IanO
Superstar
It's the most circuitous route to get the and you arrive at the loading/group entry.
I'd hope that this might permit a second entrance (in time) to make it more direct from City Hall.
- Thread starter Daveography
- Start date
It's the most circuitous route to get the and you arrive at the loading/group entry.
I'd hope that this might permit a second entrance (in time) to make it more direct from City Hall.
Airboy
Senior Member
Yes a section was constructed as part of Epcor. But there is a long way to still go. 26 seems about right based on current marked pricing.
ChazYEG
Senior Member
I would rather see the $26M going towards another round of that high-rise incentive we had for downtown construction
Dubas
Active Member
Not sure I agree at all; the current pedway seems to work well and offers a convenient way to access the building without going outside. But alas, I'll try to keep the thread on-topic
MacLac
Senior Member
In a way this was an incentive for Qualico to get the next round of phases going?
Glenco
Senior Member
Not from the same pot. The incentive is a tax freeze for 5 years no money out of the city’s pocket the money for the pedway is from the CRL money that has to be spent downtown.
ChazYEG
Senior Member
Exactly!
IanO
Superstar
Right!
While I can appreciate the SIGNIFIANT lobby to get this 'connection' done and the very real fact that this is integral to the future of EPCOR Tower's success in retaining or attracting tenants, let alone the future phases, those $$$ could subsidize 1000 units at 25k/per throughout the Downtown... which this is essentially doing with their residential project, all on one site, with little impact to the overall foot traffic and vibrancy of the core. Horse trading.
Before a few others enter the fray here, I am well aware of the contributions of Epcor Tower, Qualico and the new residential development and so I can reluctantly support this as beggars cannot be (too) choosy.
Gronk!
Senior Member
"Beggars Cannot Be Choosers" should be Edmonton's new slogan
David A
Senior Member
That's good to know. I do appreciate the arguments about the effect pedways have on street vibrancy, but we have a climate that can be quite cold for some periods of time so I think this helps make downtown more liveable/attractive. I often use it. The pedway system has not as far as I can tell grown that much, so perhaps the time for an expansion and for it to move north a bit. If it can connect the museum better and other potential future developments nearby that would be good to.
$26M out of a fund meant to revitalize downtown being used to keep people from having to contribute anything to the vitality of downtown was always an expensively bad proposition. It should never have been approved, and at least should have been cancelled when opportunities to do so were present.
Glenco
Senior Member
Two , three hundred people living downtown is not going to contribute to the vitality?
archited
Senior Member
^^^^ Maybe... I have to think about that.
The_Cat
Senior Member
I’m sure there will be more development. especially when it’s linked to LRT. When EPCOR first opened, there were many empty floors. I’m guessing it hasn’t changed much since then. Given its proximity to Rogers Place and the Ice District, it’s possible that other Ice District development wouldn’t be that far away.
David A
Senior Member
It may be just two hundred to three hundred people, but one of the weak areas of the current pedway system is it mostly connects office and commercial, not very much residential.
I think you need better integration of residential particularly to support the struggling downtown retail and hospitality space.