In the 12 months since our last update, progress has been moving along nicely at the site of the JW Marriott Hotel and The Legends Private Residences in the heart of the ICE District in downtown Edmonton, which currently sits several storeys above grade. Rising adjacent to Rogers Place, Stantec Tower, and the Edmonton Tower, the new development has already begun to add its presence to the area. The ICE District is set to transform the city centre once work is completed over the course of the next few years.  

JW Marriott Hotel rising within the ICE District, image by Forum contributor Daveography

Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for Katz Group Properties and ONE Properties, the soon-to-be 54-storey mixed-use development will house the 356-room hotel portion within the first half of the tower up to the 22nd floor, while the 262-unit residential portion will take up the second half of tower from floors 23 to 54. The tower will rise above a multi-level retail podium that will face onto the street. 

JW Marriott Hotel and The Legends Private Residences, image via Hariri Pontarini Architects

Captured earlier this month, the most recent images from the construction site show the extent to which the new development will fit into its surroundings. The ICE District is currently a mass of cranes and construction crews heavy at work, even in the dead of winter. A complex build site, due to the tower's massing and the way its floor plate sizes change as the tower rises, it will be some time before the tower reaches its full height, with completion date slated for 2018/19. 

JW Marriott Hotel, alternate view, image by Forum contributor Daveography

Located at the corner of 104 Avenue and 102 Street, the mixed-use hotel and residential tower will also contain a a 25,000-square-foot conference centre, 10,000 square-foot ballroom, JW Marriott Spa, and a high-end restaurant sponsored by Oliver & Bonacini. Once complete, the project will bring a considerable amount of street life and urban vibrancy to the surrounding ICE District, supplying the adjacent Rogers Place and other dining, drinking, and entertainment options found downtown with a steady flow of patrons. 

SkyriseCities will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.