What do you think of the design of Southpark?

  • I like it a lot

    Votes: 14 27.5%
  • I like it

    Votes: 25 49.0%
  • I neither like nor dislike it

    Votes: 8 15.7%
  • I dislike it

    Votes: 1 2.0%
  • I dislike it a lot

    Votes: 3 5.9%

  • Total voters
    51
@archited Exactly my thoughts. I think a lot of people see Old Strathcona as being in a "perfect" state of vibrancy and turn-of-the-century charm that can't or doesn't need to be improved upon. But that kind of complacency, coupled with a (real or perceived) hostility to change and new development leads to valuable lands like this sitting empty, derelict, and abandoned.

No new units entering the market in a highly desirable location means it becomes more expensive for existing residents and out-of-reach for everyone else who wants to become part of it. That puts a lot of pressure on heritage buildings, too, as they become more valuable as redevelopment opportunities rather than maintained as they are, which in turn incentivizes dereliction and abandonment to justify replacing them.

You can't preserve the character of a neighbourhood by locking it in a time capsule. It has to be resilient to change and it has to grow to sustain itself. The best, most vibrant neighbourhoods I've visited in cities across the world are nearly always a mix of old and new, including short, medium, and tall. These things don't have to be in opposition to each other if we can find the right balance.

Low- and mid-rise developments like this that don't threaten any existing architectural heritage are exactly the balance we need in this area.


So true, look at some of the best places over in Van, Gas Town - old neighbourhood being revitalized with new infill projects and construction. Love that place and expect Whyte to be able to step up its level, its become fairly stagnant and needs some updating for sure.
 
Edmonton councillors vote to let developer build up – way up – on Whyte Avenue
City council approved a rezoning application on Monday for a developer looking to transform an old car dealership on Edmonton’s trendiest street into a high-rise development.

After hearing arguments from both sides of the debate on the Southpark on Whyte proposal, councillors voted 10-2 (one councillor was absent) to allow One Properties to exceed the four-storey height restriction for buildings in Old Strathcona.

Debate over the contentious development proposal had been going on for months. The Southpark on Whyte plan will see two high-rise residential buildings be erected at 81 Avenue and 106 Street and a former car dealership lot at Whyte Avenue and 106 Street be converted into a pair of low-rise retail buildings.

“I would say we’re pursuing design excellence at Southpark on Whyte,” One Properties’ Tom Burr said.

“We’re convinced that what Whyte Avenue needs to have a sustainable, viable future, is people. People who live there and who also work there and they shop there.”

The high-rise buildings being planned will be between 17 and 19 storeys high and will consist of about 840 residential units. The low-rise buildings will be between four and six storeys high.

http://globalnews.ca/news/3323470/e...et-developer-build-up-way-up-on-whyte-avenue/
 
C-NukBbVoAAoUi4.jpg:large

Sean Amato‏ @JSJamato 2 hours ago
Another #yeg landmark going away. "Southpark on Whyte" coming down today. To be stored, restored, likely reerected on site. @ctvedmonton pic.twitter.com/6t41JV94CU
 
If it doesn't return to the site, it would be cool to mount it on top of the Neon Sign Museum building downtown, if possible. Create a beacon visible from all around the downtown area.
 
Southpark on Whyte sign to return in 2 years with new look, historic designation
A concrete platform sits where an iconic structure once stood above a car dealership on Whyte Avenue and 106th Street.

The Southpark on Whyte sign, measuring nearly 70 feet tall, has been sent to a warehouse to be refurbished while a developer builds a new retail and residential structure on the old car lot.

"It represents an era," said Shirley Lowe, an Edmonton historian and spokesperson with the Queen Alexandra Community League, of the sign that dates back to the 1960s.

"A special time. I think a boom time in our community."

The sign has looked over a vacant lot since 2009, when Southpark Pontiac Buick GMC Cadillac was combined with Don Wheaton Chevrolet one block west.

Real estate developer One Properties, in partnership with Wheaton Properties, agreed to preserve the sign after community members explained its importance as a landmark.

"There are signs and there are signs," said Tom Burr with One Properties.

"It's been so prominent for so many years, we felt it really anchors the new development in the history of Whyte Avenue," he added.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/whyte-southpark-sign-wheaton-1.4105780?cmp=rss
 
Western portion of Old Strathcona is going to change dramatically with three developments -- Southpark, Mezzo and the Raymond Block. The cool thing about all three is that they will be enhancing the alley infrastructure to make it amenable to pedestrian uses. Viva Strathcona!
 
Historical designations for Southpark Sign and Gibbard Block
September 12, 2017

0Bmd_S5t2sLdDTyJ-LRVRu5jUsxf4NsZzQ4iNgexd2a_JGU56BboccVhsHeUiOqyDkBfrNMWkyFMQrp3pnyWqLzpqettwe7wyTs4W5Ju5IBjIGNRKgFMrN7b3lApo-CzSlZJJH_Dje0kG7U=s0-d-e1-ft


City Council recognized two iconic pieces of Edmonton’s history today when it voted to designate the Southpark neon sign and the Gibbard Block as Municipal Historic Resources. These designations represent the City’s 144th and 145th protected Municipal Historic Resources.

The Southpark sign, located within the former Don Wheaton dealership lot on Whyte (82) Avenue in Strathcona, is a well-recognized landmark, notable for its height and brilliant neon lighting. At the time of its installation in 1963, the sign was the second tallest free-standing sign in western Canada.

The sign was installed by Hugh McColl, the original owner of the Southpark dealership, as a means to help advertise the business. In 1967, McColl added his name to the business title, and the sign was altered to include a “Hugh McColl’s” neon panel between the “South” and “Park” portions of the sign. When Don Wheaton purchased the dealership in 1994, this was changed to read “On Whyte”, which remains on the sign today. “The preservation of the Southpark Sign is a unique opportunity to preserve an iconic piece of commercial architecture on Whyte Avenue”, according to David Johnston, Principal Heritage Planner. “We believe this to be the first free-standing sign designated as a Municipal Historic Resource in Alberta.” The sign has been removed from the property in order for its restoration work to be completed, and will be reinstated as part of the redevelopment of the site on the Whyte Avenue frontage.

Constructed in 1912 in the Highlands community, the Gibbard Block, located at 6427 – 112 Avenue, is a rare and well-preserved example of Edwardian commercial architecture with Classical Revival design influences. It was designed by prominent Edmonton architect E. Morehouse, who also designed the Magrath Mansion and the Holgate Residence, also in Highlands.

Highlands was subdivided by the Magrath-Holgate Company in 1911, and promoted as a bedroom community for Edmonton's elite. The Gibbard Block was located just outside the original western boundary of Highlands, providing commercial amenities to the community without compromising its exclusive character. “The Gibbard Block is a very good example of a commercial building designed to provide apartment housing and businesses for the neighbourhood”, according to Scott Ashe, Principal Heritage Planner. “This building has been part of Highlands for over a century, and its preservation is key in retaining that physical connection to the area’s rich history.”

The City's Historic Resource Management Plan outlines the City's mission to identify, protect and promote the preservation and use of historic resources. The Plan contains 24 policies and 88 action items that direct how Edmonton's heritage should be preserved and celebrated.

For more information:
http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/edmonton_archives/historic-resources.aspx

Media contact:
Adrienne F. Hill
Communications Advisor
780-944-1510
 
DP application is in:

Reference ID: Job No 254425249-002
Description: To construct 2 General Retail / Apartment House buildings with underground parkades (site 3 building has 64 Apartment House Dwellings above main floor General Retail; site 4 building has 98 Apartment House Dwellings above main floor General Retail).
Location: 10615 - 82 AVENUE NW
Plan 5809KS Blk 64 Lot 6
10615 - 82 AVENUE NW
Plan I Blk 64 Lot 5
10631 - 82 AVENUE NW
Plan 5809KS Blk 64 Lot 7
10565 - 82 AVENUE NW
Plan I Blk 63 Lots 13-18
10615 - 82 AVENUE NW
Plan I Blk 64 Lots 1-4
Applicant: STATEC ARCHITECTURE
Status: New
Create Date: 10/19/2017 2:28:27 PM
Neighbourhood: QUEEN ALEXANDRA
 

Back
Top