Rogers Place and the Edmonton Arena District are beacons of innovation lighting the way for the transformation of the entire city. Now there is a new player on scene, set to rise above the Edmonton skyline in the coming years.
Stantec will make its new home in a swanky 62-storey tower right in the heart of the Edmonton Arena District on the corner of 102nd Street and 103rd Avenue. The new tower will house 26 storeys of offices and 33 residential floors, approximately 320 units.
President and CEO of Stantec Bob Gomes said it was the company’s intent to become a beacon for the city, and quite literally will light the way for Edmonton. Lights will top the tower, reflecting the mood of the city and the district on any given night.
“You can see it from Calgary,” Gomes joked.
What isn’t a joke is just how much prominence the 746-foot behemoth will have as the tallest tower in a developing city landscape.
“I’m a tall guy but I’m intimidated by this,” said Mayor Don Iveson.
Stantec currently has more than 14,000 employees working in over 230 locations worldwide. They partnered with Katz Group and WAM Development Group to choose the Edmonton Arena District as their next home. It shows once again that the district and the arena itself are catalysts for an evolving downtown.
Stantec Tower Gallery
“That’s the private sector recognizing the value of being downtown because of the excitement that is going to be coming in the next few years and they are literally getting in on the ground floor,” Iveson said.
With the arena set to open in 2016 and the district set to be the vibrant beating heart of the city’s new-look downtown, Stantec knew it was the right location for their new home base.
“Our decision to partner with the Edmonton Arena District was not just about the look of this building. This decision was about our staff,” Vice President of Stantec Keith Shillington said. “Our new home is going to be located in what is right in what will be the most vibrant and active place in this city. We are going to be right in the arena district. Our front door will be this plaza.”
Shillington added, “The arena district is a vision that will transform this city’s downtown.”
The visionary of the Edmonton Arena District, Daryl Katz, couldn’t be happier to have Stantec, a local company, as the next tenant.
“It is a company that stands for everything that make Edmonton and the capital region great: hard work, a commitment to excellence, integrity and community and a lot of heart,” the Chairman of Katz Group said. “Today, Stantec has made a huge commitment to Edmonton and its future.”
The new Stantec building represents everything Rogers Place and the Arena District stand for. It’s bold, new-aged, innovative, transformative and vibrant. The tower will join the district, adding to the excitement of the new arena, the public plaza, new office towers, condominiums, food, retail and entertainment options popping up downtown.
“It’s hard to believe but it was almost seven years ago when we first started talking about a vision to revitalize and transform the city’s downtown core,” Katz said.
And now that vision is taking shape in reality.
“We said back then that buying the Oilers was all about keeping the team in Edmonton and turning our need for a new arena into an opportunity to realize Edmonton’s full potential as a vibrant, dynamic and attractive place to live, work and play. Now we are seeing that change come to life (with the recent developments).”
Katz says that more announcements pertaining to the district will be made public in the coming weeks. But for now, the Stantec tower demands awe and attention as the iconic piece it will become.
“I’ve talked many times about how Edmonton is the most underestimated city in the country and at one point we are going to overcome that,” Iveson said. “When we do it is going to be with a bang and it starts with things like this.”
–Chris Wescott