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edmontonjournal.com

Major employer doubles-down on Downtown Edmonton with relocation underway

ATCO to move Edmonton employees to a different site in the downtown core.
edmontonjournal.com edmontonjournal.com

The change is set to start in 2028 and will involve around 1,200 employees.

Atco said the decision was driven by a desire to stay connected to other businesses, help with the revitalization of the Downtown core, and give its employees good access to amenities.

“We think it’s important for the development of Downtown,” Jason Sharpe, Atco’s chief operating officer said. “If there’s people Downtown, then businesses will locate Downtown and it kind of builds off each other.”
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renx.ca

ATCO to move its Edmonton office: City's largest in 10 years

Canadian Utilities Limited, an ATCO company, is relocating its downtown Edmonton office, and 1,200 employees, to a newly renovated tower that will be renamed ATCO Place. It is the largest such move in over a decade in the city.
renx.ca renx.ca

This little tidbit here was interesting to read. Are we finally seeing a downtown remigration?
Shaikh said the building at 105 St. ATCO leaves behind could potentially be a candidate for conversion, possibly to residential.

Taylor Riar, vice president, office brokerage with Colliers also worked on the lease. He said a major commitment like this by a large organization signals to other companies in the market that downtown is the place to be.

"It will only benefit your retail amenities, your foot traffic, your safety around the area long term — and in turn — it will also benefit the leasing market in the area,” Riar said.
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Overall office vacancy in the downtown core has remained elevated, but is inching down. Riar said it now sits around 19 per cent, but will likely drop a bit more in the near future.

Shaikh said suburban office has been a relative strength in Edmonton with many tenants flowing from the downtown core to points beyond.

“But over the last several quarters, and actually, I would say a couple of years, we've actually seen that slow down... and almost stop. And we're now seeing the trend slowly reverse a little bit.”
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Ongoing projects downtown​

  • Dawson Bridge Rehabilitation is underway. Rehabilitation work will address deterioration and ensure the bridge remains a safe and reliable crossing for all users. The rehabilitation is anticipated to be complete in spring 2026.
  • Beaver Hills House Park and Michael Phair Park Renewal are now open for public use. The renewal has improved overall safety and accessibility while adding new amenities to encourage more people to visit and experience these downtown parks. The new washroom facility in the park is nearing completion and is expected to open in early 2026. The bouldering wall within Beaver Hills House Park is scheduled to be installed in spring 2026. The park will remain open while these two features are completed.
  • 103A Avenue and 99 Street Underground Pedway continues construction from Churchill LRT Station to the Station Lands development north of 104 Avenue. Pedway construction is anticipated to be complete in 2026, with streetscape work expected to begin in 2027. Access to the City Hall parkade remains via 102A Avenue only.
  • Wellington Bridge Replacement is underway. Construction aligns with the Valley Line West LRT construction on Stony Plain Road to minimize disruption where possible. The bridge is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2026, with landscaping to follow in 2027.
  • Valley Line West LRT drainage work continues on 102 Avenue between 102 Street and 107 Street. This has permanently reduced 102 Avenue to one eastbound traffic lane only. Major roadwork will occur along this section of 102 Avenue during the 2026 construction season. Planning is underway, and details will be shared with the public once confirmed. To stay up to date, sign up for Marigold Infrastructure Partners’ construction notices and the City’s Valley Line West newsletter.

Look ahead​

2026 will be a transformative year for downtown, driven by the ongoing progress of current projects and the start of new ones.
  • Imagine Jasper Avenue continues this year to restore and elevate the avenue, by improving pedestrian safety, wider sidewalks, streetscaping, lighting and full roadway reconstruction. With Stage 1 complete from 114 to 117 Street, 2026 construction will now transition to Stage 2 from 117 Street to 121 Street.
  • 99 Streetscaping and Waterproofing Project work is anticipated to restart in February 2026 focusing on Judy Padua Way. The 99 Street library parkade entrance at the Citadel Theatre has reopened.
  • 106 Streetscape Project, near O-day’min Park, continues this spring with reconstruction of 106 Street and the back alleys adjacent to the park. Construction completion is anticipated by the end of 2026.
  • The design of the new Chinatown Gate incorporates design contributions from both the local community and City of Harbin, China. Construction crews are expected to begin site set-up at the location of the new gate (97 Street between 101A Avenue and Jasper Avenue) in late February. This includes setting up trailers and construction fencing along 97 Street. Further construction impacts will be shared with the public once they are known. Construction of the new gate is anticipated to start in early 2026 and be completed in 2027.
  • Active Transportation Network Expansion continues in Edmonton. Once complete, the new routes will be connected to the city’s network of shared pathways, bike lanes, local street bikeways and existing shared roadway routes.

For an overview of City infrastructure projects, visit building.edmonton.ca/projects.

Snow and ice clearing​

The Roadways Snow Clearing Map does more than display the locations of City plows. After a snow event or during a parking ban, the map updates to show the clearing status of roadways.

Subscribe to Service Notifications to receive text and email updates on snow clearing and parking bans for up to five addresses. You will always know when your roadways are scheduled for snow clearing, street sweeping or road maintenance.

Traffic disruptions​

Remember to check for traffic disruptions, leave extra travel time and plan your commute ahead of time using Google Maps. It shows real-time traffic delays and suggests alternate routes.

Downtown parking information can be found here.

 
Greenspace said:

Ongoing projects downtown​

  • Dawson Bridge Rehabilitation is underway. Rehabilitation work will address deterioration and ensure the bridge remains a safe and reliable crossing for all users. The rehabilitation is anticipated to be complete in spring 2026.
  • Beaver Hills House Park and Michael Phair Park Renewal are now open for public use. The renewal has improved overall safety and accessibility while adding new amenities to encourage more people to visit and experience these downtown parks. The new washroom facility in the park is nearing completion and is expected to open in early 2026. The bouldering wall within Beaver Hills House Park is scheduled to be installed in spring 2026. The park will remain open while these two features are completed.
  • 103A Avenue and 99 Street Underground Pedway continues construction from Churchill LRT Station to the Station Lands development north of 104 Avenue. Pedway construction is anticipated to be complete in 2026, with streetscape work expected to begin in 2027. Access to the City Hall parkade remains via 102A Avenue only.
  • Wellington Bridge Replacement is underway. Construction aligns with the Valley Line West LRT construction on Stony Plain Road to minimize disruption where possible. The bridge is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2026, with landscaping to follow in 2027.
  • Valley Line West LRT drainage work continues on 102 Avenue between 102 Street and 107 Street. This has permanently reduced 102 Avenue to one eastbound traffic lane only. Major roadwork will occur along this section of 102 Avenue during the 2026 construction season. Planning is underway, and details will be shared with the public once confirmed. To stay up to date, sign up for Marigold Infrastructure Partners’ construction notices and the City’s Valley Line West newsletter.

Look ahead​

2026 will be a transformative year for downtown, driven by the ongoing progress of current projects and the start of new ones.
  • Imagine Jasper Avenue continues this year to restore and elevate the avenue, by improving pedestrian safety, wider sidewalks, streetscaping, lighting and full roadway reconstruction. With Stage 1 complete from 114 to 117 Street, 2026 construction will now transition to Stage 2 from 117 Street to 121 Street.
  • 99 Streetscaping and Waterproofing Project work is anticipated to restart in February 2026 focusing on Judy Padua Way. The 99 Street library parkade entrance at the Citadel Theatre has reopened.
  • 106 Streetscape Project, near O-day’min Park, continues this spring with reconstruction of 106 Street and the back alleys adjacent to the park. Construction completion is anticipated by the end of 2026.
  • The design of the new Chinatown Gate incorporates design contributions from both the local community and City of Harbin, China. Construction crews are expected to begin site set-up at the location of the new gate (97 Street between 101A Avenue and Jasper Avenue) in late February. This includes setting up trailers and construction fencing along 97 Street. Further construction impacts will be shared with the public once they are known. Construction of the new gate is anticipated to start in early 2026 and be completed in 2027.
  • Active Transportation Network Expansion continues in Edmonton. Once complete, the new routes will be connected to the city’s network of shared pathways, bike lanes, local street bikeways and existing shared roadway routes.

For an overview of City infrastructure projects, visit building.edmonton.ca/projects.

Snow and ice clearing​

The Roadways Snow Clearing Map does more than display the locations of City plows. After a snow event or during a parking ban, the map updates to show the clearing status of roadways.

Subscribe to Service Notifications to receive text and email updates on snow clearing and parking bans for up to five addresses. You will always know when your roadways are scheduled for snow clearing, street sweeping or road maintenance.

Traffic disruptions​

Remember to check for traffic disruptions, leave extra travel time and plan your commute ahead of time using Google Maps. It shows real-time traffic delays and suggests alternate routes.

Downtown parking information can be found here.

Click to expand...
Is the pedway not taking forever?? 3 years for this thing?
 
Bit of a comparison between Edmonton and Calgary but oof that office property assessment value drop for both cities is substantial

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1769208897752.png
 
AntonK said:
I don't mind office buildings being devalued, it's more likely we'll see more of them will be converted to residential. Let's face it they aren't going to fill up the way the used to.
Click to expand...
The one downside is that it also drastically decreases their property taxes. Compared to pre-covid, downtown property taxes have fallen from contributing 10% of the city's property taxes, to contributing approximately 5%.
 
CplKlinger said:
The one downside is that it also drastically decreases their property taxes. Compared to pre-covid, downtown property taxes have fallen from contributing 10% of the city's property taxes, to contributing approximately 5%.
Click to expand...
I'm curious to see if we finally had a stop or a slight reversal in the property assessment value drop in 2025.
 
Does older stock being converted into housing make it more likely that newer office stock will enter the market at some point? Like it seems that the newer/renovated office buildings are performing decently in terms of tenancy (maybe I'm out to lunch though) and it's the older ones struggling a bit more.
 
husky said:
Does older stock being converted into housing make it more likely that newer office stock will enter the market at some point? Like it seems that the newer/renovated office buildings are performing decently in terms of tenancy (maybe I'm out to lunch though) and it's the older ones struggling a bit more.
Click to expand...
Still very tough to see where the demand would come from for a new build, it helps that some stock is being taken off the market but not seeing who the player would be that would anchor a new tower. Maybe we can convince pcl to abandon their shop and come downtown but I doubt it.
 
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