By Caroline Barlott
The downtown Edmonton skyline has changed drastically as the Ice District has begun to take shape. But the area is about more than just Roger’s Place; it’s a combination of office spaces, condos, public spaces, shopping, dining and entertainment options spread over 25 acres. It will keep growing as time goes on but there’s already lots to see and do. [Image credit: iStock.com/photospark]
The new arena is the piece-de-resistance of it all – with more than 9,000 seats in the lower bowl, the building will host concerts and games of all kinds. The building is very accessible through public transit as there is direct access to it through the MacEwan LRT Station. Guests travel through Ford Hall in order to get to Rogers Place – the spacious interior area allows them to avoid the outdoors in winter, while experiencing beautiful architecture, plenty of natural light and unique artistic details.
This public arena is located within Rogers Place. A wall of windows allows people walking through Rogers Place to look over the arena. The arena has weekly ice time for people living in the area, along with fitness skate, parents and tots, and many other skating programs.
Connected to Rogers Place, this huge building offers the chance to play slots, table games, and even have access to private VIP rooms. Many come to Grand Villa for the gambling, but you can abandon the guess work when it comes to eating – there’s everything from upscale dining options to a Starbucks, a pub and fast food restaurants including Sbarro Pizza, The Taco Shack, Vera’s Burger Shack and Pinkberry.
This dining option within Grand Villa Casino is strictly for guests who are over 18-years of age, and aims to be more of an experience than just a place to eat. The wine menu is extensive and selected by a sommelier, while the food options crafted by Chef Shelley Robinson – a winner of Chopped Canada and once a Canadian delegate for Slow Food Canada in Italy – stay true to the restaurant’s name with plenty of steak and seafood to choose from.
Scheduled to be completed in early 2017, Edmonton Tower is an office building that will house the City of Edmonton along with childcare facilities. Restaurants, cafes and other retail spaces will also be included in the building, which will have granite and marble accents.
Found on the southeast corner of the Ice District, the Stantec Tower will be Western Canada’s tallest tower at 62 stories high; the unique building will showcase the impressive skill of the architectural company whose offices will be housed here.
Art by local artists is interspersed into the public spaces of the Ice District. On the Northwest corner of Rogers Place, Realities: United, is an abstract tree shape meant to replicate the model designs used by architects. Multi-media art by Hal Henderson featuring images of pucks, skates and small figures are displayed in the entrance to the Edmonton Downtown Community Arena. Outside the same arena is The Skater’s Arch, a sculpture created by Saskatchewan artist, Douglas Bentham. A 14-metre circular, colourful, impressive mosaic that depicts the city’s culture and history can be found in Ford Hall.
The Ice District will feature a JW Marriott Hotel just south of Rogers Place, scheduled to be completed in 2018. It will also feature a café, lobby bar and fine dining restaurant.
These are just a few of the highlights so far, but new construction is continuing to change the area, and will do so for months to come. There are plans to add many more restaurants and cafes, medical centres, a drugstore, fitness facility, grocery store, financial services and Cineplex UltraAVX and VIP Cinemas. Keep an eye on the Ice District as it continues to grow and evolve into the coolest neighbourhood in the city!
