Inglewood History
Inglewood is situated on land owned, in 1882, by J. Norris Sr. and R. Logan. Norris was a Hudson Bay Company employee who became a wagon freighter, a saw mill operator, and a partner in a local merchandising firm, Norris and Carey. The property, which was situated on the trail between St. Albert and Edmonton, was, until the 1920s, an area favored by Aboriginals for campsites while they did their business in the City.
The Inglewood area was annexed to Edmonton in two stages, in 1904 and 1920. The name Inglewood was used on a 1905 plan of subdivision and is now applied to the neighborhood. Development in the area was spurred by the extension of the electric street car line to Alberta (118) Avenue via 124 Street in 1913. Street car service continued until 1948.
Inglewood developed as a low density residential neighborhood until the 1950s. The Westmount Shopping Centre was built in 1955 in the adjacent Woodcroft neighborhood. Inglewood's proximity and access to shopping and employment centers fostered apartment development along major traffic routes and commercial corridors. The Baywood (formerly Bel Air) apartment complex, off Groat Road, is an example of a 1950s large scale apartment complex.
Now, although most interior residential streets retain their low density character, apartment accommodation accounts for sixty percent of the neighborhood's dwelling units.
In the past several years, substantial property renovation and infill development has occurred in Inglewood. This trend has been reinforce by the selection of Inglewood for inclusion in the AMPLE Neighborhood Improvement Program. This program will, through replacement and upgrading of sewers, street, sidewalks, lighting and landscaping, improve the quality of the neighborhood's environment.
Status Update:
Charles Camsell Redevelopment Project
The zoning for the 4.7 ha site in Inglewood, located west of 127 Street and south of 115 Avenue, was approved by Council on December 15, 2008.
The approved (DC2) Site Specific Development Control Provision will allow for the development of a maximum of 594 units including apartment housing, row housing, stacked row housing, and single detached dwellings.
If the developer deems it financially feasible, the DC2 Provision allows for a potential atrium connecting the existing building with adjacent buildings to the north and south to be built. A pocket park to benefit both future residents and surrounding property owners at the northeasternmost portion of the subject site has also been provided. Other important site planning features and design considerations included in the DC2 are:
- height of the development is greatest at the core and decreases towards the exterior of the site to ensure compatibility with adjacent low density residential uses;
- two north/south pedestrian linkages will be provided at 130 Street and east of 128 Street, with the eastern linkage covered by an easement to grant vehicular access to the 8 single detached units fronting onto 127 Street;
- resident parking is located underground with visitor and commercial parking located at grade and dispersed throughout the site;
- limited commercial uses will be allowed in the north central buildings as an integral and secondary component to the residential development; and
- mature trees will be maintained and incorporated into the site design wherever possible.
Current activity on the site includes demolition of the interior of the existing building and asbestos removal.
Dub Architects indicated that it takes approximately 2 to 3 months per floor for demolition and asbestos removal.
The building is now about 50% complete.
Dub Architects explained that the investors group that has been financing the project has had a falling out. Some of the group do not want to continue with the project and as a result there is litigation taking place.
This situation delayed the project but recently a ruling happened that allowed the core group to continue with the aesbestos removal part of the project. They are hoping to have the aesbestos removed by the end of this summer. In the Fall the dispute among the group will hopefully be resolved either in court as scheduled or in a settlement before the court date.
Dub Architects anticipates construction on the project will begin in the summer of 2011