Edmonton Heritage Issues

M II A II R II K · #1 Posted **Apr 28, 2009, 1:59 PM**

A thread to discuss heritage issues.

bulliver · #2 Posted **Apr 28, 2009, 7:09 PM**

Guess I'll kick the can first...

Talking point one: Kelly Building, will this turn out like another Arlington Debacle, or will the building get the loving it deserves?

Talking point two: Gem Theatre, it desperately needs restoration, hopefully to coincide with the 'Quarters' redevelopment. Anyone know the owner? Are they the type of person who will play ball with the city, or just a real estate shark?

rapid_business · #3 Posted **Apr 28, 2009, 10:49 PM**

Cut ...open construction thread....paste. Continue.

M II A II R II K · #4 Posted **Apr 28, 2009, 11:14 PM**

Technically the construction thread should really only focus on projects that have been proposed and are actually under construction.

Topics about existing buildings and it's sub-categories would go in a different thread. And plus that Kelly Building post wouldn't have been posted in the first place if it weren't for this thread, construction thread and all. That is one of the potential objectives, to generate extra traffic that wouldn't ordinarily exist for more diverse interesting topics and discussions.

But there seems to be this affinity for many forumers to want to post anything about their city in the one construction thread.

Xelebes · #5 Posted **Apr 29, 2009, 12:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bulliver

Guess I'll kick the can first...

Talking point one: Kelly Building, will this turn out like another Arlington Debacle, or will the building get the loving it deserves?

Talking point two: Gem Theatre, it desperately needs restoration, hopefully to coincide with the 'Quarters' redevelopment. Anyone know the owner? Are they the type of person who will play ball with the city, or just a real estate shark?

First of all, where is this building? I've never seen it.

ue · #6 Posted **Apr 29, 2009, 1:25 AM**

"East Jasper Block Area". Jasper ave between 97 and 96 streets by gibson block and the hardware grill.

9682 Jasper Avenue is Gem Theatre.

DizzyEdge · #7 Posted **Jun 7, 2009, 10:49 PM**

Can anyone tell me if the Edmonton Brewery is still standing, and if so, if it's being utilized for anything?

Care of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molson_Brewery,_Edmonton

ue · #8 Posted **Jun 7, 2009, 10:51 PM**

^The Molson brewery is still standing but I believe it is fenced off. waiting for redevelopment. some buildings i think will get historical designation.

DizzyEdge · #9 Posted **Jun 7, 2009, 11:03 PM**

^ Any word if there are actual redevelopment plans at the moment?

ue · #10 Posted **Jun 7, 2009, 11:06 PM**

^Anthem properties has apparently bought the land and is looking into a redevelopment plan into a sort of urban village like the Waterfront in Calgary, except with heritage buildings. I believe there was a news article, i will see if i can dig it up and post it here.

EDIT: Found!

Quote:

New project still on tap at Molson site

'Vibrant' plan hinges on historical review

By Bill Mah, The Edmonton JournalMay 12, 2009

Nearly two years after the former Molson brewery bottled its last beer, the Oliver site remains shuttered.

But its eventual redevelopment is still brewing, behind the scenes, says an executive with the Vancouver-based company which plans to eventually develop the site as a mixed-use housing, retail, office and restaurant project with "vibrant architecture."

The old red brick brewery is in the second phase of a two-part historical building review examining the impact of any possible development, and the cost and viability of keeping as many of the historic buildings as possible, said Chris Vollan, vice-president of development for Anthem Properties.

The site, at 104th Avenue and 121st Street, is actually a collection of buildings including structures erected in 1913 and 1925.

"It's been a question with the historic review -- is it one building, two buildings, five buildings that the city and province would want to stay and that we work around in any redevelopment."

Anthem has proposed a list of buildings they want to focus on and keep economically.

"After that, it goes to the province and the city, and if they sign off on it then we know exactly which buildings we'll be keeping on the site and then we'll start the community outreach and planning process with the city."

Molson Canada and Anthem announced last October that Anthem would start preparing to redevelop the site. Molson closed the brewery in August 2007 after a strike, and cited a consumer shift to canned beer and the loss of a contract to brew Foster's beer.

"We need to know what we're working with before we can start really planning the site, and it's figuring out what the community and the city want," Vollan said.

Given the ongoing historic review, the yet-to-come city planning process and current residential and commercial market conditions, Vollan said it was hard to give a timeline for when construction would begin.

"We think it's a fantastic site for a mixed-use project. We've had a lot of interest in it, but it's getting people on the commercial side to commit to it going forward."

Meanwhile, a new home has not yet been found for Molson House, the fort-like meeting hall at the brewery site best-known for hosting hockey great Wayne Gretzky's trade announcement in 1988.

When the brewery closed, Molson offered the facility to community groups willing to move to the building. "We are still chatting to a couple of interested parties," said Molson spokesman Bryan Cox.

bmah@thejournal.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Life/...659/story.html

DizzyEdge · #11 Posted **Jun 7, 2009, 11:12 PM**

Sounds like a company willing to incorporate any historic structures in with their development, good to hear.

rapid_business · #12 Posted **Jun 8, 2009, 2:44 AM**

Off topic: How long has it been Molson's? Visited my grandfather today who is up there in years, and he was asking about the plans for the brewery, and was referring to it as O'Keefe's or something? I imagine that goes some years back?

DizzyEdge · #13 Posted **Jun 8, 2009, 2:47 AM**

The wiki article says Molson acquired it in 1958.

CMD UW · #14 Posted **Jun 8, 2009, 3:29 AM**

^I think Molson has been there for alot longer than that. The old historical office / admin building was constructed back in the 1910-20's or so IIRC. I believe the date and Molsons name is engraved. I'll have to swing by and check it out.

newfangled · #15 Posted **Jun 8, 2009, 4:21 AM**

From Edmonton's West Side Story

Early history:

Later:

And even later:

DizzyEdge · #16 Posted **Jun 8, 2009, 5:27 AM**

Wow that's awesome newfangled.

SHOFEAR · #17 Posted **Jun 9, 2009, 12:36 AM**

speaking of beer, Ambers new chocolate stout is a 5 out of 5.

DizzyEdge · #18 Posted **Jun 9, 2009, 1:02 AM**

By the way, this is why I asked: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=170205
Going to see if I can find more development plan info on the Edmonton site as a tie-in.

newfangled · #19 Posted **Jun 9, 2009, 1:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bulliver

Speaking of the Gem, here's an interesting pdf on the building's significance:

http://www.gov.edmonton.ab.ca/city_g...GemTheatre.pdf

Does anyone have any photos of what it originally looked like? I can't find any on the City, Provincial or Glenbow archives. What we see today is apparently a moderne update of an Edwardian design, but that looks to be just the coke signs and the vertical marquee. I had always assumed that the ugly brown tiles are an even more recent (70's?) addition?

ue · #20 Posted **Jun 29, 2009, 2:57 AM**

^I'd love for that building to turn into a sort of indie theatre like the Princess.

here is a wicked oldish photo of jasper avenue:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9034201...51569/sizes/o/