[Ohman]

Who would have believed that in 2026 we would still be building new parking lots downtown?

....ok maybe most of us. It is easy to believe that in 10 years from now we might have more new parking lots even as old ones get developed.

There is also some fun irony (cognitive dissonance?) in the same developer not putting any parking in the Lotus project, highlighting access to transit and walkability, then putting in two new surface lots downtown.

 

[Wax]

I cant wait to park and ride valley line…

 

[Barnaby]

Currently Edmonton is 3 steps forward, one step back when it comes to the surface parking battle. Westrich is helping more than they're hurting the core.

This is still the fault of the city. The site should be taxed at the same rate as when the BMO building was standing, but since this country taxes improvements, this type of action is incentivized.

We can complain about surface parking lots all day and night, but the insistence on taxing good behaviour (building valuable spaces) is the big issue here.

 

[Kosy123]

My controversial opinion is that this'll probably be a parking lot for far less time than people expect, but what do I know lol

 

[bodsbods9090]

Currently Edmonton is 3 steps forward, one step back when it comes to the surface parking battle. Westrich is helping more than they're hurting the core.

This is still the fault of the city. The site should be taxed at the same rate as when the BMO building was standing, but since this country taxes improvements, this type of action is incentivized.

We can complain about surface parking lots all day and night, but the insistence on taxing good behaviour (building valuable spaces) is the big issue here.

The Quarters will see a few parking lots gone as well. Thanks Gene Dub and E4C project.

 

[Yeggy]

^^^The last 30 years has seen a steady, if not slow, decrease in the amount and number of surface parking lots in the dt area.

Have there been a few back tracks sure, but that is life.

 

[David A]

Currently Edmonton is 3 steps forward, one step back when it comes to the surface parking battle. Westrich is helping more than they're hurting the core.

This is still the fault of the city. The site should be taxed at the same rate as when the BMO building was standing, but since this country taxes improvements, this type of action is incentivized.

We can complain about surface parking lots all day and night, but the insistence on taxing good behaviour (building valuable spaces) is the big issue here.

I agree the city bears responsibility here, the company is just reacting to the perverse incentives here. Until the city fixes this, others will do the same.

 

[David A]

I’m gonna laugh if Westrich builds a 6 story wood frame on this site

Well, wouldn't that be a comparable size to the building that was torn down? Perhaps it would have saved everyone almost a decade of grief if instead of tearing it down the owners did a residential conversion or something.

 

[kcantor]

Well, wouldn't that be a comparable size to the building that was torn down? Perhaps it would have saved everyone almost a decade of grief if instead of tearing it down the owners did a residential conversion or something.

It was shallow enough from atrium to exterior to have made a great hotel/mixed use conversion that could well have started by now even if it took a different developer to execute. Instead we had a developer without the resources and an administration and a council that were too busy chasing the next shiny penny to properly represent the public’s interest.

 

[inclusion]

My controversial opinion is that this'll probably be a parking lot for far less time than people expect, but what do I know lol

Let’s start a pool then, because there is no way you develop a spot like this and develop it within 5 years.

 

[David A]

Let’s start a pool then, because there is no way you develop a spot like this and develop it within 5 years.

Things can get built surprisingly fast when you have competent developers and a favourable economic situation

 

[CplKlinger]

Major Development Permit

Reference Id: Job No 643689526-002 Description: To construct a Food and Drink Service building, operate Special Events and Accessory Outdoor Recreation Service, and develop a Surface Parking Lot with public art in the north east corner, valid for 5 years. Location: 10199 - 101 STREET NW Plan F Lots 43-46 Applicant: OLIDA ARCHITECTURE Status: On Notices Create Date: 2026/01/15 Neighbourhood: DOWNTOWN Issue Date: 2026/03/04 Class Of Permit: Discretionary Development Notification Start Date: 2026/03/10 Notification End Date: 2026/03/31

 

[kcantor]

This is so wrong…

If the current potential sale doesn’t close, this is simply gifting the current owner who got us into this mess a lovely windfall after doing so.

 

[Yeggy]

^well their other property is a judicial sale, so the returns must be muted in the aggregate.

 

[kcantor]

^
They will get the full value of the uplift either way. Even if it is sold, they will receive the NPV of the site's new cash flows from the purchaser regardless of the method of sale.