What do you think of this project?

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    31
Garceyues said:
All of the same applies to Calgary yet they continue to have large new projects beginning in recent months. Even if one wants to argue Calgary has a stronger local economy, they are more affected by oil prices yet continue to do fine.
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My two cents as a non real estate insider is that they just market their downtown much better than ours, and that reflects on the interest. The perception probably plays a big role in getting people to invest money in larger projects. If you market yourself as a glitzy discount Toronto, then you're going to have people and investors believe it and spend money accordingly, either through investment or through a consumer's willingness to pay.

It's why I'm happy that there was some media buzz about the 1,800 residential units planned around O-day'min park, and I hope that continues when more of the almost 3000 units we have being built or in the DP stage move forward. We do such a bad job of marketing downtown to the public, compared to Calgary. They're patting themselves on the back for their office conversion program and the units that come with it (which works well in their situation), yet we barely talk about our downtown's successes and future trajectory. I'm hoping that changes in some way when we get the final results from the Student Housing incentive and the expected numbers from the Attainable Housing Incentive.

Hell, I'd be happy just seeing updates from the city on residential units or the yearly downtown population as a KPI, which I know is part of the Downtown Investment Plan, but publish and market that heavily to the public.

If we keep yelling into the void at how many new residential units are coming to downtown, others might take notice and ask why that's happening and maybe even get in the trend.
 
Kosy123 said:
My two cents as a non real estate insider is that they just market their downtown much better than ours, and that reflects on the interest. The perception probably plays a big role in getting people to invest money in larger projects. If you market yourself as a glitzy discount Toronto, then you're going to have people and investors believe it and spend money accordingly, either through investment or through a consumer's willingness to pay.

It's why I'm happy that there was some media buzz about the 1,800 residential units planned around O-day'min park, and I hope that continues when more of the almost 3000 units we have being built or in the DP stage move forward. We do such a bad job of marketing downtown to the public, compared to Calgary. They're patting themselves on the back for their office conversion program and the units that come with it (which works well in their situation), yet we barely talk about our downtown's successes and future trajectory. I'm hoping that changes in some way when we get the final results from the Student Housing incentive and the expected numbers from the Attainable Housing Incentive.

Hell, I'd be happy just seeing updates from the city on residential units or the yearly downtown population as a KPI, which I know is part of the Downtown Investment Plan, but publish and market that heavily to the public.

If we keep yelling into the void at how many new residential units are coming to downtown, others might take notice and ask why that's happening and maybe even get in the trend.
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I know people who take a great deal of pride in saying they NEVER go downtown. If we don’t believe in ourselves how do we expect outsiders to.
 
Kosy123 said:
My two cents as a non real estate insider is that they just market their downtown much better than ours, and that reflects on the interest. The perception probably plays a big role in getting people to invest money in larger projects. If you market yourself as a glitzy discount Toronto, then you're going to have people and investors believe it and spend money accordingly, either through investment or through a consumer's willingness to pay.

It's why I'm happy that there was some media buzz about the 1,800 residential units planned around O-day'min park, and I hope that continues when more of the almost 3000 units we have being built or in the DP stage move forward. We do such a bad job of marketing downtown to the public, compared to Calgary. They're patting themselves on the back for their office conversion program and the units that come with it (which works well in their situation), yet we barely talk about our downtown's successes and future trajectory. I'm hoping that changes in some way when we get the final results from the Student Housing incentive and the expected numbers from the Attainable Housing Incentive.

Hell, I'd be happy just seeing updates from the city on residential units or the yearly downtown population as a KPI, which I know is part of the Downtown Investment Plan, but publish and market that heavily to the public.

If we keep yelling into the void at how many new residential units are coming to downtown, others might take notice and ask why that's happening and maybe even get in the trend.
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Some of it is marketing, in general the media covers what is happening in Calgary much more, so we hear a lot about things like the office to residential conversion program.

I don't think it often gets mentioned Edmonton also successfully did some of this many years ago, way before Calgary ever thought of it. At times it does feel like yelling into the void to get stories about success here covered much.

If we get media coverage outside of local, it is more likely to be negative, like crime or bad weather, so that I feel reinforces the negative perceptions and some of the inferiority we also have about ourselves.
 
archited said:
Sadly, many Edmonton developers have a group-think mindset that doesn't allow them to see beyond present-day opportunities. It hasn't always been so... but the current "don't risk it" attitude will get blown out of the water at some point and a new leader or two in the development game will show the way.
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I feel current don't risk it attitude here is being overblown now. I am not sure if this is because Edmonton business tends to be more conservative, or there is another agenda like trying to pressure the city for concessions on certain things. Perhaps it is some of both.
 
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Downtown Calgary is accessible from a variety of directions which makes it central and able to support development. Downtown Edmonton isn't as accessible or central which makes it less desirable for people working outside of the core or for visitors.
 
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Out of Towner said:
Downtown Calgary is accessible from a variety of directions which makes it central and able to support development. Downtown Edmonton isn't as accessible or central which makes it less desirable for people working outside of the core or for visitors. Downtown Edmonton will be fighting an uphill battle to improve its accessibility until, among other things, the underpass on 97th Street is upgraded and the High Level Bridge is replaced with a modern bridge 6 lane bridge. In other words, sometime is the 22nd century.
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I think have a really decentralized workforce doesn't help either. Edmonton needs to redefine itself, I was in Nashville and I think turning Whyte Ave into something like Broadway would attract people.
 
NicolBolas said:
I think have a really decentralized workforce doesn't help either. Edmonton needs to redefine itself, I was in Nashville and I think turning Whyte Ave into something like Broadway would attract people.
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I'd agree with that and it could start with Whyte Ave as it's beginning to get a little rough and needs an upgrade. If something isn't done soon the dopers will begin lying on the sidewalks and setting up tents
 
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