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Calgarians travelling past the intersection of 10th Street and 2nd Avenue NW in Kensington might notice the warm glow of a kitschy sign gracing the exterior of a new building. For those who know the site's history, it's a familiar and welcome sight. The sign belonged to the cherished Lido Cafe, a local diner known for good eats and a robust sense of community. The storied establishment served the last of its popular Chinese and homestyle comfort meals in April 2014 after 70 years as a neighbourhood mainstay. Its replacement, an eight-storey mixed-use building by Battistella Developments, has begun a new era for the site, one that promises to entrench itself in the public realm in much the same way the Lido did.
The IBI Group-designed structure has been crafted to fit in with the scale, charm, and character of the neighbourhood, opting for a refined rather than showy aesthetic. A precast base reflects the vocabulary of nearby structures, and more modern elements including large expanses of glass have been broken up by spandrel strips. But the interior program is the real showpiece. With ground-level retail, 60 residences, and a 21-suite boutique hotel — all under the historic Lido name — the development has all the hallmarks of a successful urban infill project.
The hotel's first guests started flowing into the building on October 10. Managed by O Hotel Suites, the kitchen-equipped one-bedroom rooms are available for both short- and long-term stays. It's one of the only hotels in an area bursting with bars, restaurants, and coffee shops. The downtown core can easily be accessed via Sunnyside CTrain Station just two blocks away or by simply crossing the Bow River to the south.
As part of a pilot project that will last until the end of the year, Calgary Public Library has opened a 500-square-foot pop-up branch in the building. It will soon be joined by Red’s Diner and an underground parking facility, which should be operational by November.
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