Beljan Development brings new vision to Edmonton

Since it began in 2009, Beljan Development and its founder, Ivan Beljan, have made reducing Edmonton’s suburban sprawl its mission. “We want to bring people together and not spread them farther apart,” says Ivan. “We want to make Edmonton more walkable, liveable, and more architecturally interesting so that it entices people to do more than just make a good living here. They can make a good life.” For that reason the development team only takes on projects in the urban core or along mass transit lines.

Edmonton has gone through a dramatic transformation in the past decade with a focus on downtown development, higher density in older neighbourhoods, and the overall urbanization of this prairie city. “This city is a fantastic place to be young and start your career. There is so much opportunity when you compare it to other parts of the country and world,” says Ivan. “At the root of everything we do, it's about trying to make Edmonton better through our own contribution of development. We want to do fun and challenging work and make every project unique and special in its own way.”

Ivan sees Beljan Development’s focus on local projects as an asset. The company is uniquely invested in the community and brings those special ties to their proposals. “I was born here, raised here and I plan to contribute my professional life to this community,” he says. “Everyone that works on our projects has to share the same enthusiasm for Edmonton and urban design that we have. That has helped us attract other local companies, retailers, and start-ups into our projects. I think there is a connection that brings like-minded individuals and groups together.”

Calling himself a “visioneer,” Ivan has instilled these values in all his company’s projects, such as the Limelight building on 124 Street, or restoring historic sites like The Hulbert Block and Crawford Block in Old Strathcona. “The thing we have to focus on is making it more liveable and connected. Stop designing it for cars and start designing it for people to gather, connect, and move through efficiently. If you do that you will get people on our streets and that is the pulse and lifeline of a city. My vision of Edmonton is less people in their homes and more people attracted to leave their house and get out and do things!”

Photos by: Greg Donnelly