[David A]

It basically looked like the sutton place hotel... but cleaner.. just kind of blended into the rest of the city scape.

This... i have no words for this turd tower, prominently visible from the new park

Yes, this particular colour is kind of gross. I don't know who makes these sort of design decisions, someone who is colour blind?

It is not a fantastic building you might want to draw too much attention to, so the more subdued previous colour that blended in was much better.

 

[ThreeEquation]

In the Highlands neighbourhood. Anyone have any information on what might be moving in? Was previously an insurance office.

 

[northlands]

Unironically a thrift shop would go hard there

 

[MacLac]

In the Highlands neighbourhood. Anyone have any information on what might be moving in? Was previously an insurance office.


View attachment 733708

Was a CIBC for decades

 

[archited]

This would be an ideal location for a German (Imbiss)/Ukrainian "Streetfood" location -- 2700 sq.ft. on the ground floor with enough ceiling height to have a 900 sq.ft. Mezzanine lounge and an Oom-pah-pah/Polka nightclub in the basement (more fun than a barrel-of-monkeys). The restaurateurs could blow parts of the sidewall (facing parking) open to a two-tier (street level plus access above off the Mezzanine lounge) outdoor patio eating for another 1600 square feet of entertainment area with bbq-like cooking stations and weekend afternoon live entertainment. With a 1500 sq.ft. primary kitchen and a 300 sq.ft. drinks bar (each Mezzanine, Basement, and Patio) and a two-level outdoor cooking station (another 300 sq.ft. each level). Total indoor seating would accommodate 120 patrons with an additional 100 more on the exterior when weather permits (proper sheltering and employment of overhead heaters could make the outdoor area accessible for close to 300 days per year).
Menu: All manner of German Wursts (a favorite would be Currywursts); popular Salats (Kartoffelsalat, Nudelsalat, and Krautsalat); desserts -- Pfannkuchen, Kaiserschmarnn, Apfelküchle, und Bienenstich; and all manner of Craft Bier and Rhine wine.
Ukrainian Streetfood would offer comparable items: Perepichka, Chebureki, Varenyky, Pirozhki, and Salo; one place in L.A. that kept me coming back made a very tasty Borscht served with a French Baguette and a side of whipped butter; desserts could include Syrnyky, and Nalysnyky.
Let's get this party started...

There are some significant eateries within a block of this location so a place like this would fit right in!
Eat-in; Take-out; and delivery to the Highlands Area and abutting neighbours; website with merch; community engagement from an entertainment perspective; joint promotion with neighbouring businesses -- a winner destined to become an Edmonton fixture.

 

[Glenco]

Administration building demolition?

 

[fromyeg]

Yes.

“The Administration Building has reached the end of its functional life and the cost of maintaining or upgrading the facility no longer represents a responsible or strategic investment. The university will proceed with the demolition of the Administration Building and restoration of the site, as identified in Built for Purpose. This will create opportunities to repurpose the space to better support the university’s needs and goals.

Site preparation is expected to begin as early as December 2025, with major demolition work scheduled for early summer 2026. Once the building is removed, the site will be backfilled and graded, expanding the open green space at the south end of the university’s Quad. During this period, pedestrians should anticipate detours and the presence of demolition equipment and signage. If you work or study near the site, you may experience noise associated with the demolition. Efforts will be made to minimize disruptions during regular business hours,
though some disturbance is unavoidable.”

https://www.ualberta.ca/en/university-services-operations-finance/initiatives/infrastructure/administration-building-abatement-and-demolition.html

 

[constance_chlore]

That fencing has been up for a couple months now, at least.

 

[ADob]

I swear all of Europe and other aged places must have signed their souls over to the devil because how else are they managing to keep buildings alive and kicking for centuries and we can't even swing a measly 60 years?

 

[constance_chlore]

I swear all of Europe and other aged places must have signed their souls over to the devil because how else are they managing to keep buildings alive and kicking for centuries and we can't even swing a measly 60 years?

Well, most Edmontonians have no sense of history so the U of A, the provincial government, and other institutions face almost no meaningful reputational cost for tearing down old buildings rather than maintaining them. But also, the dirty secret is that even some of the most famous old European buildings are kind of shambling along. Like Buckingham Palace has long been a complete mess.

 

[northlands]

To my knowledge a lot of the interior was never really updated from how it was originally built, which was both really cool to see, but also a bit sad given it didn't seem like it was all that well maintained, either.

Funny how impending demolition makes me almost nostalgic for standing in line on the third floor while waiting to fork over a tuition cheque during undergrad.

 

[ADob]

It's a beautiful building. Reminds me of several communist era government buildings in Poland. Funny how one fails to notice these gems until they're on the chopping block. And yeah, many memories!

 

[Avenuer]

Unironically a thrift shop would go hard there

Not this time.

It's going to become 'Highlands Pizza Co.', by the folks that own Fox Burger and Highlands Liquor across the street (Nate Box and company).

 

[archited]

^ Right direction; wrong emphasis.

 

[David A]

Well, most Edmontonians have no sense of history so the U of A, the provincial government, and other institutions face almost no meaningful reputational cost for tearing down old buildings rather than maintaining them. But also, the dirty secret is that even some of the most famous old European buildings are kind of shambling along. Like Buckingham Palace has long been a complete mess.

Well they are repairing/renovating the Palace right now, but of course the cost is considerable. Likewise the UK Parliament at Westminster is not in great shape, but they haven't quite got to dealing with that one yet.

So I suppose we are a bit ahead of that in Canada with the current work being done to our Parliament buildings in Ottawa. Having fewer historic buildings than Europe should make it easier to focus on keeping them up, but there also has to be the will to do so.