[Gronk!]

Owner unveils plans to transform Westmount mall into outdoor shopping complex

Edmonton’s first shopping centre is going back to the future. First Capital Real Estate Investment Trust unveiled plans on Thursday to redevelop the middle section of Westmount Centre, converting the mall into an outdoor-access retail complex.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[Gronk!]

A brief history of Westmount Mall

A moment in history: March 13, 1959

On this day in 1959, Edmonton's first shopping mall was advertising its "pre-Easter" sales.

edmonton.taproot.news

 

[ADob]

"Surface" parking, no less! Loves me some random quotation marks! And good god, look at the price of bacon!!!

 

[trevorhayden]

That same pack of bacon would cost $6.86 today. What does bacon cost these days?

 

[David A]

"Surface" parking, no less! Loves me some random quotation marks! And good god, look at the price of bacon!!!

Well in that era, Westmount was close to the edge of the city, so would have been something similar to South Edmonton Common now.

 

[ADob]

Well in that era, Westmount was close to the edge of the city, so would have been something similar to South Edmonton Common now.

I was commenting on the random punctuation, not the presence of parking itself. As far as the comparison to South Common - Westmount, like most traditional malls, was and continues to be a park-once set-up, something SC most definitely is not. Wrong thread but whoever "designed" SC needs their head examined (note the proper use of sarcasm denoting quotation marks ).

 

[Barnaby]

I'm not understanding why these mall owners aren't selling portions of their lots to developers. Most of them have a grocery anchor which would see a boost from 300-500 people living in 2-3 towers.

The peak parking is only on a few days for the entire year, and a place like Southgate has LRT access. I'm even taking the train there today instead of driving from DT.

What are they thinking?

 

[trevorhayden]

Mindset change? Mall owners are redeveloping parking lots in other cities; it will eventually come here.

 

[IanO]

I'm not understanding why these mall owners aren't selling portions of their lots to developers. Most of them have a grocery anchor which would see a boost from 300-500 people living in 2-3 towers.

The peak parking is only on a few days for the entire year, and a place like Southgate has LRT access. I'm even taking the train there today instead of driving from DT.

What are they thinking?

Many have rezoned or considered density, including Bonnie Doon, Southgate and even Jasper Gates was fully rezoned. WEM contemplated residential more than a few times, but passed at the time.

The larger issue here versus some of the other cities is that we simply do not need to redevelop malls as of yet like we are seeing in other major centres where they have essentially become land banks or redevelopment sites because of the challenges of finding other development parcels.

It will happen, but we simply have too many other options.

 

[thommyjo]

Many have rezoned or considered density, including Bonnie Doon, Southgate and even Jasper Gates was fully rezoned. WEM contemplated residential more than a few times, but passed at the time.

The larger issue here versus some of the other cities is that we simply do not need to redevelop malls as of yet like we are seeing in other major centres where they have essentially become land banks or redevelopment sites because of the challenges of finding other development parcels.

It will happen, but we simply have too many other options.

Reasons for substantial completion and other approaches to curb sprawl.

We shouldn’t let it be way cheaper to build south of 41ave than Jasper Gates. I get why it IS more expensive to redevelop jasper gates, but we have to find a way to flip the math. And it can’t only be subsidies for infill. It needs to include higher costs for new builds in new areas.

We’ve added fire halls, great. How about the costs of all the road widenings? Plus the cost of transit? Future district parks? Libraries/rec centres might be debated on necessities.

The amount of fricken tax dollars poured into rosenthal area that is never going to be recouped by the taxes of that community is insane.

Edmonton has long had some of the cheapest development fees in the country. I’d argue that might not be the right call.

 

[David A]

I was commenting on the random punctuation, not the presence of parking itself. As far as the comparison to South Common - Westmount, like most traditional malls, was and continues to be a park-once set-up, something SC most definitely is not. Wrong thread but whoever "designed" SC needs their head examined (note the proper use of sarcasm denoting quotation marks ).

I would agree, while Westmount was initially not an enclosed mall it still was designed mostly as park once. South Edmonton Common is so spread out, the distance to go from one store to the next is often a bit far to walk, but despite the "abundant" parking, you don't necessarily want to drive a short distance and lose a decent spot then not be able to get one close to where ever else you are going.

So personally I avoid it partly for this reason, but it is also the distance for me living in a more central area.

 

[Gronk!]

I avoid SEC like the plague. I don't get why there's always a convoy of dumbasses waiting on the QE2 to exit onto 19 Ave and into that hellhole on Boxing Day.

 

[degrandprix]

I avoid SEC like the plague. I don't get why there's always a convoy of dumbasses waiting on the QE2 to exit onto 19 Ave and into that hellhole on Boxing Day.

That happens on most saturday afternoons now, it's ridiculous.