Edmonton's Ice District skates towards construction milestone

From Glen Scott's corner office on the 22nd floor of the Bell Tower, he has a front row seat to the progress in Edmonton's Ice District.

"As you can see we're inching along out there," said the president ofKatz Group Real Estate.

Outside his window construction continues ona mixed-use skyscraper, which includes the new JW Marriott hotel and theresidential condo part of the development above called Legends Residences, which is still being completed.

Scott saysby the end of January orfirst week of February they hope to have a topping off ceremony for the skyscraper.

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Next door, at what will be the tallest building in Western Canada, Scott is readyto mark another construction milestone.

Work on the Stantec Tower is moving to the residential portion of what will be a 66-floor building, which will now be growing by about a floor per week.

"It's pretty exciting, we're making some pretty good progress," Scott said.

When Kathleen McCabe, vice president of global real estate for Stantec,tours what will be the building's daycare,main lobby and massive food hall, she can see that progress. The company will be able to consolidate the design firm's1,500 local employees from three locations into one.

"There are all kinds of amenities for food options and groceries and theatre, and housing options and hotel. There's just no other location like it in Edmonton," said McCabe.

McCabe is eyeing October of this year to start moving in.

Sporting a hard hat, Steven Walton is already touring potential clients through his space over at the JW Marriott. The director of sales and marketing expects the hotel will open in January of 2019.

Walton says he has already inked deals for thefirst conferences at the site for next April and is booking summer weddings into their grand ballroom.

"Eleven thousandsquare feet, 21-foot ceilings, wrapped in windows, no pillars, pretty exciting, it will be by far the most beautiful space in Edmonton," Walton said with a smile.

For more from Ice District you can tune into Our Edmonton on Saturday at 10 a.m. Sunday at noon and 11 a.m. on Monday on CBC TV.

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