1.2K 
Dozens of residents joined community leaders in debating the future of Chinatown on Monday and Tuesday, with a 27-storey highrise proposal at the crux of the arguments. An existing surface parking lot bordering 1st Street, 2nd Avenue, and 3rd Avenue SW is the subject site of a vision for a potential multi-tower development produced by Manu Chung Architects — one that vocal members of the community say will significantly disrupt the fabric of the historic neighbourhood.
The project has been one of the most contentious in recent memory, pushing the City to spend nearly $500,000 on a months-long public engagement and consultation exercise. The current Chinatown Area Redevelopment Plan, in effect since 1986, establishes a maximum height of 15 storeys, translating to approximately 46 metres. The scheme put forward could rise to a 97-metre pinnacle, more than doubling the allotted height.
City Council approved the first and second readings of the development Tuesday, albeit with a number of conditions attached. The building would need to maintain the existing height of structures along 2nd Avenue, though City officials did not make the same declaration for the 3rd Avenue frontage. In addition to a minimum three-metre setback from the street, councillors also voted in favour of ensuring that 60 percent of the building — which could contain a hotel and retail — host residential uses. In a move to finally rid the neighbourhood of an eyesore, Council insisted that the existing parking lot would need to be gone by 2027.
The team behind the development now has two years to finalize the project and bring a plan forward for the third and final reading. The project is a perfect encapsulation of the current issues confronting the neighbourhood and its desired identity. While some see the additional height and density as a necessary reflection of Calgary's ongoing growth, others reject a perceived risk that the character of the neighbourhood will be lost — becoming a physical extension of the downtown core rather than a distinct community with its own flair. To address these questions, Council also directed administration to craft a new area redevelopment plan to replace the current 30-year-old document.
What are your thoughts on the proposed development? How would you like to see Chinatown develop in the future?
