City committee to hear proposal for new tower at former BMO building site in downtown Edmonton

Now that the former BMO (Bank of Montreal) site in downtown Edmonton is sitting empty, a city committee is set to hear about a proposal to build a 50-storey mixed-use tower on the prime piece of real estate.

A city document shows the Edmonton design committee is scheduled to hear a presentation about the proposed high-rise at 10199 101 St. on Tuesday. Jimmy Amichandwala with Der Associates Architecture Ltd. will speak to the committee at a formal presentation that is open to the public.

Last year, Regency Developments applied to have the former BMO building demolished with the intention of building a high-rise tower, indicating they did not believe they would be able to find a new tenant for the structure once the bank moved out.

READ MORE: Developer seeks approval to demolish former BMO building in downtown Edmonton

Watch below: On Oct. 30, 2017, Vinesh Pratap filed this report about the future of a prominent downtown Edmonton street corner as a former bank building was sitting empty and the city was reviewing an application for its demolition.

“The sheer size of it and scale of it, it’s a pretty specific tenant that would have been able to take this over,” Regency Developments’ Raj Dhunna said in October 2017. “When we first purchased it, it wasn’t a clear vision of what we wanted to do.

“We just knew it was a prime corner, so I would say not to worry about it being an empty lot too long.”

The tower proposal says the high-rise would include a hotel as well as professional and office space, retail stores, a restaurant and a bar.

Watch below: On Oct. 10, 2018, Vinesh Pratap filed this report about growing concern among some Edmontonians that council may be approving tower after tower without understanding the impact.