[IanO]

The way the Delta is built strongly leads one to believe it was intended to be a base for a much larger building. Maybe that is actually not the case, but it sure looks like it.

However, maybe after 40 years the point is somewhat moot. There doesn't ever seem to have been much interest in a tower here, other than the initial scheme which did seem to have a bait and switch feel to it.

I've inquired about this with many folks over the years and have a variety of opinions and beliefs; this included folks who worked for the previous owner.

My general understanding is that no considerations were made for any of the 'planned' 40 storey towers. I like to think there is, but have no substantive evidence to say otherwise.

 

[SarcasticMarmot]

Are there any Edmonton examples of returning years later to actually build a proposed tower on top of a completed development where infrastructure was put in place? I know Canada Place was planned similarly, any other uncompleted ones? With so many empty lots it seems unnecessarily expensive and disruptive to actually follow through on. It's this reason I doubt we will ever see the 3rd Ice District tower.

 

[northlands]

Are there any Edmonton examples of returning years later to actually build a proposed tower on top of a completed development where infrastructure was put in place? I know Canada Place was planned similarly, any other uncompleted ones? With so many empty lots it seems unnecessarily expensive and disruptive to actually follow through on. It's this reason I doubt we will ever see the 3rd Ice District tower.

Station Lands

 

[IanO]

^I would take that bet given that the 'expensive' bits are already in place and ready to receive it.

Bentall V in Vancouver added 11 storeys to an existing tower.

The little blue building with the mural on 100 Avenue and 105st was a single storey and added 4.

Manulife 2 has the infrastructure and code in place for the second tower...

---

Also, for reference:

The Jasper/104st building was designed for an unrealized tower.

 

[David A]

Are there any Edmonton examples of returning years later to actually build a proposed tower on top of a completed development where infrastructure was put in place? I know Canada Place was planned similarly, any other uncompleted ones? With so many empty lots it seems unnecessarily expensive and disruptive to actually follow through on. It's this reason I doubt we will ever see the 3rd Ice District tower.

There are a few examples. I recall years ago the Coast Hotel being a smaller building with floors later being added above, but it is not common here. Probably less so than in other places without as many lots available for development.

 

[kcantor]

^

The annex on the legislative grounds should be on this list. The original structure - the first true curtain wall building in western Canada if not in Canada - was expanded from 6 stories to 12.

This being Edmonton of course, it was also prematurely demolished by the provincial government for lack of vision and with deferred maintenance snd poor performance being cited as the rationale.

 

[Greenspace]

This one is very minor, but Fifth Street Lofts (Goodyear Tire warehouse) was originally 2 stories built in 1950, third storey was added in 1955.

 

[dkazzed]

With so many empty lots it seems unnecessarily expensive and disruptive to actually follow through on. It's this reason I doubt we will ever see the 3rd Ice District tower.

I'm hoping that because the ground floors for the 3rd Ice District Tower is not occupied yet, they're still anticipating building something.

Also Stantec Tower was occupied before they topped Sky Residences. I think that kind of counts.

Bentall V in Vancouver added 11 storeys to an existing tower.

I was there! I looked up one day, saw this (not my photo), and asked "they can do that?"

 

[David A]

I believe the old CIBC building on 99 Street also started out as one storey and a number of floors were added, but I can't think of many examples over 10 floors added here in Edmonton.

Of course in City Centre here it would not have to be the appropriately 35 floors or more added as contemplated in the original proposal. But it would have to be quite a few floors added to make economic sense here as the some of the fairly new buildings in the area are around or over 40 floors. So it would be quite the undertaking.

 

[kcantor]

Added to the above list for adding additional floors would be:

Enterprise Square
Excelsior Lofts
Brighton Block
Lodge/Pendennis
City Market
University Commons (Dentistry/Pharmacy)
Stanley Milner Library
Art Gallery of Alberta
Macewen Parkade

I’m pretty sure even with the previous posts this still wouldn’t be an exhaustive list…

 

[edmo14]

^

The annex on the legislative grounds should be on this list. The original structure - the first true curtain wall building in western Canada if not in Canada - was expanded from 6 stories to 12.

This being Edmonton of course, it was also prematurely demolished by the provincial government for lack of vision and with deferred maintenance snd poor performance being cited as the rationale.

That building (whether due to neglect, poor maintenance, poor original construction etc) had a litany of issues from hazardous building materials to water infiltration and everything in between.
Unfortunately the annex building was well beyond saving and I'm not sure how widely it will be missed..

 

[Coprolite]

I've inquired about this with many folks over the years and have a variety of opinions and beliefs; this included folks who worked for the previous owner.

My general understanding is that no considerations were made for any of the 'planned' 40 storey towers. I like to think there is, but have no substantive evidence to say otherwise.

Given 555 and the condition the building had fallen into a mere 15 years after opening, I'd be pleasantly surprised if anything but the cheapest path was taken underneath any kind of aesthetic details.

 

[David A]

That building (whether due to neglect, poor maintenance, poor original construction etc) had a litany of issues from hazardous building materials to water infiltration and everything in between.
Unfortunately the annex building was well beyond saving and I'm not sure how widely it will be missed..

Yes, I think buildings from that era tended to have a lot of hazardous materials which made renovation more difficult and expensive.

It would have been good if it could have been saved, but I think the placement of it close to the Leg was an issue too.

But back to City Centre - the consensus seems to be a number of additions of 1 to 6 floors, but not that much more. So after 40 years I can't really a large number of additional floors above the hotel happening even if there is a structure in place to support it, which also does not seem certain.

 

[kcantor]

That building (whether due to neglect, poor maintenance, poor original construction etc) had a litany of issues from hazardous building materials to water infiltration and everything in between.
Unfortunately the annex building was well beyond saving and I'm not sure how widely it will be missed..

They could have simply enclosed it and created a rear-round winter garden on the south edge and a glazed vertical shaft to provide natural cooling as was done with Manitoba Hydro’s building in Winnipeg, the British Museum, 20 Hudson Yard, the Marriott on Times Square etc.etc.

If you take the moisture off the exterior, you don’t need to deal with moisture penetration. As for the hazardous material, it all needed to be fully remediated to allow for demolition when some of it could have much more efficiently and cheaply encapsulated in place.

“It won’t be missed” is right up there with it’s too outdated, it’s too poorly maintained, it needs too much remediation etc.

 

[Kosy123]

Was just here and Ardene seems to have expanded next door to their old spot, and it's a bigger space too. Idk, positive sign retail wise?