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Former Edmonton Greyhound station to make way for 50-storey tower

BILL MAH

The sprawling construction zone south of Rogers Place is set to grow, as crews prepare to demolish the former Greyhound bus depot.

Another tower will rise in its place, on the western edge of the sports and entertainment corridor, said Bob Black, executive vice-president of the Edmonton Arena Corp., who recently released new details about Ice District, a joint venture of the Katz Group and WAM Development Group.

Greyhound moved its operations to a new bus depot at the Via Rail station near the former City Centre Airport. Although not complete, it welcomed its first passengers last Sunday.

Greyhound’s lease on the building expired at the end of May.

“Ice District will be at the Greyhound site,” Black said. “We (took) possession of that building at the end of the month. We will immediately begin demolition activities.”

Other parts of Ice District are at various stages of construction, including a nearly completed Edmonton Tower to house offices for city workers, a combination JW Marriott hotel and luxury condo tower, and the Stantec Tower office and residential building, touted to be among the tallest in Western Canada at 60-plus floors.

The development at the former Greyhound site will sit on the western border of the Ice District public plaza, just south of the arena. Fans attending Rogers Place will be able to see it from south-facing windows in the arena’s concourses.

“There will be a tower of more than 50 storeys and there will be a podium-level development that will be part of that overall creation of the neighbourhood within Ice District,” Black said.

“The level of development there will be typical of the level of development throughout Ice District. It will be dense.”

He didn’t specify what the tower’s use will be, but WAM president and CEO Darren Durstling has previously said a residential highrise is planned for the site.

The podium, scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2019, will include a high-end grocery store, a Cineplex theatre complex and other retail stores and sports-bar restaurants. The residential tower is expected to open a few months later.

Development of the former Greyhound site will also add parking to Ice District, Black said. “Underneath that building will be the extension of the underground parkade, which is currently underneath the block where the JW Marriott and the Stantec Tower will be.”
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http://edmontonjournal.com/business...hound-station-to-make-way-for-50-storey-tower
 
PERMIT_DATE June 09, 2016
PERMIT_NUMBER 189442126-002
JOB_CATEGORY Commercial Demolition
ADDRESS 10324 - 103 STREET NW
NEIGHBOURHOOD DOWNTOWN
JOB_DESCRIPTION To demolish a Commercial Use building. (Greyhound Bus Transportation Terminal and A&W Restaurant).
BUILDING_TYPE Transportation Terminals (440)
WORK_TYPE (99) Demolition
CONSTRUCTION_VALUE 393,800
 
I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! Someone is screwing around with the design that was much more amorphous and fluid than what we are seeing now. And the overall height has dropped to 46 floors. I will grant this much -- it is now more in keeping thematically with the Stantec tower. What do I like about the new design (let's start the discussion)? I kind of like the grid-like plate that sits in relief, apart from the tower. As I said it better ties in with the rectilinear facades of Stantec, but -- in my view -- in a much more sensitive way than what is achieved at Stantec. I really like the forms on the podium roof and the intense landscape associated with them. This is a first for Edmonton (at least at this scale) and it looks like it will be a public park -- developers take note! -- podia roof areas provide invaluable opportunities. While showing design sympathies with Stantec, the tower maintains its own distinct identity -- a plus. I guess we will leave the amorphous tower for some other day and some other developer.
 
@Daveography I would like to know your detailed take on the design… what you like; what you don't like. My view: there is a slight homage to the curves of the arena at the south end of the podium (east face), at the roof form covering what seems to be escalators to the podium deck, and on the south facade of the tower (these are not insignificant elements). At concourse level, I wish there were more niches and protrusions to bring the scale of the overall structure more in line with a human scale, particularly at the north end of the development. I do like that there is a strong focal point at the midway point along the east facade of the podium, reinforced by the "glass tent" in front of the element that has the ICE logo. I like the glass transparency of the first three floors. I like that there are several podium roof forms and I love the landscaped park and the fact that it has several levels. I do think that the forms, however, could have been more curvilinear, sensing the natural park and the dominant curves of the arena. I like your word "corporate" for the tower design. As a residential building it could have been a lot more playful. But it does now have a visual connection to Stantec with its dominant grid pattern. I certainly like the fact that the grid is set apart from the tower and that it frames a toned down centre field. The building would have been more striking if it had not lost the ten floors that the previous scheme had had. The hotel and condo building across the quad now stands in bold relief against the two grid-faced towers. The grid on Stantec, however, now makes more sense from a design standpoint -- even though it is less adventurous.
 
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