The south side of Jasper Avenue at 120th Street has undergone quite the transformation in recent years. Regency Developments purchased the property and plopped a 36-storey tower on it, making The Pearl on Jasper the tallest condominium in the city. The development has come to exemplify the renewed energy in the downtown core as a place to live, work, and play, defying the perception of the city centre as a neighbourhood that's only active during work hours. In addition to attracting buyers for its 128 units, owing to its height, The Pearl also notably lured a couple of adventurous BASE jumpers to (legally) leap off the building earlier this month. Only two years after the building began service, it has become integral to Edmonton's urban fabric.

The 2009 view of the site, image retrieved from Google Street View

The development borders two condo towers to the east and the 12-storey Jasper House apartment complex to the west. A 2009 Google Street View image shows what was in The Pearl's place before breaking ground: an assemblage of four three-storey nondescript residential buildings. And while the zoning for the site originally called for two 12-storey structures — aligning with the neighbouring properties — an application was made for a much taller single tower.

The October 2016 view, image retrieved from Google Street View

As demonstrated in the 2016 image, the redevelopment undisputedly does more for the public realm and pedestrian experience, with a commercial podium now lining the street and continuing the retail precedent set by the development to the east. The KENNEDY-designed plan includes a pocket park adjacent to the curtain wall glass-sheathed building, which hosts a two-storey, 3,326-square-foot penthouse that was reportedly selling for nearly $4 million.

The Pearl, image retrieved from Google Street View

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