The Pulse: Aug. 21, 2025

Now that Edmonton City Centre's ownership company has entered receivership, leaving the fate of the mall an open question, one American urban expert who toured our downtown recently said its 1.4-million square feet of retail and office space should be transformed into housing or something that isn't retail but meets the city's changing needs.

"We have to leave no stone unturned right now," Larisa Ortiz, a New York-based managing director at Streetsense, a multidisciplinary planning firm that offers downtown strategies among its many services, told Taproot. "We have to start thinking out of the box."

In July, Edmonton City Centre Inc. entered receivership, and reports suggest it owes its creditors nearly $140 million. The company owns the mall, TD Tower, 102A Tower, Centre Point Place, and associated parkades. Edmonton City Centre dates back to 1974, when a mall called Edmonton Centre opened west of 101 Street. In 1987, the newly built Eaton Centre opened to the east, across 101 Street, and the malls merged in 1999.

In 2019, Chicago-based LaSalle Investment Management and other investors bought these properties from Toronto-based Oxford Properties for more than $300 million. Several anchor tenants left shortly after that. Hudson's Bay Company closed its 168,000 square-foot location in 2020; Sport Chek closed its store at the mall in 2023.

Ortiz has worked to redevelop downtown malls of a similar age and size to Edmonton City Centre in the United States. She said the redevelopment of the 870,000 square-foot Galleria at White Plains, in downtown White Plains, NY, offers an example of what Edmonton could do with its mall. The new owners of the Galleria are demolishing it and replacing it with housing and far fewer shops.

"It's a $2.5 billion project that really is creating a new neighbourhood," Ortiz said. "If you had a clean slate (where Edmonton City Centre is), you could get quite a bit of housing."

Housing, fittingly, is taking most of the place of retail at the redeveloped District Galleria. The new owners, including a bank and a capital partner group, are building 3,000 housing units, of which 800 will be affordable. Retail will have just 100,000 square feet of space at the new development, Ortiz said.

In November, the Edmonton Downtown Business Association hosted Ortiz at its Imagining Downtown: A Global Comparison event. At the event, Ortiz suggested retail is not what Edmonton's downtown needs more of. "What do we need to do to eliminate and right-size the amount of retail you have in this downtown environment?" she asked at the event.

Ortiz has worked with American clients to replace struggling downtown malls with schools, or even sell the properties to municipal governments. Right now, she's exploring the potential of one such property in Chicago to host film workers, healthcare offices, or an elevator-based parking structure.

A former mall's new purpose depends on its city's specific needs, she said. "You have to know a market really well (to adapt a property), and look around and start pulling threads. What's interesting? What opportunities are here?"

• Edmonton's mayoral candidates shared their views on the controversy over infill housing, as some residents say large multi-unit projects are eroding privacy and community input. Critics blame Bylaw 20001, which opened mature neighbourhoods to denser builds. Candidates are split: some want the bylaw repealed, others call for stricter oversight, while a few defend it as essential to addressing the housing shortage. The debate underscores tensions between the city's density goals and neighbourhood livability.
• Edmonton Transit Service will introduce bus route adjustments starting Aug. 31 for the new school year. Three new school special routes, 611, 628, and 638, begin Sept. 2 to serve Cardinal Léger Junior High, Steele Heights School, and J. Percy Page and Holy Trinity High Schools. Several existing school routes will be rerouted to better link neighbourhoods, while low-ridership Routes 623 and 675 will be cancelled. Other service changes include earlier On Demand Transit in Riverdale, temporary Glenora access, Route 4 adjustments for Valley Line LRT, Route 106 rerouting, Routes 114/123 combining into 114, and Route 111 extending to Concordia University.
• Edmonton's government district is experiencing a significant transformation as developers convert empty office spaces into residential units, driven by increased work-from-home trends and a high demand for housing. Ronald Benjamin, vice president of Stromiga Inc., is transforming more floors of the Financial Building into apartments, a trend that began in 2018 after provincial government employees vacated six floors. Mark Anderson of CBRE Edmonton noted a "flight to quality" with tenants preferring newer spaces, exacerbating the "double whammy" for the government sector, which comprises one-third of downtown's office inventory.
• The City of Edmonton shared details of its $15-million Downtown Student Housing Incentive to address student housing affordability and boost downtown Edmonton's vitality. Part of the Housing Accelerator Fund, the program offers up to $30,000 per unit for new student housing builds downtown, with applications for the first round closing Sept. 30. This initiative aims to deliver more than 500 new units by 2026. Nathan Thiessen of the Edmonton Student Alliance and Kalen Anderson of BILD Edmonton Metro support the plan, citing its potential to improve student access to housing and stimulate Edmonton businesses.
• Eleanor Olszewski, the federal minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, announced more than $5.9 million in federal investments for seven Alberta projects to bolster rural and Indigenous economic development. Edmonton-based recipients include NAIT, which received $1 million to build Indigenous-led Community Atlases, and AKSIS - Edmonton Indigenous Business and Professional Association, which received $200,000 to establish an Indigenous resource centre and deliver cultural awareness workshops.
• The City of Edmonton shared details of its new Animal Care and Control Bylaw, following two years of consultation, to address the city's increased pet population and animal welfare. It implements stricter rules and higher fines for dog attacks, which have risen 15% since 2020, and mandates training for vicious dogs. Licence fees will increase by $1 annually for three years, with lower rates for seniors and income assistance recipients, and waived fees for non-profit animal rescues. New definitions support Trap-Neuter-Return and Return-to-Field programs for feral cats.
• Paul Bakhmut announced his bid for Edmonton mayor on Aug. 20, campaigning on an innovation agenda for "The New Edmonton." His platform emphasizes making the city "open, smart, and fun" by increasing transparency, modernizing public services, and fostering a culture that attracts businesses and talent. Bakhmut, a familiar figure in Edmonton's tech community and founder of Edmonton Tech Wednesdays, previously served as a senior policy advisor in Alberta's Ministry of Technology and Innovation.
• Farmers' markets are a central part of Edmonton's culture, offering space for local vendors and community connection, Postmedia reported. Chef Shane Chartrand, recently featured on Top Chef Canada, now runs a café at the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market, emphasizing accessible, community-focused food over fine dining. Edmonton hosts numerous markets, including the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market, Bountiful Farmers' Market and the 124 Grand Market, which support small producers despite modest profits. Organizers say the real value lies in fostering local business, boosting nearby shops, and creating a sense of community.
• Edmonton resident Josh Thompson told CityNews that bike lanes save his Westmount family thousands annually by reducing the need for multiple vehicles. As the city continues adding more bike lanes, including in the Delton neighbourhood this fall, Thompson, who uses an e-bike for commutes and errands, estimates saving around $4,000 yearly on car insurance, gas, and maintenance after selling their second car nearly five years ago. He believes more transportation options aid affordability and allow children to bike to school.
• Edmonton Global has appointed Daryn Edgar as its next chief executive officer, effective Oct. 17, succeeding Malcolm Bruce, who is stepping down after eight years. The board selected Edgar following an international search, citing her leadership experience in the global technology sector and ability to drive transformation and partnerships. The Edmonton Police Service is warning the public about distraction thefts after at least 63 thefts were reported in the city since May. Thieves approach vulnerable individuals in public, using requests for hugs or sob stories to steal jewelry. Three women face theft charges, with warrants for three more. Police believe these culprits are part of a Canada-wide scheme, with similar incidents reported from British Columbia to Toronto.
• The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) is preparing for its upcoming outdoor "Symphony Under the Sky" concerts at Snow Valley. An ESO representative called the experience "a delight," as the orchestra rehearsed on Aug. 20 in anticipation of the performances.
• Two Sherwood Park families received keys to new Habitat for Humanity homes. This initiative provides low-interest mortgages to low-income families and benefits from a $3 million federal investment under Canada's National Housing Strategy. Habitat for Humanity Edmonton, which typically builds eight to 10 homes annually, faces challenges from inflation and tariffs, impacting building costs and potentially affecting future construction numbers.
• Government of Alberta lawyers claim former AHS CEO Anastasia Mentzelopoulos may have illegally recorded meetings as part of her wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the provincial government. Her lawyer said Mentzelopoulos acted to protect AHS, whistleblowers, and herself by preserving evidence she feared the government would discredit. Government lawyers allege Mentzelopoulos retained up to 200,000 pages of records since November 2024. Mentzelopoulos is seeking an expedited ruling on whether former deputy health minister Andre Tremblay had the authority to fire her, claiming Minister Adriana LaGrange interfered. The allegations have not been tested in court.
• Edmonton's Marco Arop secured a lane in the Diamond League in Zurich on Aug. 28, despite finishing fifth in a rainy 800-metre race in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Aug. 20. His performance earned him 15 points, surpassing Italy's Gabriel Tual for the final qualifying spot.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Seniors' Day starting at 11am at University of Alberta Botanic Garden
• NABI Networking at Noon starting at 12pm at Northern Alberta Business Incubator Society
• Métis Trash Talking: An Archeological Footprint in St. Albert starting at 3pm at St. Albert Historic River Lots and Grain Elevators
• 124 Grand Market: Thursdays at 108 starting at 4pm at 124 Grand Market

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Aug. 23: Augtoberfest at Heritage Park Pavilion
• Aug. 25: Student Founders: Launch Showcase at Edmonton Unlimited
• Aug. 27: Opera al Fresco at University of Alberta Botanic Garden

Visit the beta version of the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.

Test your crossword prowess and deploy a little of your Edmonton knowledge. Complete the puzzle.

The mini has a Fringe-y theme for the next little while in honour of the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, which runs until Aug. 24. Enjoy!