Edmonton Construction 13 (November 2015)

[240glt]

Originally Posted by technomad

I always thought CN floors were just too small and low for modern office use, is there something else about the building that would impede a residential conversion?

Enbridge still has a decent look to it IMO, sort of our Nexen.. I'd say it has a good look for a tech company, but failing that.. heard rumblings about a few GoA moves, and don't think there's time, or the budgetary appetite for a new build. could be a good fit for them

Remember, what a bunch of consultants and leasers can "re-imagine" and the practical realities are many times much much different

[240glt]

Loving the article in the Journal about Edmonton not setting deadlines for projects, cause, y'know we're not very good at meeting timelines

Good lord this city

[MacLac]

Originally Posted by SHOFEAR

That was some pretty ballsy descriptions of Abbottsfield. I don't disagree...I used to joke about needing to take a tire iron with me to the old mcdonalds next to the mall.

Grandparents live 10 blocks away...used to hang out there alot in the early to mid 80's in the summers....just about every other day I'd get a shit kicking by a gang of natives.....especially by the McDick's...

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by 240glt

Loving the article in the Journal about Edmonton not setting deadlines for projects, cause, y'know we're not very good at meeting timelines

Good lord this city

Completion: when it is done!

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by 240glt

Remember, what a bunch of consultants and leasers can "re-imagine" and the practical realities are many times much much different

Actually, what the property owner(s) can work with and do in their research and proforms prior to consultants much of the time. We then try to assist where they could not make it work. Either way, conversions are generally very tough to make a go of.

[kcantor]

Originally Posted by 240glt

Loving the article in the Journal about Edmonton not setting deadlines for projects, cause, y'know we're not very good at meeting timelines

Good lord this city

your looking at it the wrong way and need to take a much more positive approach when considering things like this.

the longer it takes for these projects to be substantially completed, the longer it is before the city assumes the obligation for their operation and maintenance.

as the city actually doesn't do maintenance very well (has anyone looked at the current state of the low level bridge as a prime - but unprimed and rusted - example or at beaumaris lake or the artery as others...), the longer it takes to complete a project, the longer its life span from commencement to failure.

[Coldrsx]

[Coldrsx]

Potentially huge

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[240glt]

Originally Posted by kcantor

your looking at it the wrong way and need to take a much more positive approach when considering things like this.

the longer it takes for these projects to be substantially completed, the longer it is before the city assumes the obligation for their operation and maintenance.

as the city actually doesn't do maintenance very well (has anyone looked at the current state of the low level bridge as a prime - but unprimed and rusted - example or at beaumaris lake or the artery as others...), the longer it takes to complete a project, the longer its life span from commencement to failure.

Oy.. Yes I guess that's one way to look at it

[240glt]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Actually, what the property owner(s) can work with and do in their research and proforms prior to consultants much of the time. We then try to assist where they could not make it work. Either way, conversions are generally very tough to make a go of.

Yes I work for one of those property owners, and I am well aware of where the initial conversations initiate.

In all the media articles trumpeting office conversions there's one critical voice missing: that of the property owners.

Until they come out with their opinions and plans the rest of it is just conjecture

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by technomad

Wonder if they were trying to squeeze too many units in? seems like the two-fold win on office conversions would be making larger family sized suites

It would lower costs for the conversion, especially in plumbing. A 4 br suite doesn't need 4 kitchens and 4 bathrooms. Convert to all 1 br units and the pipes are everywhere...

And it's a lot easier to use an awkward part of a floor plan as an extra bedroom/office/den than try to figure out how to shoehorn a whole unit in

Is there a market for units were 2 or 3 of the bedrooms don't have windows? It is hard on these floorplates that were well designed to be efficient offices!

[kcantor]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

Is there a market for units were 2 or 3 of the bedrooms don't have windows? It is hard on these floorplates that were well designed to be efficient offices!

not sure what the "market" would be but they wouldn't meet building code requirements to be considered (labelled/marketed/insured etc.) as bedrooms. that's why the "inside spaces" in some of the west coast/toronto marets are marketed as dens or offices. some jurisdictions won't even issue permits for them if they're enclosed (i.e. no doors) or if they have storage space (i.e. no closets). as well as building codes, these "unofficial bedrooms" play havoc with calculating the minimum/maximum number of parking stalls needed as that's done per unit depending on how many bedrooms it contains.

[240glt]

Good news and something our steering committee has been pushing for

http://www.inews880.com/2016/09/28/counc...e-infill-projects/#.V-wr46kQURU.facebook

City council is wrestling with an emerging problem with infill housing. They’re seeing more and more where the hole is dug for a project, and part of the neighbors yard collapses. Yet so far, to the frustration of councillors, there’s been little more than mud slinging done about it.

Council’s urban planning committee heard both sides of the issue, on shoring up where digging would prepare the pouring of a foundation.


“Soil conditions in Edmonton are such that a vast number of builds, shoring is not necessary,” said Len Walters the construction manager for Coventry Homes. He said shoring would at $15,000 per side to the cost of an infill home.

“Most of the soil on a residential housing site is either fill, or has been disturbed, so it could not be classified as hard and compact,” countered Stephen Poole representing the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues.

It left Coun. Ben Henderson to chastise members of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association. “It may not be about your members. It may be about the substantial other amount of players in there that are not playing by the rules,” he said.

“This is about what we do to make sure that the fly-by-nighters, or the people that choose to cut corners, or all those things can be held to account. Because, I’ll tell you, if you’re a neighbor, and your fence caves in, and your patio goes in, and a year later maybe you get it replaced, you’ve lost the use of your yard for a full year, and I would ask you if that’s fair?”

Coun. Mike Nickel calls them “flippers,” speculators who buy properties, do minimal work to build a new home then sell it for a good “return on investment.”

“There’s some really bad players out there,” Nickel told reporters. “You heard from our legal department, the only recourse is, ‘it’s a private matter, you have to go to the courts’ and I think that’s grossly unfair if we’re the ones responsible for inspecting all the parts of the site, to make sure that it’s safe and it’s built correctly and the neighbor’s property rights are protected.”

[Kevin_foster]

Originally Posted by technomad

this one, is the real loss... cleaned up and it would have been a real asset to the neighborhood

Could this building really be re-located?
To me, dismantle it, take the parts that make it historical and rebuild the shell. Such a cool building.

[itom 987]

^ It would not be hard to build a replica of that building, it probably wouldn't cost much either. This project is so easy, a stucco loving suburban crap box developer could build it blindfolded.

[Coldrsx]

Relocate, rebuild, refacade...what about renew?

[sdimedru]

Originally Posted by kcantor

your looking at it the wrong way and need to take a much more positive approach when considering things like this.

the longer it takes for these projects to be substantially completed, the longer it is before the city assumes the obligation for their operation and maintenance.

as the city actually doesn't do maintenance very well (has anyone looked at the current state of the low level bridge as a prime - but unprimed and rusted - example or at beaumaris lake or the artery as others...), the longer it takes to complete a project, the longer its life span from commencement to failure.

Boy is that place crumbling... such a shame as its used by so many people. It's a destination park, people drive to use it even

Hope they get bridge funding to keep it safe and useful, and do a proper long term project

[SHOFEAR]

Originally Posted by 240glt

Loving the article in the Journal about Edmonton not setting deadlines for projects, cause, y'know we're not very good at meeting timelines

Good lord this city

I almost fell over from rolling my eyes so hard.

"construction deadline" is now considered a trigger word and the precious snowflakes at city hall need a safe place to avoid it.

[hilman]

https://twitter.com/jforce1/status/781487743859695616

[Coldrsx]

I like that building more and more each time I see it.