Design unveiled for record setting 62-storey Edmonton tower

WATCH ABOVE: This fall, construction will start on a 62-storey building in the heart of downtown. Vinesh Pratap reports on the Stantec tower.

EDMONTON – A design was unveiled Tuesday morning that will greatly change Edmonton’s skyline.

Stantec and WAM Development unveiled the design of a new 62-storey mixed-use tower, which will be the tallest building in Edmonton’s history (224 meters) and one of the tallest buildings in western Canada.

Katz Group CEO Daryl Katz said the tower will benefit Edmonton for generations.

“The building is going to be an absolutely exceptional piece of architecture and an extraordinary addition to Edmonton’s skyline.”

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The mixed-use tower will be the new headquarters for Stantec, an engineering and architecture consulting company.

It will stand in the arena district, just west of the Bell Tower.

“We’re going to be right in the heart of the arena district,” said Keith Shillington, Stantec Senior VP. “Our front door will be this plaza. So our staff…it’s not just about them taking part in the activities of the plaza, but they’re also going to be helping to create the action about this plaza.”

The company has signed a 15-year lease with Katz Group and WAM Development Group for 450,000 square feet of space.

Seventeen-hundred Stantec employees will work out of the building.

The company will also design the tower. The building’s design is comprised of 26 floors of office space and 320 residential suites.

“We are proud to have both our people and our designer’s work play a role in enhancing the vibrancy of the Edmonton Arena District,” said Bob Gomes, president and CEO of Stantec. “Stantec, WAM Development Group, and Katz Group have deep roots in this city, and it’s exciting to see the creativity of our companies come together to contribute to the revitalization of our downtown community.”

WATCH: Vinesh Pratap sits down with Keith Shillington, Stantec’s senior VP for the prairies, who tells us more about the project.

Construction will begin this fall, with completion expected in the summer of 2018.

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Mayor Don Iveson said the tower will play an important role in the revitalization of downtown and changing the perception of the city.

“This is going to be a signature building. It’s going to add an awful lot of activity on the street. It’s going to change the skyline forever,” said Iveson.

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Katz said the massive tower is a key piece in the vision he had when he first purchased the Edmonton Oilers in 2008.

“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.”

In June, it was announced the City of Edmonton will lease approximately 60 per cent of an office tower within the arena district which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2016.