Glenora condo development to change community’s skyline

By Tejay Gardiner

EDMONTON — Construction of the Glenora Skyline condominium development is set to begin January, and will drastically change the corner of Stony Plain Road and 142 Street.

The luxury tri-tower condominium complex will be located on the northeast corner of the intersection. City council approved the development in 2004 but construction was put on hold until plans for the LRT were finalized, Skyline general manager Brenda Maier said.

“Now that that is virtually done, we will be starting construction in January of 2012,” she said.

Three businesses have been bought out and will need to relocate to accommodate the new development. The first is the Foot Clinic. A sign posted on its front entrance alerts patients the clinic will be moving Dec. 23 and will re-open on Jan. 3 at Suite 128, 17010 90 Ave. in Westgate Centre across from West Edmonton Mall.

Dr. Richard Bochinski said he wasn’t too concerned about relocating the 16-year-old clinic.

“It’s part of business,” he said. “We haven’t had any complaints from our patients.”

The development project may be a larger concern for residents of the area, he said.

“I’m glad I don’t live here, because when construction starts it will be a nightmare for traffic.”

The Foot Clinic will be demolished in January, and construction of the first tower is to begin immediately.

“The first tower will take about 20 months,” Maier said. “But if it sells out quickly then we are just going to automatically start the foundation of the second tower.”

The second tower will be built where EarthTones Garden Shoppe currently resides. Tower 3 will sit where the Glenora Village strip mall is, and by the end of construction, the busy intersection will boast three 14-floor residential towers of granite and glass.

“This is going to be an upper-end project definitely,” Maier said. “We are looking at professional people, or those that are looking to downsize.”

The condo units are adult only, said Maier. A standard 1179-square-foot suite, with two bedrooms and two baths, will start at $765,000. Buyers also have the option to jazz up an already luxurious condo, with add-ons such as a feature wall, home-theatre wiring, remote control curtains and an in-suite waterfall.

When the Skyline project was originally introduced in 2004, both the Glenora and Grovenor communities had concerns about the scale of the project. Residents were worried about traffic increases for an already congested intersection. There was also concern about the esthetics of the buildings and how they would mesh with the family-friendly vibe of the surrounding communities.

Now that the project is revived, surrounding communities have received flyers in their mailboxes, said Beth Sanders, president of Glenora Community League. Sanders thinks the developers are hoping to sell to residents in the area.

“I haven’t heard any recent concerns, but I think we are all still waiting to see if it actually happens,” she said.

Erin Mirth, the new president of the Grovenor Community League, said she is hoping that the project will revitalize the corner.

“Personally I think it’s good as long as it is family-friendly, and there are plans for traffic and parking,” Mirth said.

Sanders said that once construction starts, the community would want to make sure that traffic impact is minimal and the construction site is kept tidy, but she doesn’t anticipate any problems.

“From the contracting side we’re hoping they will be good neighbours,” Sanders said. The residents who move into the Skyline condos will be welcomed, she said.

“We look forward to them being there.”