[IanO]

Interesting intensity.

Full EDC pack.

https://www.edmonton.ca/sites/default/files/public-files/documents/edmontondesigncommittee-agenda-may-19-2026.pdf

 

[fromyeg]

A little surprised they don’t want to build something bigger/taller, either commercial space or residential space. Seems like a missed opportunity. Better than an empty lot though.

 

[ADob]

Just so thankful that they went with parking in the back!

 

[davcocom]

Just so thankful that they went with parking in the back!

I'm surprised that's not a city's bylaw

 

[Barnaby]

I'm surprised that's not a city's bylaw

Consequences would include entrances mostly opening to the parking lot.

 

[Edmcowboy11]

Consequences would include entrances mostly opening to the parking lot.

Which would of course unfortunately defeat the purpose of having the businesses right along the street where the front doors would be best for pedestrians. Very few businesses like to have two ways in and out of their businesses for customers.

 

[Platinum107]

Its almost like people could just... walk 30 steps from the parking lot around the building to the front Sounds so easy to me yet developers seem to disagree lol

 

[chrisvazquez7]

How can they call this mixed-use?

 

[Markyeg]

Missed opportunity. This spot would’ve been perfect for a 4-6 storey mixed use.

 

[IanO]

It's really odd that one would propose but a single storey there given the multi-storey north of it and many mid-rise in the area.

 

[scyeg]

Which would of course unfortunately defeat the purpose of having the businesses right along the street where the front doors would be best for pedestrians. Very few businesses like to have two ways in and out of their businesses for customers.

For the life of me, I can't remember where it was, but I was at a building like this once (not in Edmonton) that had a hallway built down the middle that went from the back parking lot, through the building to the street side. It made it easy and quick to get from the parking lot to the front, and within the hallway space were public washrooms and maintenance closets. There were no entrances to the businesses from the parking lot side, just the single entrance that brought you out to the front.

 

[cloney]

For the life of me, I can't remember where it was, but I was at a building like this once (not in Edmonton) that had a hallway built down the middle that went from the back parking lot, through the building to the street side. It made it easy and quick to get from the parking lot to the front, and within the hallway space were public washrooms and maintenance closets. There were no entrances to the businesses from the parking lot side, just the single entrance that brought you out to the front.

No washrooms or maintenance closets but this is the setup for the businesses north of Jasper Ave between 112 & 113st. If there’s going to be a parking lot I think it’s a great design

 

[David A]

109 Street south of Whyte Ave is one of the few main roads in the central part of the city that has more residential than commercial along it.

So I suppose this development will fill a gap here and it looks nicer than the typical strip malls along our main roads.

However, I wish it it was not just one floor and had residential or offices above. That would be mixed use and would be better for the area.

 

[cmd uw]

From my lens I have no idea how this makes any sense financially. Simple math - just calculate the annual potential income and apply a value cap rate and work it back.

Potential Annual Income - $201k (assume $38/SF base rent x 5292 SF leasable)
Potential stabilized value @7% cap (est. cap based on non-anchored strip retail) = $2.871M

Construction cost for this type of commercial build will be +/-$245/SF = $1.296M
Land = $900k (assumed)
Total hard costs = $2.196M.
Not including soft costs either.

Conclusion - no juice from this. Any equity put in is stuck until it's sold and even then, your returns are low. Even to achieve the exit value a lot has to go right. This location, while on a great high traffic corridor, isn't the best or highest demand so the ability to command the higher face rates to offset construction costs becomes a challenge, especially when competing with existing product in the area for less. I have been involved in some crazy deals in my career but I wouldn't take this one on in its current form.

 

[Gus Haynes]

Interesting intensity.