown Edmonton look like at the end of the decade?

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1 2020 vision: What will downtown Edmonton look like at the end of the decade? If all the plans for condo and office towers, hotels, arts facilities and other developments go ahead, our downtown will be a lot bigger, busier and bolder than it is today. We take stock of the changes ahead. BY GORDON KENT, EDMONTON JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 15, :41 AM Artist's drawing of downtown Edmonton Arena District released on Aug. 28, EDMONTON - Downtown Edmonton is on a roll. Over the past several months, we ve been hearing announcement after announcement for new office, residential and government developments. Indeed, predictions indicate we could see up to $4.8 billion worth of construction in the city centre by It all amounts to an unprecedented amount of construction for Edmonton, says Cory Wosnack, office leasing principal with Avison Young. When you have billions of dollars of construction value being brought on stream within a five-year period, that s unheard of, not just in Canada, but in North America, he says. Most people haven t grasped the significance of it. Several projects we know for sure are going ahead: The LRT expansion, the new arena district, the Royal Alberta Museum, expansions at MacEwan University and Norquest College, and various other condo and office towers.

2 Some other projects remain a bit more unclear: The redevelopment of Rossdale, the major Galleria arts complex, a student residence complex near MacEwan University, and several condo and office towers including one that promises to be 71 storeys tall. But if they all do go ahead, what would downtown look like by 2020? Here is a google map that shows all of the planned and potentional developments that are going to be taking place in the downtown core. Mobile users please click here: vision: What will downtown look like at the e... Sign in Map data 2014 Google Terms Arena district 1. Rogers Place

3 The 18,641-seat Rogers Place, on the north side of 104th Avenue at 103rd Street, will be the Oilers new home and site of concerts and shows. Status: Under construction, completion Cost: $605 million when the land, the Wintergarden pedestrian crossing over 104th Avenue, an LRT link, the community rink and other expenses included. 2. City office building This curving 27-storey structure at st St. will have 18 floors leased to the City of Edmonton for its downtown staff. Status: Under construction, completion Cost: More than $300 million. 3. Stantec tower Edmonton engineering and architectural consulting firm Stantec will have its headquarters here, on the northwest corner of 103rd Avenue and 102nd Street, in a 62-storey complex. Status: Under construction, completion Cost: $500 million. 4. Hotel/condo tower

4 This upscale hotel, at the southeast corner of 104th Avenue and 102nd Street, is aimed at fans attending hockey games and concerts at the arena, and it will have a pedestrian link to the Stantec tower. Status: In planning, completion scheduled for Residential/retail tower The downtown Greyhound bus station on the southwest corner of 103rd Street and 104th Avenue will be gone (its lease expires in 2016) and in its place will be a retail and residential tower. This block of 103rd Street will be a pedestrianoriented road similar to Rice Howard Way. Status: Unknown, completion scheduled for Retail buildings New low-rise buildings on the north side of 103rd Avenue between 102nd and 103rd streets will frame the outdoor plaza that will be across 104th Avenue from the arena, and will feature shopping and restaurants. Status: In planning, completion scheduled for Arena district trophy tower The Baccarat Casino will be gone and in its place, arena district developers promise a trophy development that might include residential towers. Status: In planning, completion scheduled for 2019.

5 Quarters Development 8. Armature The Armature development, along 96th Street between Jasper Avenue and 103A Avenue, will see the street turned into a pedestrian-friendly open space and park. Status: Under construction, completion Cost: $27.2 million 9. Hyatt Hotel The northeast corner of 96th Street and Jasper Avenue will feature a distinctive 13-storey hotel with shops and restaurants on the main floor. Status: Under construction, completion Cost: $45 million. 10. The Corners This 28-storey residential tower on the northeast corner of 95th Street and Jasper Avenue will have about 285 units. Status: Under construction, completion date unknown. 11. Artists Quarters Artists will be able to live and work in 64 studios in this building on the northwest corner of 102A Avenue and 96th Street, which will also feature other housing, performance studios and offices for arts groups. Status: In planning Cost: $30 million

6 12. Ukrainian Canadian Archives and Museums of Alberta The historic Lodge Hotel and Brighton Block on Jasper Avenue between 97th Street and 96th Street will be turned into archives and a museum in a $20-million redevelopment. Status: Under construction, Phase 1 completion Cost: $10.4 million 13. ValleyView A 16-storey condo beside St. Barbara s Russian Orthodox Cathedral on the southeast corner of Jasper Avenue and 96th Street was the first major project city council approved for the Quarters development. Status: Unknown; original plan put on hold in Cost: Unknown Rossdale 14. West Rossdale redevelopment An urban village is planned for the area between 97th Avenue, Rossdale Road, 106th Street, the Epcor property and the river. It features almost 2,000 new housing units, stores and tree-lined boulevards. Status: In planning. Funding and the future of Telus Field are still unresolved. 15. Former power plant

7 By 2020, this historic industrial structure could have found new life: Suggestions include a market, arts spaces, an aboriginal cultural centre, restaurants, homes and a brew pub. The land is being eyed for an interpretive plaza. Status: In planning. City spending $3.4 million a year for next 10 years to keep it standing. Cost: Up to $80 million. 16. River access Getting close to the North Saskatchewan River could be much easier with a hanging walkway, called the Touch the Water Promenade, as well as some sort of mechanized river valley access (an elevator or funicular) on the slope behind the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. Status: In planning. Cost: $34 million, two-thirds paid by other levels of government. 17. Canal

8 A metre-deep channel using water pumped up from the North Saskatchewan would flow below Rossdale Road, past Telus Field and back into the river. It would be an all-seasons gathering place, with shops, restaurants, homes and skating. Status: In planning, as a public-private partnership. Cost: Estimated $50 million. Other developments 18. Galleria A large arts and culture complex is envisioned for the area south and east of Epcor Tower. Plans include four theatre spaces, a covered public galleria, and a 32,500-square-metre facility for the University of Alberta s arts and music schools. The province must give the U of A funding before the development goes ahead. Status: In planning, completion date unknown. Cost: $850 million for all phases 19. Kelly-Ramsey Building

9 This 29-storey office tower will be completed at st St. The developer received a $1.7-million city heritage grant to incorporate the four-storey facades of two historic buildings that were on the property. Status: Under construction, completion Cost: $250 million 20. Seventh Street Block A slim 10-storey mixture of office, retail and residential space at th St. Status: In planning, completion date unknown. 21. The Edmontonian

10 If it s completed as proposed, this 276-metre office-condo-hotel at st St. will be a staggering 71 storeys, or 276 metres high. Status: In planning, completion date unknown. 22. Office building A surface parking lot on the east side of 104th Street, just north of Jasper Avenue s historic Birk s Building, could be turned into a six-storey commercial building. Status: Unknown Cost: Unknown 23. Ultima Tower A 32-storey condo with 199 units at rd Street. Status: Under construction, completion 2015 Cost: $75 million 24. The Fox and Fox Two

11 The site of former bus barns on the northwest corner of 102nd Avenue and 104th Street will be turned into a 142-unit, 28-storey highrise condo in the first phase. Fox Two, a 169-unit, 33-storey condo tower, will be built in the second phase. Status: Under construction. The Fox to be completed by 2015; Fox Two by Cost: Unknown 25. Encore Condominiums This glass-walled 40-storey condo building on a former parking lot on the southwest corner of 103rd Street and 102nd Avenue is designed to be Edmonton s tallest residential tower. Status: In planning. 26. Jasper House and North

12 The parking lot north of Boston Pizza at th St. will become a 36-storey condo tower containing 240 luxury units called Jasper House. After it s done, the developer will build North, on the northeast corner of 106th Street and 103rd Avenue. That condo building will be 40 storeys high. Status: In planning Cost: Total $260 million for both 27. Student residences The Old Healy Ford location on the south side of 104th Avenue between 106th Street and 107th Street will be the site of student residences, with 330 apartments. Status: In planning Cost: Unknown 28. Mayfair Village North A 10-storey rental building in envisioned where the Mayfair Hotel once stood at Jasper Ave., next to the existing Mayfair Village. Status: In planning Cost: $100 million 29. Bellamy Hill Tower

13 A 100-unit condo building on the northeast corner of Bellamy Hill Road and 99th Avenue is set to rise on the hill overlooking the river valley. Status: In planning Cost: Unknown 30. Apartment building The historic Paramount Theatre is set to be demolished or perhaps its facade would remain to make way for a 28- to 30-storey rental tower on the south side of Jasper Avenue between 102nd Street and 103rd Street. Status: Unknown Cost: Unknown 31. Royal Alberta Museum The replacement for Glenora s provincial museum has twice the existing gallery space. The 36,000-square-metre building at A Ave. will be linked to the Churchill Square LRT station and the Galleria. Status: Under construction, completion 2017 Cost: $340 million 32. Norquest College An expansion at th St. includes renovations to the main campus building and an adjoining four-storey building with a new library, aboriginal ceremonial room, 24 classrooms and 27 labs. There will also be a daycare and a park. Status: Under construction, completion 2017 Cost: $190 million 33. MacEwan University

14 The Centre for Arts and Communications on 104th Avenue at 112th Street will be a five-storey building for visual and performing arts programs and provide modern teaching space. Status: Under construction, completion 2017 Cost: $153 million 34. Valley Line LRT The low-floor LRT route to Mill Woods will travel east on 102nd Avenue from a new surface Churchill Square station. The tracks enter a tunnel at 95th Street that carries them to a bridge over the river. Status: Construction starts 2016, completion 2020 Cost: $1.8 billion 35. Metro Line LRT

15 This LRT line branches off the existing Capital Line at Churchill Station to connect to MacEwan University, Kingsway Mall, the Royal Alexandra Hospital and NAIT. Status: Under construction, to open by end of Cost: $755 million. 36. Winspear Centre A 3,700-square-metre expansion of the centre at 97th Street and 102nd Avenue onto the rear parking lot features a 550- seat performance hall, studios, shops and a parkade. Status: Unknown 37. Symphony Tower A 27-floor, 143-suite condo tower on the northwest corner of 106th Street and 97th Avenue. The top floors are high-end; several suites have sold for more than $1.5 million. Status: Construction to start 2014; completion Cost: Unknown Note: This article and map contains proposals and projects in various stages of development in central Edmonton. Many are going ahead, while some might have been shelved by their proponents, or are still in the works in a different form from what was originally considered. Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal Previous Next

16 Artist's drawing of downtown Edmonton Arena District released on Aug. 28, 2014.