[David A]

When I first started lurking in this forum so many years ago, I wanted high rises everywhere downtown.

Now? I want complete streets and vacant lot elimination more than anything else.

Vibrant city cores don't need skyscrapers everywhere, and I'm more than fine with subsidies kickstarting as many projects in downtown asap. I'm the farthest thing from a corporate/developer shill but frankly throw another $20-30 million at it. Distort the market even more. Use whatever tools we have to achieve that policy outcome.

I mostly agree, but the problem with our downtown is also lack of significant growth in commercial activity for decades and limited retail now compared to many other cities in Canada.

So I feel we need to put some of this subsidy money towards those problems too in conjunction with residential. A place without enough commercial activity or retail will not be attractive enough to gain a lot of residents.

 

[Yeggy]

^ We need people.

 

[ChazYEG]

Is there a difference in what the “CBD” is and “downtown”?

Yes. The CBD (Central Business District) is the area of Downtown (the neighborhood) that concentrates offices, hotels, convention centre, etc. It has some residential, and we do want residential to go there, but it's primarily a business centre.
Downtown has a few different areas (Warehouse District, CBD, etc...).

 

[MacLac]

Kelowna gets 8 storeys out of Ian……

Lake Country council approves permit for large rental housing project

Lake Country council has paved the way for construction to begin on a large rental housing project on Woodsdale Court.

www.castanet.net

 

[ChazYEG]

Kelowna gets 8 storeys out of Ian……

Lake Country council approves permit for large rental housing project

Lake Country council has paved the way for construction to begin on a large rental housing project on Woodsdale Court.

www.castanet.net

That is a poor comparison. These will probably lease for $200-600/month more per unit (depending on size) than in Edmonton. Over almost 300 units it definitely changes the economics of a project.
Rentals in the Okanagan are out of touch with the reality of most of the people who work here, but the swaths of rich students being bankrolled by their parents, as well as Albertans and Vancouverites working remotely keep prices over inflated.

 

[Ohman]

I don't think the issue for most people on here is midrises instead of highrises; I think the issue is the design and quality. These NY examples are in an entirely different world from what developers here are building and proposing.

Thank you. Most of the criticism here is not about the height. It is about the design and material choices. Reducing the conversation to “not everything needs to be a high-rise” sidesteps the actual concerns people are raising.

Hire a better architect, use quality cladding. The height conversation is a different issue. People do not want an ugly downtown. Filling empty lots at any cost might seem like progress now, but the long term result is a downtown covered in hardie-board. Let's raise the bar from "big sherwood park" to something a bit more aspirational.

 

[whattheheck]

^It's all about the materials. Remember former Mayor Mandel's 'no more crap' statement. Well, it seems in any desperate attempt for complete streets, we're willing to forgo aesthetics. Shameful. Edmonton deserves better.

 

[Yeggy]

What are peoples issue? This project is perfectly fine.

People complain about the height then say its the finishings…

The reality is very few people of this forum, punching out their opinions on their keyboards, will actually do anything concrete to better their communities other than simply being of them.

we have far worse issues to deal with.

 

[Mesopotamia]

What are peoples issue? This project is perfectly fine.

People complain about the height then say its the finishings…

The reality is very few people of this forum, punching out their opinions on their keyboards, will actually do anything concrete to better their communities other than simply being of them.

we have far worse issues to deal with.

The wine critic doesn’t make the wine

 

[TAS]

If I had my way, 108st would have been lined with 6-8-10 storey residential and The Parks towers would have been on 106st.

I think most of 108st from 104ave to 99ave is lower profile and that would have looked great throughout.

Don't know that it really matters much, though.

 

[David A]

That is a poor comparison. These will probably lease for $200-600/month more per unit (depending on size) than in Edmonton. Over almost 300 units it definitely changes the economics of a project.
Rentals in the Okanagan are out of touch with the reality of most of the people who work here, but the swaths of rich students being bankrolled by their parents, as well as Albertans and Vancouverites working remotely keep prices over inflated.

Perhaps the out of touch with reality part explains the rising vacancy rates in Kelowna, which if it continues may result in those units yielding less than that in the future

Maybe there was a shortage at some time that led to those higher rates. However, there sometimes is a lemming like behaviour by developers who often rush in to build based on the past or present rental rates and the resulting supply increase they create changes the market that make it less lucrative. Much like how people rushed to build expensive tiny condos in our largest cities that now can not fill or sell. I suppose the empty units at least look good on the outside.

 

[Ohman]

What are peoples issue? This project is perfectly fine.

 

[HelpEd]

Getting scared they won’t be any brick.

 

[johnnyboy]

If I had my way, 108st would have been lined with 6-8-10 storey residential and The Parks towers would have been on 106st.

I think most of 108st from 104ave to 99ave is lower profile and that would have looked great throughout.

Don't know that it really matters much, though.

It would've benefited the park's sunlight as well (though I'm unsure how much a single Parks tower is blocking the afternoon/evening sun; two might be a different storey though.)

 

[Mesopotamia]

This looks like something that belongs in the suburbs