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Calgary's ever-expanding skyline was fashioned by visionary developers and architects who wanted to imprint their mark on the city. The Singer Family — particularly brothers Jack and Hymie — were instrumental in the mid-century development of Calgary. They developed commercial sites across the city and eventually broadened their scope to California, Arizona, and Texas. Jack subsequently became a major player in the Los Angeles and Calgary arts scenes. He revitalized the famed Hollywood Center Studios, which has hosted notable productions like I Love Lucy, The Addams Family, and Jeopardy! His dedication to culture was recognized with the naming of the Jack Singer Concert Hall at Calgary's Arts Commons. But Hymie had lofty ambitions of his own. In 1971, he pitched to Calgary a 610-metre (2,000-foot) hotel and commercial complex that would have become the world's tallest building. "Nothing is impossible these days," he exclaimed. "It's about time somebody put something big in the main core of the city to bring activity back to the centre."
The Singer City megaproject was slated to replace the Robin Hood Flour Mill at 9th Avenue and 4th Street. The then $170 million development would have straddled the intersection to join another Singer-owned lot on the northwest corner. It called for a 6,500-suite hotel, one million square feet of commercial space, an international trade centre and merchandise mart, 50 international restaurants, and an observation deck to top it all off.
Retained Calgary architect Bill Milne originally had plans for a relatively squat 16-storey hotel that evolved into a scheme for the world's tallest building. The structure itself would have been 579 metres tall, with a "pylon light beam" adding a slender spire to the roof. The Robin Hood Flour Mill, which had operated on the site since 1910, was shuttered in 1969 and sold to the City two years later. The Mill was demolished in 1973 and Gulf Canada Square has occupied the space since 1979.
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