News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 02, 2020
A Message to Our Readers
 10K     0 
News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 01, 2020
EarthCam Time-Lapse Documents Rafael Viñoly-Designed New Stanford Hospital Construction
 42K     0 
News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 01, 2020
Resort Town
 5.9K     0 

For a Deli/Specialized Grocer Application in the former museum building Trade Joes would be an ideal Tenant. They are extremely popular in the U.S., working with local farmers and businesses to stock their shelves with unique goodies and always at unbeatable prices. They have the most happy workforce that I have ever seen in a grocery store -- they work all of their employees through every aspect of their operation so that staff can stand in for any particular work-demand that may arise. And they pay their staff above grocer-industry standards. It is a literal joy to shop in their stores -- happy helpful staff, attentive management, and excellent and unique product. Last year they said they have no plans to expand into Canada but I have a contact that might be persuaded to take a second look considering the experimental successes that Edmonton has had in terms of introducing food/restaurant product to Canada (e.g. California Pizza) and the fact that this location is particularly suited to their operation both from a build-out standpoint and from a market-area standpoint. A Trader Joes would be a boon to Edmonton and Edmonton would be a great starting place for a TJ operation. It is early days, but a Trader Joes might well be considered an additional bargaining chip. I just need to know who is best to contact in that regard, whether it be Ivan Beljan, Vivian Manasc, or whomever? If Manasc, I would look for an intro from my good friend Ian O' or Sharon MacLean; if Beljan, then perhaps Chris Duluba. Feelers out (no chopping off, please).

PS -- I would not be looking for a Design Commission -- that could stay in the capable hands of the Reimagine/Beljan folks.
 
Also, and at the risk of repeating myself for the umpteenth time (and in the process offending countless Skyrisers), the City could get involved here trading the Century Tower downtown for this the former RAM site plus the old Remand site. The City could then sell this site to Beljan/Reimagine and the Remand site to Qualico. The trade would be fair and balanced (just like the Fox professes to be) and the Province would then have an already half-developed Family Court building needing only a revamp with a new exterior skin and interior rework and a new structure between the Century tower and the existing Courthouse for more courtroom infrastructure. Are you paying attention GEC oder NEXT? (this is right up your alley design wise and the NEXT thing to do is update your contact with the Prov.s). In the trade, the Prov.s could then spend their $50 Million assigned savings from skating away from the former RAM and, instead, applying it to the Law courts building saving even more off of their proposed budget for the new courthouse. The City could recoup the cost of a give-away of the Chancery Hall building to AGA with the sale of the other two properties. AGA could then expand with a whole raft of new facilities. How often do we see such a win/win/win/win/win/win/win scenario in urban development (the winners being the old RAM (and reimagine/Beljan), the City, the Province, the Courthouse, Qualico, AGA and the People of big E)?
 
^ further, with all of the incurred savings the Prov.s would not have to skimp on the Family Court design and construction fulfillment (imagine another beautiful downtown civic structure); the tired old Ram would spring back to life as would the surrounding site elements -- I could see moving the Korean Pavilion down the hill -- a hop, step and a long downward jump from its existing location with a buildout of a magnificent go-along Korean Garden plus expansive reflecting pool on an underused River Valley site; a two-tower addition to Qualico's Switch City-within-a-City site adding the huge new benefit of a revived (essentially previously discarded) LRT station at 97th Street giving that nascent pseudo-City a direct connection to the Eddy-wide rail network and the promise of a beautiful connecting pedestrian park on the 97th Street overpass; and last but certainly and surely not least an expanded Art Gallery of Alberta, more than doubling their current interior space and with a discriminating wrecking ball could effect a deconstructionist architectural art piece out of the Chancery Hall and by decommissioning the 99th Street in the immediate AGA vicinity they could have a meaningful outdoor sculpture garden with statuary up the yin and the yang, all amid a 1000-tree project that includes part of Edmonton's downtown library -- did I mention a shared atrium between the new Family Court and the AGA expansion so divorced souls can shed tears of relief or sorrow at the loss of a nag, a hag or a windbag (oops that might be me) in a heavenly garden. Phew -- that was some run-on (nay run-away) sentence; in advance thanks for your patience and tolerance.
 
It is a good idea, but I fear it is too complicated for our current municipal and provincial leaders (both the bureaucrats and political ones) who can't even do the simple things right.

If I have offended them by this comment, it is my intention. I actually hope they prove me wrong, but I doubt it.
 
^
I’m not sure that octopus conglomerate of juggling swaps is complex enough. Surely Archited should be able to work in the old RCMP/minimum security prison/Stan Daniel’s Healing Centre in the Quarters and a connection over Grierson Hill Road through Louise McKinney park to a new federal urban park in the river valley along with a gondola and river taxis connecting to the Rossdale power plant and the Touch the Water plan and back to Government House Park and up the bank again to the old Ram… That way we could add numerous departments of the federal government and several Treaty Nations to the negotiations.
 
^ You have such a studied and knife-edge sense of humor -- must be borne of your time expansive days in the Brighton Block.
 
constance_chlore said:
A bit more detail on the Beljan/Reimagine proposal here.
Click to expand...

Won't lie, I really like what Beljan is proposing with the museum.

Data center is a great use of the basement as the heat generated by the computers can be used to heat the rest of the building, net zero in a very stretched way...

To take it to the next level with the high end grocer, if the roof could handle the weight greenhouses could be added for growing fresh produce, still heated by the computers in the basement.

Doesn't get more locally sourced than that!
 
First of all I wish our current provincial government would stop doing those bogus "surveys" with limited choices and then trying to pass them off consultation. This does not make them look good.

Second, there are a lot of good opportunities for this building. So just let the private sector take in on and run with it. Isn't that what a supposedly conservative government should do?
 
EdmTrekker said:
Was this a plug for the EJ or you had nothing to say?
Click to expand...
This is where the link takes you:
IMG_3009.jpeg

Follow the link and you can read the whole article.

Insofar as I posted the link as I felt it was worth reading, I suppose that could be considered a plug.

As for my having nothing to say, hasn’t happened yet. :)
 
David A said:
First of all I wish our current provincial government would stop doing those bogus "surveys" with limited choices and then trying to pass them off consultation. This does not make them look good.

Second, there are a lot of good opportunities for this building. So just let the private sector take in on and run with it. Isn't that what a supposedly conservative government should do?
Click to expand...
They do what they're meant to, provide cover for what they were planning on doing anyways.

But yeah their public consultation is embarrassing, it's not subtle how they bias them for the results they want

They might as well be like:

"How would you rate the job we are doing?

A)Perfect
B)Amazing
C)Pretty good
D) Don't know"
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top