Canada: Highrise in downtown Edmonton arena district will be city’s tallest building
By Dave Lazzarino
Edmonton Sun
Three years from now, Edmonton’s skyline is going to look mighty different.
Stantec, one of the city’s largest design and consulting firms, announced Tuesday it will be moving its offices in 2018 to what will be the city’s tallest multi-use tower — about 62-floor — with a front-door in the arena district.
Stantec has signed a 15-year lease for 450,000-square-feet of office space in the tower’s first 28-or-so floors. Another seven floors of office space will available to rent with the top 30 floors dedicated to residential space.
The final height of the tower remains to be decided as the cap — which will be lit in different colours to cheer on sports teams or mark occasions like Canada Day — still needs to be designed.
The building also needs to go through the proper public consultation before permits are granted, a process city manager Simon Farbrother says should happen soon if the building is to meet its 2018 opening date.
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Stantec and EAD Joint Venture unveil design for Edmonton’s tallest tower
Source: Stantec News
Stantec and the Edmonton Arena District, a development joint venture between Katz Group and WAM Development Group, unveiled the design for Edmonton’s tallest tower on the corner of 102 Street and 103 Avenue with Stantec as the anchor tenant.
The new 62-floor (224 metre/734.9 ft) mixed-use tower will consolidate more than 1,700 Stantec employees into one iconic location at the epicentre of Edmonton’s downtown revitalization. It will be the tallest tower in Edmonton, bordering the public plaza outside Rogers Arena, and serving as a beacon for the Edmonton Arena District.
“We are proud to have both our people and our designer’s work play a role in enhancing the vibrancy of the Edmonton Arena District,” said Bob Gomes, president and CEO of Stantec. “Stantec, WAM Development Group, and Katz Group have deep roots in this city, and it’s exciting to see the creativity of our companies come together to contribute to the revitalization of our downtown community.”
Stantec is providing full architecture and engineering services for the new tower, and will be leasing 450,000 of the 600,000 square feet of commercial space. The tower’s design is comprised of 26 floors of office space and 320 residential suites. The tower’s energy efficient design will target LEED® Gold certification. The design team is working to combine the structure and light to transmit the energy of the vibrant plaza upwards, creating a distinctive landmark for Edmonton’s skyline.
“This new building will revolutionize the downtown landscape in Edmonton and will set expectations for future buildings in the city,” said Darren Durstling, President and CEO of WAM Development Group. “This tower is being designed, engineered and project managed entirely by Stantec, showcasing their vast capabilities and experience.”
Construction will begin this fall, with completion expected in the summer of 2018.
ABOUT THE EDMONTON ARENA DISTRICT
The Edmonton Arena District (EAD) will be a world-class destination, developed by a joint venture between Katz Group and WAM Development Group. The EAD will offer Edmontonians and visitors from around the world, a place to live, work and play. Anchored by a public plaza and the Rogers Place Arena, the EAD will house an upscale hotel, two office towers, condominiums and rental apartments. As well, the urban village will offer a variety of eateries, retail options including boutique shops, a grocery, pharmacy, and year-round entertainment and attractions. The EAD will be a dynamic, mixed-use urban destination that is true to Edmonton’s character and unlike anything in North America.
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Edmonton
The Edmonton metropolitan area is the 6th-largest in population in Canada and 2nd-largest in Alberta after Calgary.
Population estimates by census metropolitan area, Canada
Population at July 1, 2013
Toronto 5,959,505
Montréal 3,981,802
Vancouver 2,443,277
Calgary 1,364,827
Ottawa-Gatineau 1,305,210
Edmonton 1,289,564
Québec 791,934
Winnipeg 771,221
Hamilton 758,073
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo 504,258
London 498,623
St. Catharines-Niagara 404,971
Halifax 408,702
Oshawa 379,995
Victoria 357,327
Windsor 333,082
Source: Government of Canada/Gouvernement du Canada
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Edmonton aerial views
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Edmonton light rail
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