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Most newly built condominium projects in Calgary contain ground-level retail units as both an amenity for residents and a contribution to the public realm. But a a mixed-use development in Eau Claire went one step further, integrating a major public amenity in the form of a new Fire/EMS Station right into the podium of an 18-storey tower called Solaire.
The northeast corner of 8th Street and 4th Avenue SW, previously occupied by a two-and-a-half storey home and a windswept yard, was essentially a blank slate that proved ideal for a comprehensive redevelopment. The Louise Station project brought together the City of Calgary, Province of Alberta and the LaCaille Group in a public-private partnership.
An urgent need for a new Fire/EMS Station to address the growing population of the downtown core, combined with the always-pressing need for affordable housing in the city, presented an opportunity for a collaborative development effort. The Eau Claire site was the only immediately available property that aligned with the internal site selection criteria with respect to adequate ingress and egress.
Designed by GEC Architecture, the 2010-built development is comprised of the 11-storey, 88-unit affordable Louise Station building and the 18-storey, 116-unit market Solaire building. The building's two-storey podium contains the Fire/EMS Station at the northwest corner of the property. It also holds 28,000 square feet of office space and 2,600 square feet of commercial retail space.
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