What do you think of this project?

  • Total voters
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^ Time for a wide pedestrian bridge that also has retail components on the bridge -- could be constructed of SuperWood + CLT + reinforced Ceramic components. It could also be another "Gateway" Edmonton entrance feature. It would need to be creative enough to draw inquisitive-minded pedestrians into an exploration-minded mode. It could have an LSM-propelled glass-enclosed elevator at each end. It could connect diagonally from the Strathcona Hotel to Station Park across both Whyte and Gateway.
 
I will design what I am talking about to make it chuckle-proof for the chuckle-duck crowd. This may take a few weeks because it is complex and because I have to do it in "spare time" -- I currently have a very intense workload.
 
I agree part of the issue is the location and having to cross busy streets to get to it. I feel the size of it may also be a factor, perhaps it is not quite large enough to draw many people in to cross the street.

However, it is a great concept, so I hope they come up with some good ideas to draw more people in.
 
I don't buy that it's the road crossing that's the problem.. That's a pedestrian scramble crossing there; easy peasy. I don't think a multi-million $ bridge is the solution; if folks can't get up the energy to cross 30' of pavement (which they do with aplomb one block west at Calgary Trail), they're not going to climb up a set of stairs to cross; not enough of a draw is the most likely cause.
 
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A little of column A and B is my guess, but it's a real barrier.

The same went for the Patagonia store around Whyte to the north; a true destination store and one you think would have drawn people 100' further, but it did not. I spoke with the owner and that store did 30% of its counterparts in Calgary.
 
buildings said:
I don't buy that it's the road crossing that's the problem.. That's a pedestrian scramble crossing there; easy peasy. I don't think a multi-million $ bridge is the solution; if folks can't get up the energy to cross 30' of pavement, they're not going to climb up a set of stairs to cross; not enough of a draw is the most likely cause.
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For me, its mostly an issue that it's along a very busy, congested roadway. Just not a pleasant place to walk as nice as the improvement is with this building.

I like the project. If this was over by the bus barns, farmer's market would it be a slam dunk?

Regarding Patagonia, such a nice store. Does retail only do well in malls and power centres in Edmonton?
 
It does seem street front retail in Edmonton is very poor compared to almost any other major city in Canada. It is like we are especially addicted to power centres and suburban malls.

Of course it is worst downtown with so many empty store fronts still, but even Whyte Ave has had its struggles particularly over the last several years.

The Lululemon store which was right on Whyte Ave closed. Yes, Whyte Ave seems to draw a lot of traffic, but a lot of that is to bars, restaurants, coffee shops, theatre and the farmers market, perhaps not as much to other retail.
 
For street front retail to work, you need to be able to “see” where you’re going and deem it worth walking to. It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking 30 feet or 150 feet, if you can’t see something you want to walk to, you won’t.

Station Park’s biggest failing is the orientation of its containers in that the storefronts face a small internal courtyard with poor to nonexistent sight lines from the intersection it needs to entice people to cross (like a mall, it presents a blank face and not an animated one).

People won’t take a risk on crossing a street only to find there’s nothing there for them to see or do when they get there. And simply providing an elevated rather than an at grade crossing won’t change that.
 
TAS said:
One thing Whyte Ave seems to be missing are banks. Maybe they can afford the lease rates.
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Bring back the banks!?

Well there are not as many as there used to be, but still has TD at 109 Street, RBC across the street, ATB a couple blocks south on 104 St (maybe close enough to count?) and CIBC at 99 Street.
 
Sometimes these lines are invisible, sometimes there’s real physical barriers, sometimes a bit of both.

103ave from 105-109st is one of those imo. Hence why good goods failed. No clear barrier, but just mentally not in the “map” of most people as they walk DT.

Gateway is arguably a very real barrier.

106-108ave of 124st is a good example of “breaking” a real barrier and expanding people’s mental maps. The park on 108ave/market draws people north over 107ave. Numerous events like farmers markets and All is Bright where the entire stretch is open (roads closed) and connected help to get people to experience the whole stretch.

Not sure how we do it with gateway, arguably this project is a part of the solution. But I think it’s a real mental map for many. Gateway is the “end” of the whyte nightlife.

I wonder if apartments above this project would have been wise. More 81ave development. Redevelop the parking lots north of station park.
 
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