The concept design looks good. It's the right scale, and having the station off to the side, is perfect. It's too bad Harvard Developments is involved instead of a serious developer, or CMLC working with more than one serious developer.
- Thread starter Surrealplaces
- Start date
haltcatchfire
Senior Member
Zero confidence Harvard understands the context of this site and what the needs are for it to be successful. Expecting poor connection and integration with the green line station too.
CT (Chinese_T)
Active Member
TBH I wouldn't mind if they did something similar to "The Well" in Toronto. They just need to break up that superblock into smaller sections with a pedestrian-only spine running through
darwink
Senior Member
Is the market there to reach $500/square foot in hard costs? TBH I doubt it.
JonnyCanuck
Senior Member
Harvard Developments Corporation
One of Western Canada's most highly respected real estate companies, with over 117 years of of office, retail and residential development experience and proven success in leasing, property management and asset management.
harvard.ca
haltcatchfire
Senior Member
They have done a lot of different projects throughout Western Canada. Eau Claire looks to be their most ambitious.Harvard Developments Corporation
One of Western Canada's most highly respected real estate companies, with over 117 years of of office, retail and residential development experience and proven success in leasing, property management and asset management.
Yes and they lead off their marketing with Hill Towers which completed 30 years ago.
Given their other developments, I think this is too ambitious imo. With the LRT station next to Eau Claire I consider it a strategic site, and I would like to see it least somebody like CMLC involved.They have done a lot of different projects throughout Western Canada. Eau Claire looks to be their most ambitious.Harvard Developments Corporation
One of Western Canada's most highly respected real estate companies, with over 117 years of of office, retail and residential development experience and proven success in leasing, property management and asset management.
Maybe the city can convince Harvard to do a development somewhere down on McLeod Trail by Chinook.
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Mountain Man
Senior Member
Harvard hired Perkins & Will for the previous Eau Claire redevelopment proposal, so there's hope...
haltcatchfire
Senior Member
Part of my lack of hope. Previous iterations out of a quality firm have been uninspired long before the value engineering. I’m not sold on the grid streets and generic main level retail under copy and paste buildings. It’ll be just like East Village. Fine for a collection of local services that are great for immediate residents but there is no main draw for anyone from outside the area. The few establishments fronting the plaza will equate to the Simmons building. The rest will be lacklustre.
The green line station won’t be bustling. It’ll serve north end commuters that work around that end of downtown. South end commuters will get off at the previous station and take the rest of the way more direct on foot. Eau Claire residents, first there really aren’t that many, won’t be taking the green line in great numbers. So the thought of a new ‘street’ market flooded with visitors, residents, local tourists, and workers is a pipe dream.
Maybe one day long in the future the 7th Ave station with direct connections to the Core mall, blue line, subway under Stephen, and subway in the food court will be a bustling hub like Toronto Yonge Dundas at the Eaton Centre is.
Colinfill
Active Member
For the love of God, may there please be a new cinema at this station
The Familia
Senior Member
Sweet! The demolition of Eau Clare and construction of the subway station should coincide nicely with the grand opening of the new Eau Clare plaza. There is zero doubt that Harvard is going to continue to sit on this land and it will basically be a carbon copy of Westbrook.
I can picture it now...You climb up from the depths of the subway and are greeted by a modern glass and steel cube that pokes out from under the cracked, sun-baked earth like an exposed diamond desperately trying to dig itself out of it's million-year long slumber. Make-shift pathways criss cross the barren land in all directions like the veins on a leaf. To the west, a beautiful concrete rectangle beckons you to come a little closer. A lonely tree, no taller than an NBA player, gently dances in the wind-swept wasteland, while the many brittle, skeletal remains of its family stand watch nearby. You desperately look for something to eat. To the south lies the plains of DT, a flat barren zone devoid of life. In the distance lies a majetic wall of glass mountains that rise abruptly from the ground proving almost impenetrable. The east seems promising, with tiny rays of light poking out from concrete towers, you assume there is some type of life living in those burrows. As you get closer though, you realize it is a restricted access zone. You do not have the credentials to enter this facility, nor do they offer anything to the outside world. Your last hope is to go north. You decide to use a broom finished, suburban sidewalk pathway to make your way north and discover a beautiful lagoon and river! An uninspiring bridge greets you, and as you cross over it, you enter a beautiful tree covered oasis. You made it out of the apocalypse! The only problem is, you are still hungry....
I can picture it now...You climb up from the depths of the subway and are greeted by a modern glass and steel cube that pokes out from under the cracked, sun-baked earth like an exposed diamond desperately trying to dig itself out of it's million-year long slumber. Make-shift pathways criss cross the barren land in all directions like the veins on a leaf. To the west, a beautiful concrete rectangle beckons you to come a little closer. A lonely tree, no taller than an NBA player, gently dances in the wind-swept wasteland, while the many brittle, skeletal remains of its family stand watch nearby. You desperately look for something to eat. To the south lies the plains of DT, a flat barren zone devoid of life. In the distance lies a majetic wall of glass mountains that rise abruptly from the ground proving almost impenetrable. The east seems promising, with tiny rays of light poking out from concrete towers, you assume there is some type of life living in those burrows. As you get closer though, you realize it is a restricted access zone. You do not have the credentials to enter this facility, nor do they offer anything to the outside world. Your last hope is to go north. You decide to use a broom finished, suburban sidewalk pathway to make your way north and discover a beautiful lagoon and river! An uninspiring bridge greets you, and as you cross over it, you enter a beautiful tree covered oasis. You made it out of the apocalypse! The only problem is, you are still hungry....
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O-tac
Active Member
My thoughts are the same. This will sit as a barren gravel, weed infested wasteland for at least another decade. Seeing the talking head from Harvard video conferencing with Global from what looked like a generic Costco desk didn't inspire a ton of hope. They made sure to say this would take years to build.
FCC1982
Active Member
Man, no optimism on here about the EC
C-Train station & market redevelopment.
Not saying you’re wrong but was hoping for a less depressing reaction.
C-Train station & market redevelopment.
Not saying you’re wrong but was hoping for a less depressing reaction.
YourBoy007
Active Member
One thing this forum has taught me is that if you want something done, do it yourself.
When I move later this year I will be applying to my city commissions as a volunteer resident.
When I move later this year I will be applying to my city commissions as a volunteer resident.
Between Harvard's track record which consists mainly of building a handful of forgettable office buildings in Regina and the Green Line's projected finish of 2072, there isn't much reason to be optimistic.Man, no optimism on here about the EC
C-Train station & market redevelopment.
Not saying you’re wrong but was hoping for a less depressing reaction.
Honestly, I'd rather see the mall stay until the Green Line is u/c or Harvard actually plans to build something.