Edmonton’s Scotia Place will undergo a $22-million, 18-month renovation starting in October that will include the installation of 13,000 glass panels and the redevelopment of its three main entrances.

“Downtown Edmonton is undergoing a metamorphosis at present after years of limited redevelopment, and Scotia Place is recognized as an integral icon of the city,” said Morguard Investments Limited regional general manager Glen Scheuerman. “Morguard set upon a strategy to re-imagine this major class-A office complex with a transformation that will bring a new vibrancy to the building, create harmony in the surrounding community and complement the changing Edmonton skyline.”

The 567,000-square-foot Scotia Place is located at 10060 Jasper Ave. and was completed in 1983. It’s comprised of a 28-storey tower and a 21-storey tower with common connecting floor plates rising from the third to the sixth floor to create a terraced facade and large atrium area in the foyer.

Redevelopment on top of recent renovations

Scotia Place includes above and below ground pedway access, underground parking, car wash services, a fitness centre, a food court, bus stop and a direct connection to Edmonton’s light rail transit line via Central Station. It has received new chillers, a new boiler, digital building controls, modern elevators and high-efficiency lighting and interior improvements valued at more than $10 million over the past five years.

Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd. is responsible for the new design. Silver reflective glass will be used on the 45-degree corner of each tower, with complementary Pacific blue reflective glass panels on the other sides. The silver glass panels will act as a visual identifier for the building and be illuminated at night with horizontal LED lights.

“Scotia Place is currently pursuing LEED certification, and the building has already been certified gold with BOMA BEST,” said Scheuerman. “Sustainability was integral in the modernization plan.

“All of the metal will be recycled and we are investigating recycling options for the glass. In addition, tenants will benefit from brighter and renewed workspaces with more natural light. And the new glass panels work in combination with the multiple upgrades made over the past years — all making Scotia Place a high-performance building.”

The redeveloped entrances will be more inviting and include canopies clad in silver aluminum composite panels. The original flamed balmoral granite at the entrances and in the lobby will remain.

PCL will handle renovations

Morguard has contracted PCL to handle the renovations, which will provide 32 full-time jobs over the course of the redevelopment.

Scheuerman said Scotia Place’s occupancy rate is higher than average for downtown Edmonton due to its location in the heart of the financial district, easy transit and pedestrian accessibility, services and amenities, and its unique shape that maximizes windows on the floor plates.

“Scotia Place is currently Morguard’s biggest development project in the city of Edmonton, but the company operates a robust mix in properties in the office, industrial, retail, multi-suite residential and hotel portfolios, which includes 11 million square feet of commercial space in Alberta,” said Scheuerman.

Morguard Corporation has extensive real estate holdings owned directly and through its investment in Morguard REIT and Morguard North American Residential REIT. Its combined portfolio is valued at $16 billion.