Are we surprised? Not even a little. 

It was only a matter of time before Amazon found the final piece of the logistics puzzle to allow them to consolidate and manage ALL the steps from the moment an order is placed online, to the the moment the package efficiently arrives in the hands of the consumer.

It's like a flashback in time right now, a City and its prized NHL team at odds over the future of their athletic program and critically, the home that they will play in.  Fortunately for Edmontonians, it's not groundhog day in this Town, but rather, this is occurring in our Sister City of Calgary just three hours south.

When we think of innovation and trends leading us into Edmonton's future regarding our commercial developments, a few words must now come to mind... Simons Londonderry Mall.  Not likely the general public's first thought, but since Londonderry Mall announced their $130 Million renovation and redevelopment plan in 2014, this has come to fruition, notably due to the largest solar system in Edmonton that now swathes the new Simons development.

It's no secret that Amazon released a Request for Proposals last week to determine the location of their new headquarters - HQ2.  Every major City is jumping at the opportunity to have a company of this magnitude enter their market, to say nothing of the billions in capital expenditure and thousands of jobs created.   Take a look at what their top decision drivers are here.

After months, or rather years, of doom and gloom for the derelict malls that encompass huge swaths of land in our urban epicenters, a pathway has presented itself for the landowners of these properties.  One solution to the woes of these Class B and C malls is their conversion into warehouse space for the ever growing and expanding E-Commerce market.

The Calgary Ring Road Agreement created opportunity for the Tsuut'ina First Nation to formulate a partnership that would bring about success, prosperity and longevity to their future generations.  The fortunate developer of choice in what is now one of the largest first nation developments in Canada? Canderel.

So I recently learned about a new office space phenomenon that's truly taking over the world - collaborative, shared spaces that allow for community, innovation and services - no matter the size of your company or aspirations, all while on a membership basis.  In particular, one company called WeWork is leading the pack in this exponentially growing niche.

There is a shift happening in the residential and lending markets across Canada.  The combination of declining market values, decreased liquidity, rate increases and a new stress-testing model have created uncertainty in the future of our mortgage market as it stands.

As urban cities continue to grow in population and expense, and the availability of warehousing  space continues to diminish, developers are being forced to look at alternative options to counter increasing industrial land prices and lease rates.  The solution:  build upwards, not outwards.

Last week, an Open House was held by the ICE District in order to outline the plan and vision for Phase Two Development of the District to the North of Rogers Place

How much value do you place on the accessibility of a City when you think of its potential for growth and development?

One of the main components that all great metropolitan cities have in common is an inclusive, comprehensive public library to provide knowledge, opportunity and cohesiveness to the community at large.  See what the Edmonton Public Library (EPL) and the City have done to reach these goals.

As we near the midway mark of 2017, it's been exciting to see the changes to our Downtown Skyline as existing development projects near completion, while others break ground and continue to mold our core.

Take a look at the quarterly reports and videos that outline the commercial real estate transactions and trends of Q1 2017 in the Greater Edmonton Area.  Have we really hit the bottom? 

It's no secret to anyone in Edmonton, or across the Country, that the City of Champions once again has a fever that presents itself in the shade of orange.... Orange Crush that is.

Canada's Top 10 Pension Funds collectively manage over $1.1 Trillion and rank as some of the largest in the world.  They have created a model for investment management that has become a template and inspiration to public funds on a global scale.

What is the potential for solar power in Alberta and are we ready to make the transition?  

There is a new bet on Wall Street that is beginning to gain steam.  The bearish short against Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities (CMBS), specifically securities backed by loans taken out by shopping mall operators, is being coined as the next Big Short.

The Alberta Government hosts a website called majorprojects.alberta.ca that outlines the inventory of all private and public sector projects across the province that are valued at $5 Million and greater.  Have a read here to see what's going on in Alberta.

More and more frequently, especially with more technologically apt Tenants and Purchasers, I am being asked the question, "Does this property have fibre?".  I had to look into this to find out what all the fuss was about...