East Campus Village Housing Project Open House - 16Aug12

[IanO]

NEIGHBOURHOOD NOTICE

Public Information Sessions

East Campus Village Housing Project Open House
Thursday, August 16, 2012
5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
University of Alberta
Rutherford Library Galleria
(atrium between Rutherford Libraries North and South)
Please join the University of Alberta to learn more about the future development of the East Campus Village Housing Project and view preliminary designs.

University of Alberta representatives will be on hand to answer questions about the housing project.
Your participation is important and we hope to see you there. If you have any questions, please contact Darlene Bryant at 780-492-6892 or by email at darlene.bryant@ualberta.ca

If you are unable to attend this meeting, information presented will be posted online at www.communityrelations.ualberta.ca and comments will be accepted until August 23, 2012.

http://www.communityrelations.ualber...ugust2012.aspx

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Erhm...where exactly is this East Campus Village going to be located? Couldn't find anything in the links above.

[IanO]

East Campus Village housing is the area bound by 109st-111st from 87ave to the river.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Originally Posted by IanO

East Campus Village housing is the area bound by 109st-111st from 87ave to the river.

FFS leave that area alone. It doesn't need redeveloping.

[IanO]

It has been developed over the years, ie. International house, grad townhouses etc.

This has been an incredibly controversial issue though over the years and I am curious to see where it might lead to.

[Marcel Petrin]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

FFS leave that area alone. It doesn't need redeveloping.

Like it or not, the University has a clear need for more housing. The two new buildings will have around 240 beds of housing where before there was 8 or so houses (and a couple of the existing houses will be relocated elsewhere).

Ledcor and Chandos submit their tenders tomorrow.

Oh and no there's no renders at this point as its design build, but Hodgson Schilf did the bridging documents and did the design on the previous 4 buildings. So it's safe to assume the new buildings will be somewhat similar to the previous ones. They're bigger floorplates, and one is 5 stories (half a story in the ground) while the other is 4 stories like the previous ones. There won't be individual townhouse-style suite entrances on the bottom two floors this time around, though.

edit: the buildings are located NE of International House along 89th avenue, East of 111th street.

[McBoo]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

...
FFS leave that area alone. It doesn't need redeveloping.

Not sure that I get your issue SDP. There are some nice, big old homes there - but what's left are pretty isolated. That, and East Campus appears 1/2 completed already.

Now south Garneau; that's completely different.

[JamesL]

Would prefer to see the U of A target the giant surface parking lot east of HUB before razing more houses, imo...

Whatever became of the cool houses on 87th that they removed a few years ago to make way for the rowhouse-style apartments? I was under the impression that they were being moved somewhere...

[Marcel Petrin]

Not sure on the houses. As far as the surface lot East of Hub, there's plans for it in their long term projections for more faculty buildings. It's not been forgotten or overlooked.

[IanO]

Originally Posted by Marcel Petrin

Not sure on the houses. As far as the surface lot East of Hub, there's plans for it in their long term projections for more faculty buildings. It's not been forgotten or overlooked.

Actually it was, has and continues to be... I mean why build anything on the east side of campus for Arts/Law/Liberal arts/fine arts right?

[MylesC]

Bingo

Although to be somewhat fair Tory has been going through a much needed upgrade that has gone pretty well.


As far as the housing goes I hope the UofA takes the chance to improve upon what has been built in the past. Each project from the new Lister tower onward has had a number of complaints, some of which are fair and some of which are the usual grumbles.

UCLA may have some examples to look at as the Grad Housing in-fill project is coming to a close

http://www.housing.ucla.edu/construc...Sheet-2010.pdf

And undergrad infill is in full swing

http://www.housing.ucla.edu/construc...-Factsheet.pdf

Master Plan:

http://www.housing.ucla.edu/shmp/SHMP-2021-v1-19WEB.pdf

[JamesL]

PDF renderings of the project(s) are now available here: http://www.communityrelations.ualber...ugust2012.aspx

Pretty underwhelming stuff.

[IanO]

Unique styling I must say, very similar to a lot of stuff I have seen around UBC.

[etownboarder]

No outdoor living. Even if they just had a few patios per floor for public use... Something!!!

[edmonton daily photo]

I'm mixed.. There are things I like and things I don't.... I'm glad it is low rise and still feels homey and like a community... Not like the campus which can be very crammed and dense at times.

[edmonton daily photo]

Originally Posted by etownboarder

No outdoor living. Even if they just had a few patios per floor for public use... Something!!!

There is courtyard space..

[IanO]

I am happy to see more new student housing on campus though for some of the potential arrangements around it are in quite poor shape.

[IanO]

All from (http://www.communityrelations.ualber...ugust2012.aspx)

[edmonton daily photo]

The multi use link is just odd...

[EveB]

That link was the most controversial item from my experience of the open house. The good news is that it is yet to be designed, even conceptually, so changes can be made. There were no fixed ideas about how it was going to be used.

From my point of view it blocks off a potential public walkway (the open house people acknowledged that while there will be paths through the building, those aren't public). The walkway could be created between the buildings like is done beside the HUB entrance.

The other thing I found rather odd in retrospect, is that that this building was considered to be a conduit between International House and the new residence. The idea is that the two buildings will serve the same population. I hope not, or at least not necessarily, because it was made clear that the point of the new residences was to provide economical housing for students and the need for that is extensive even in the local and semi-local (rural) population of students.

The majority of the suites seem to be four bedroom apartments (private bedrooms, two baths, common kitchen and living areas). I lived for a brief period in Seager Wheeler Hall in Saskatoon (six bedrooms, same concept) and actually hated it. I preferred the regular residence with private bedroom/study and full access to public areas and the cafeteria. But that was me.

I think this development is a step in the right direction. Though there was someone there who seemed put off by increased density because of the increased traffic. However, no parking is going to be provided specially for these residents. Between the fact that everything necessary (and some unnecessary) is going to be within walking distance and U-Passes, I can't see why people would bring cars. Those students who come from the type of money that allows private vehicles can live at any of the highrises that are in the Garneau area.

Eve

[Marcel Petrin]

Originally Posted by edmonton daily photo

The multi use link is just odd...

These drawings are all preliminary, keep in mind. The RFP had next to no information about what the Multi Use Opportunity Space was even to be used for, or what it was to look like. What you see in those renderings is basically a placeholder, as the architect was pretty much at a loss on what to do with it.

What actually gets built is unlikely to look much like what is shown there.

[IanO]

'The majority of the suites seem to be four bedroom apartments (private bedrooms, two baths, common kitchen and living areas). I lived for a brief period in Seager Wheeler Hall in Saskatoon (six bedrooms, same concept) and actually hated it. I preferred the regular residence with private bedroom/study and full access to public areas and the cafeteria. But that was me.'

Akin to some of the HUB units and while some prefer traditional residences, it is a great way for those from out of town to immediately have some housemates/friends etc. Respect is required, but I am a fan of these types of units, especially for 1st and 2nd year students.

[Chmilz]

Looks hodge-podge, messy.

[Marcel Petrin]

Originally Posted by Chmilz

Looks hodge-podge, messy.

Keep in mind that the project hasn't even been officially awarded to a proponent, let alone has the design been completed as this is design build. They're also working with some pretty stringent space, time and budget requirements.