[David A]

For all the recent hype, Enterprise Square is still a particularly dead spot downtown. The food place seems closed again.

People elsewhere are noticeably coming back to the office downtown, but I think most of the people there are working from home or whatever still.

 

[IanO]

^the reno is quite well done, new activation on the corner, but they need to 'open it up' and get those vinyl window wraps off. They actually conflict with the bylaw for Jasper Avenue and look like shit.

A renewed focus on some post-work events there with faculties, alumni and the business community would be nice too.

Fantasia was a regular spot for me and its sad how they were treated.

 

[scyeg]

^the reno is quite well done, new activation on the corner, but they need to 'open it up' and get those vinyl window wraps off. They actually conflict with the bylaw for Jasper Avenue and look like shit.

A renewed focus on some post-work events there with faculties, alumni and the business community would be nice too.

Fantasia was a regular spot for me and its sad how they were treated.

They reopened for a brief period last year when the U announced a bunch of staff would be working out of ES. I think reality set in once the staff didn't actually return. Now they have signs up that say 'temporarily closed'. Renos look good but there's still barely anyone occupying all that office space.

 

[Gus Haynes]

Puneeta was so excited for it but it's fair to say that reality did not live up to the hype. From just over a year ago:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/university-of-alberta-1.6725003

Edmonton industry leaders joined the moving-in ceremony on Tuesday, including Puneeta McBryan, executive director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association.

McBryan said the additional 500 workers in the downtown realm is a big deal.

"I'm not hearing announcements like this — of an institution moving hundreds of people into downtown and any downtown across the country," McBryan said in an interview. "So this is a huge move."

She said it's difficult to calculate the potential economic impact to the downtown core but she is confident employees will be spending money on eating out, catering in for meetings, parking and transit.

"Having a fully utilized building like this is a really big boost to the downtown economy."

She's also confident more workers downtown will attract others to the core.

"It really is like a snowball building momentum, when we think about downtown vibrancy," McBryan said. "People want to be where other people are."

 

[David A]

They reopened for a brief period last year when the U announced a bunch of staff would be working out of ES. I think reality set in once the staff didn't actually return. Now they have signs up that say 'temporarily closed'. Renos look good but there's still barely anyone occupying all that office space.

Sadly, for whatever announcements in the past it seems to still remain a noticeable fairly dead zone in an area of increasing activity. Not sure what happened recently, but it actually seems worse lately.

 

[Edmcowboy11]

Yes, I don't think replacing the football field with a surface parking lot was aesthetically good or even a very good use of such a location.

If the u of a really wants more parking they should build another parkade behind the Jubilee Auditorium. That space is already a surface parking lot, why not just add a few levels. It isn't far from the football field too.

 

[IanO]

They, like MacEwan, are going away from structured parking and vehicle usage to get to campus.

 

[_urbanite]

For reference

Red - this new rezoning request
Yellow - Westrich rezoning (was this approved?)

I can understand if the Windsor Park residents in between are starting to feel like the walls are closing in on them.

 

[IanO]

Really? From 2-3 projects in a central part of Edmonton next to a major employment node?

 

[EtoV]

Residents 2 blocks away from one of the biggest universities in the Country surprised to learn that there is demand for housing in their neighbourhood.

 

[IanO]

Now, should they have some rights as residents, yes, and should these new projects have a scale and form to integrate and taper down from the main streets, sure.

 

[EtoV]

Now, should they have some rights as residents, yes, and should these new projects have a scale and form to integrate and taper down from the main streets, sure.

They do have rights. No one is forced to sell their home, and they can choose to stay or leave as development occurs around them.

 

[_urbanite]

Really? From 2-3 projects in a central part of Edmonton next to a major employment node?

They literally have buildings as walls proposed on both sides of them.

Don't get me wrong here, I personally don't have a problem with either proposal. I'm just saying I can see how those residents might feel that way that's all

 

[IanO]

Neighbourhoods evolve, especially very central ones and while infill should be sensitive where possible, houses and low-rises exist in many cities like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and others around the world without issue.

 

[Seamusmuldrew]

For reference

Red - this new rezoning request
Yellow - Westrich rezoning (was this approved?)

View attachment 545290

I can understand if the Windsor Park residents in between are starting to feel like the walls are closing in on them.

I can understand that they're feeling that, I cannot understand how they feel it is wrong or unexpected.