[David A]

I suppose there are pros and cons to each. Someone local might understand the community and be more invested in it. If it doesn't turn out well their reputation suffers more, so that could be more motivation to do a good job. Someone from somewhere else might not understand or really care as much, although they could bring new or different ideas.

I lean toward the local side here, in part so things move ahead sooner. I don't think having it remain an empty lot longer does us any good and I don't think having someone from elsewhere come in necessarily results in a better outcome.

 

[IanO]

This is a better approach for this park and still allows locals to team up with others and be the prime/lead consultant.

 

[archited]

^^^^

 

[Stevey_G]

Planning and design is my career and to this whole debate I say - it's a Park. It's REALLY easy to take a space like this and turn into an attractive locale with lots of amenities and beauty so long as you have a taste for aesthetics. The only true obstacle is the fact a street runs through it that happens to service a Fire Station.

 

[IanO]

'There are exceptions to every rule.'

Z.H.

 

[goodcitywhenfinished]

I’m guessing it will most likely be Dialog or Stantec doing the design for this park. Not many other local firms with expertise at that level.

 

[EdmTrekker]

Dialog Edmonton office has designed which parks in Edmonton?

 

[archited]

Two choices that will ensure minimum imagination.

 

[IanO]

Why don't you submit...

 

[Stevey_G]

'There are exceptions to every rule.'

Z.H.

Are you speaking in regards to my Fire Hall comment? Personally, I consider it an inflexible concern considering how precious every minute is in Fire Response.

It's not just the park. With the WLRT coming around the corner, 102nd ave eventually being converted to a one-way, ALONG with this park potentially closing off that section of 106 st to Jasper, it's likely that the strategically located Fire Hall 2 and it's central location to Jasper Ave, 104th ave, and 109 st will make less sense and be less effective in response than it currently is.

Thought experiment. Fire truck needs to get to Oliver. Currently, it will cut south onto Jasper, cross 109th, take whichever street it needs to to get to potential emergency. In 5 years, it will no longer be able to cut south, so it will go north to 104th making a left-hand turn west bound, it will face the obstacle of WLRT tracks at street level twice along 106th and again at 109th. Gaining access to Oliver in itself will likely be another obstacle, as it is more than likely that the new WLRT centered on 104th ave will close off left hand, westbound access to many streets in Oliver from 104th. So the Fire truck will have to take another left onto a collector street, probably 118 st, to then direct within the community to said emergency.

I'm not meaning to yell at clouds here, I'm just pointing out one of about half a dozen serious issues I see coming with the developments coming to the Warehouse District that haven't really been discussed. In my opinion, the road needs to stay open and the park needs to be discontinuous.

 

[Avenuer]

Dialog Edmonton office has designed which parks in Edmonton?

They did the funicular and associated parkland.

 

[archited]

^^^^ and it shows.

 

[Avenuer]

^^^^ and it shows.

I think it turned out well - not sure what more they could've done or changed to improve it (other than the vandals that like to break the glass panes in the funicular and at the lookout itself).

 

[IanO]

Are you speaking in regards to my Fire Hall comment? Personally, I consider it an inflexible concern considering how precious every minute is in Fire Response.

It's not just the park. With the WLRT coming around the corner, 102nd ave eventually being converted to a one-way, ALONG with this park potentially closing off that section of 106 st to Jasper, it's likely that the strategically located Fire Hall 2 and it's central location to Jasper Ave, 104th ave, and 109 st will make less sense and be less effective in response than it currently is.

Thought experiment. Fire truck needs to get to Oliver. Currently, it will cut south onto Jasper, cross 109th, take whichever street it needs to to get to potential emergency. In 5 years, it will no longer be able to cut south, so it will go north to 104th making a left-hand turn west bound, it will face the obstacle of WLRT tracks at street level twice along 106th and again at 109th. Gaining access to Oliver in itself will likely be another obstacle, as it is more than likely that the new WLRT centered on 104th ave will close off left hand, westbound access to many streets in Oliver from 104th. So the Fire truck will have to take another left onto a collector street, probably 118 st, to then direct within the community to said emergency.

I'm not meaning to yell at clouds here, I'm just pointing out one of about half a dozen serious issues I see coming with the developments coming to the Warehouse District that haven't really been discussed. In my opinion, the road needs to stay open and the park needs to be discontinuous.

Sorry, not to your comment but to Tom's.

 

[DutchBoy]

For those unfamiliar with Blatchford's kerfuffle:

"Perkins + Will, the firm which created the original design for Blatchford, criticized the city for scaling back sustainable features when the project was approved in 2014. They argued that the plan was made inferior by removing features such as geothermal energy and pneumatic waste collection, and that it fell short of its original goals. They further criticized the city for forcing them to defend their work at such a late stage of the planning phase."

To clarify: It does still have a geothermal energy centre, but instead of providing electricity as originally envisioned, it only provides heating and cooling.

I can't find Blatchford mentioned on Perkins and Will. I wonder if that's because of this kerfuffle. https://perkinswill.com/work/

I'd love to see older designs, plans, and renders for all of Blatchford, if they exist! A cursory glance on DuckDuckGo didn't yield much.