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Katz Group sets sights on downtown Edmonton residential towers

Click to play video: 'Open house for new phase of ICE District'
Open house for new phase of ICE District
WATCH ABOVE: We're getting a better idea of what the land north of Rogers Place could look like in the future. Vinesh Pratap reports – Jun 27, 2017

The Katz Group is looking ahead to its second phase of development of Edmonton’s Ice District: the land north of the Rogers Place arena.

If approved,  the development of Phase 2 would include building on a section of land between 105 and 106 Avenues and 102 to 104 Streets.

Phase 2 of the Ice District to develop north of the downtown arena. Supplied

Zoning by the city would still have to be approved before the plan moves forward, but the Katz Group is going ahead with collecting feedback from people already living in the area.

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Glen Scott, senior vice president of real estate with the Katz Group, said Tuesday’s open house will give residents and businesses a chance to voice their opinions.

“It’s conceptual at the moment,” Scott said, but added the next construction phase would compliment what has already been erected downtown.

Currently a large portion of the land north of the arena is fenced off and used for parking.

In December 2016, Edmonton city councillors voted to allow the Katz Group to run a parking lot with 600 spaces.

READ MORE: Edmonton city council votes to let Katz Group build contentious parking lot by Rogers Place

“We’ve expressed that we’re not in the business of running parking lots.”

Scott said the Katz Group envisioned an urban village with a mix of residential and business.

The decrepit MacDonald Lofts, a historical building that is currently home to 87 suites for many low-income residents, will also be preserved and restored.

The future use of the MacDonald Lofts building has yet to be determined.

READ MORE: Residents of MacDonald Lofts given 1 year to relocate after ICE District buys property

The Katz Group said its plan includes a mix of residential and commercial and that could include 30- to 40-storey highrise towers.

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“We’re envisioning a minimum of probably 3,000 residential units in our sort of conceptual plan,” Scott said.

The open house is from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., in the main lobby of the Edmonton Tower.

 

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