Overview

118 Avenue in Olde Town Beverly is a commercial street in the Beverly neighbourhood of Edmonton. The street runs east-west and is situated northeast of the Edmonton's main downtown. This street served as the historical main street of the Town of Beverly until amalgamation in 1961.

The street contains a mixed of residential and commercial buildings, some greenspace, and vacant lots. It has a quaint feel and is catered to automobiles, with the east end leading to the Yellowhead, a major expressway.

Built Form

Beverly's 118 Avenue has a varying cross-section throughout the study area from 50 St to 34 St. The streetscape features tree-lined sidewalks. The trees are smaller than in other neighbourhoods of the same age in Edmonton.

There are four lanes for vehicles with parking in the outside lanes. The buildings along this section of 118 Avenue have varying setbacks, either up against the sidewalk or allowing space for parking.

There is a mix of businesses, healthcare and other services, and residential along the avenue. Most of the residential areas are also set back from the road to allow for some privacy, often with fence enclosures. Some new commercial infill has been built mixed in with businesses varying in age and aesthetic.

Civic Infrastructure

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Arts and Culture

Government and Community Services

Recreation

Healthcare

Education

Photos 10 Minute Walk Radius

Employment Size

118 Avenue is part of the Beverly Business Improvement Area. The civic infrastructure visible on 118 included, at the time of the field visit, stone decorative benches and hanging and standing flower planters in bloom. There are some murals on buildings throughout the case study area. Overhead entrance signs welcome people to Olde Towne Beverly Street.

According to the Civic Infrastructure Index, this segment of 118 ranks low at 17th of 20 Edmonton Main Streets and 22nd of 36 Neighbourhood Main Streets.

Business Profile

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Retail

Local Services

Food and Drink

Photos 10 Minute Walk Radius

Employment Size

The businesses on 118 Avenue are quite varied, featuring appliance stores, dental clinics, and sausage houses. There are quite a few car lots and strip malls with convenience stores.

According to the Independent Business Index, 118 Avenue in Beverly ranks in the bottom half at 12th of 20 Edmonton Main Streets and 26th of 36 Neighbourhood Main Streets. For business density, 118 Avenue ranks 14th of 20 and 26th of 36.

Many businesses were closed early on the Sunday field visit, leaving the street quiet from a pedestrian perspective. The Old Beverly Cafe, the only business with a parklet patio in the study area, was one of them. The Italian bakery on the corner of 43 St was moderately trafficked.

There were more chain stores along this study area than many others in Edmonton. The Riverview Crossing regional mall lies at the east end, opening up the streetscape to suburban-style mall development and parking lots.

Employment Profile

Considering the exclusive residential nature of the surrounding neighbourhood, employment is primarily concentrated on 118 Avenue itself. There are many small establishments with zero to five employees, mixed in with larger establishments with five to ten employees. The largest employer can be found in the mall to the east end with ten to 50 employees.

For employment density, the Beverly segment of 118 Avenue ranks last out of 20 Edmonton Main Streets and 36 Neighbourhood Main Streets.

Housing

The housing on this segment of 118 Avenue is mixed in with commercial lots. The study area features nearly double the rate of low-rise apartments (over 35%) compared to the Edmonton CMA. Mixed-use buildings can also be found with ground floor commercial and one or two storeys of residential above, with balconies revealing their presence.

The surrounding neighbourhood of Beverly is low density residential, with single-detached homes of varying aesthetics, making up nearly 40% of the local housing mix.

Local Characteristics

Of residents in the study area, 22% are recent immigrants and 27% are visible minorities.

Visitors

118 Avenue in Beverly's Resiliency Score ranks well at 4th of 20 Edmonton Main Streets and 8th of 36 Neighbourhood Main Streets.

While 2020 saw foot traffic at 79% relative to 2019 levels, this has decreased to 60.3% in 2022. While visits by residents, recurring, and infrequent visitors have decreased, the relative proportion hasn't changed significantly, signalling a main street that still retains its appeal for a range of patrons without heavily relying on one or the other.