[David A]

It does seem street front retail in Edmonton is very poor compared to almost any other major city in Canada. It is like we are especially addicted to power centres and suburban malls.

Of course it is worst downtown with so many empty store fronts still, but even Whyte Ave has had its struggles particularly over the last several years.

The Lululemon store which was right on Whyte Ave closed. Yes, Whyte Ave seems to draw a lot of traffic, but a lot of that is to bars, restaurants, coffee shops, theatre and the farmers market, perhaps not as much to other retail.

 

[Edmcowboy11]

Well Whyte Ave I blame ever increasing lease rates.

 

[TAS]

Well Whyte Ave I blame ever increasing lease rates.

One thing Whyte Ave seems to be missing are banks. Maybe they can afford the lease rates.

 

[kcantor]

For street front retail to work, you need to be able to “see” where you’re going and deem it worth walking to. It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking 30 feet or 150 feet, if you can’t see something you want to walk to, you won’t.

Station Park’s biggest failing is the orientation of its containers in that the storefronts face a small internal courtyard with poor to nonexistent sight lines from the intersection it needs to entice people to cross (like a mall, it presents a blank face and not an animated one).

People won’t take a risk on crossing a street only to find there’s nothing there for them to see or do when they get there. And simply providing an elevated rather than an at grade crossing won’t change that.

 

[David A]

One thing Whyte Ave seems to be missing are banks. Maybe they can afford the lease rates.

Bring back the banks!?

Well there are not as many as there used to be, but still has TD at 109 Street, RBC across the street, ATB a couple blocks south on 104 St (maybe close enough to count?) and CIBC at 99 Street.

 

[thommyjo]

Sometimes these lines are invisible, sometimes there’s real physical barriers, sometimes a bit of both.

103ave from 105-109st is one of those imo. Hence why good goods failed. No clear barrier, but just mentally not in the “map” of most people as they walk DT.

Gateway is arguably a very real barrier.

106-108ave of 124st is a good example of “breaking” a real barrier and expanding people’s mental maps. The park on 108ave/market draws people north over 107ave. Numerous events like farmers markets and All is Bright where the entire stretch is open (roads closed) and connected help to get people to experience the whole stretch.

Not sure how we do it with gateway, arguably this project is a part of the solution. But I think it’s a real mental map for many. Gateway is the “end” of the whyte nightlife.

I wonder if apartments above this project would have been wise. More 81ave development. Redevelop the parking lots north of station park.

 

[Gronk!]

Not sure how we do it with gateway, arguably this project is a part of the solution. But I think it’s a real mental map for many. Gateway is the “end” of the whyte nightlife.

I wonder if apartments above this project would have been wise. More 81ave development. Redevelop the parking lots north of station park.

Transform that used car lot north of Whyte Ave into a mid-rise development (similar to the Hat nearby), then use the ground level CRUs to expand the Whyte Ave nightlife with a pub and live music venue. The public washroom and the streetcar terminal can remain as-is.

 

[archited]

I think one of the best solutions -- and it wouldn't be inexpensive but it would be transformational -- would be to depress Gateway starting from the 80th avenue intersection north and under Sask. drive with a new (less of a hairpin) access to the 105th Street bridge (in fact I would abandon the existing connector at QE Park Rd. altogether). With the road depressed the opportunity would present itself for branched-off UG parking along the way thereby reducing auto presence in large part. Pedestrian bridges could criss-cross the now-depressed roadway at points like "End of Steel Park", "Yardbird Suite", "OS Farmers' Market", "Strathcona Hotel", "Station Park" and the "Historic Railway Station". a very large UG parking structure could be accessed from the depressed roadway between 83rd and 85th Avenue on the east side of Gateway (perhaps tied into a mixed use development atop the parkade). Access ramps from the depressed roadway need only be provided at Sask. Drive. This would surely seam Old Strathcona into a much stronger pedestrian realm and allow for a significant eastward expansion of retail and hospitality.