Tower part of downtown renaissance
Katz, city officials break ground on ‘beautiful addition to skyline’
Oilers owner Daryl Katz made a rare public appearance Thursday to kick off construction of a 27-storey office tower being leased mainly by the city.
“It will be a beautiful new addition to our skyline and present a new face to the world of a dynamic and progressive city,” he told a groundbreaking ceremony.
“It will help bring new life to what we believe will be Canada’s most vibrant, most welcoming and most exciting urban centre.”
The Katz Group and WAM Developments are erecting the tower at 101st Street and 104th Avenue, across the street from the new arena.
It’s the latest major structure to get underway as part of the renaissance transforming downtown Edmonton.
Rogers Place, the new Royal Alberta Museum, the Kelly Ramsey Building and several highrise condominiums have pumped more than $1 billion into city-core construction.
“We’re already seeing a lot of activity. That might have happened eventually, but we’re seeing it right now,” Coun. Ben Henderson said.
“That was always the idea of spearheading activity in this area …
“From everything we’re hearing, this is just the beginning.”
There is talk that at least one more downtown office tower is being considered, he said.
The Galleria project near the Epcor Tower, which hasn’t been approved, would feature a commercial building with space for several University of Alberta schools.
A 2012 Katz Group plan for land it owns around the arena included a 26-floor luxury hotel, two condo towers, two office towers and six other buildings.
But no one at the groundbreaking would provide any details.
“If you wait a few weeks, you will have a chance to see everything we have planned,” Katz said. “It’s very exciting.” About 2,000 city staff will be transferred to the new building from nine downtown locations.
The city will occupy the second to 19th floors.
The first couple of storeys will be used for building permits, paying taxes and other public transactions, although the goal is to shift many of these tasks online.
The city retains the right to name the tower, scheduled to be finished in August 2016.
Leases on three buildings used by the city — the CN Tower, the HSBC Building and Scotia Place — expire by April 2016.
It is expected staff will also leave aging Chancery Hall, although the future of that city-owned space hasn’t been determined.
There were complaints Katz had the inside track on the city office business as part of the arena negotiations.
But Mayor Don Iveson said that the lease was arranged after a fair and competitive bidding process verified by an independent fairness adviser.
“Consolidating thousands of city staff into one building is going to improve our efficiency … and also nurture a culture of innovation and collaboration.”