Imperial Oil building office in Quarry Park

[Rathji]

Yeah, I totally agree.

Having a few big companies make this move and it decreases stress on parking and office space, and should decrease the cost (or stop an increase) but if it gets way out of hand, then stuff like LRT development would stop making so much sense.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Bunk

On the plus side - employees from Okotoks will now only have a 10 minute commute instead of 20!

Bunk, can the city have a development levy on the DP to cover the cost of the SELRT? I know you can make that happen.

[secol]

not to mention the frequency of DT transit might be negatively affected. yes you'd be able to stretch out but you'd also have to wait longer for the bus

[J pold]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

That's probably the biggest area of impact, imo. This changes the market for downtown commercial space in a big way. If the big oil companies start doing "campuses" outside of the core, that'll hollow out downtown.

That’s just it, I specifically work in the Suburban division so for us this is a real positive. Large companies can relocate out of Downtown into those live and work style campus developments. I suspect you’ll see a huge push for something like this in the SW.

Also I wonder how much more pressure this will put to get the south leg of the LRT moving.

[nik-]

Well there dies the dream of a new building to compete with the Bow

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by nik-

Well there dies the dream of a new building to compete with the Bow

To be honest we never really thought Imperial themselves would ever try to trump the Bow. The very fact that they have sat on one of the most prime pieces of land in the downtown core and done nothing is proof of that. Most of us over at SSP expected that if they built we'd get a big fat economical box.

The fact that Brookfield continues to demolish the Herald Square site gives me hope, lots of potential for what they can do there.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

To be honest we never really thought Imperial themselves would ever try to trump the Bow. The very fact that they have sat on one of the most prime pieces of land in the downtown core and done nothing is proof of that. Most of us over at SSP expected that if they built we'd get a big fat economical box.

The fact that Brookfield continues to demolish the Herald Square site gives me hope, lots of potential for what they can do there.

What site downtown does Imperial own, and how long have they had it? I could only find a reference to it being used for parking, which doesn't really narrow it down.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Yay, let's put more traffic on 18th and 24th.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

What site downtown does Imperial own, and how long have they had it? I could only find a reference to it being used for parking, which doesn't really narrow it down.

The parking lots on 5th ave and 4th street SW.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Handsome B. Wonderful

Yay, let's put more traffic on 18th and 24th.

With the pending improvements on 24th, the north end shouldn't be as bad in the near future, but it will take the interchange at Glenmore and Ogden Rd to happen for it to really flow nicely.

On the south end, I really have no idea how that will ever not be a gong show.

[CgyFlamesftw]

Sooo they're renovating majority of their floors, yet they plan on moving out of the building shortly? Someone has too much money...

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

The parking lots on 5th ave and 4th street SW.

Thanks! That would be a great loction for a skyscraper. It's much further from the river than the Bow, and much closer to the centre of downtown as well.

[Rerun]

Way better for my company as we are located in the SE Industrial park. 10 minute drive to Imperial Oil and no parking/traffic hassel.

As to dealing with Imperial as vendor... they're not too bad. Way better dealing with them than having to deal with a certain nuclear power plant down in Ontario... they're brutal.

[shermanator]

Would be a good argument for their employees to buy houses in the suburbs...

[Knalus]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

I was offered a job with them out of school, and they told me it would likely be my only chance to work there, as they typically only hire new grads. That may have been true, or maybe they were trying to pressure me as they knew I had other offers. Of course, I've never met anyone who has quit somewhere else and went to Imperial, so I suspect it's mostly true.

The really creepy thing is I've never heard of anyone who quit Imperial to work elsewhere. What do they do to their employees to convince that many to all stay?

[macker]

Originally Posted by shermanator

Would be a good argument for their employees to buy houses in the suburbs...

Rise against little boxes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YQ3piGHIi8

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Knalus

They're like a ghost. They may as well have moved to Quarry Park decades ago.

Originally Posted by Knalus

The really creepy thing is I've never heard of anyone who quit Imperial to work elsewhere. What do they do to their employees to convince that many to all stay?

Starting to sound like it's a cult . . .

[Sr. Mints]

Apparently Imperial Oil plans to provide shuttles from downtown to the new campus.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/busines...244/story.html

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

It'll be interesting to see how that affects their workforce. I bet there'll be significant turnover, as those who live downtown/NW/west side look for work at other companies. (Getting to QP from my house in the NW during rush hour would be suicide inducing)

It's about 35-45 mins in the morning, sometimes less (ex. Fridays). It's more like 50-65 minutes in the evenings.

[Clarkey]

Imperial is a crappy place to work, I haven't heard a good thing about that company. Do they still block internet surfing?