University District | ?m | ?s | University of Calgary Properties Group

UCPG put out an update today: Info session

The biggest change I'm seeing is they are doing a land swap with the University, trading Area 1 in the below image for the remaining portions of Area 3 that the University was previously holding onto. This means the main street won't extend any further than the currently under construction Autumn. They mention that Area 1 aligns with campus expansion plans; hopefully something that also involves that giant parking lot to the north!

Areas 2, 3, and 4 are being changed to not be so focused on office buildings, but switched to mixed use development instead. Area 5 will be interesting as it will have homes built on a slope. Should make for some unique buildings with great views.

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NWUrbanism said:
UCPG put out an update today: Info session

The biggest change I'm seeing is they are doing a land swap with the University, trading Area 1 in the below image for the remaining portions of Area 3 that the University was previously holding onto. This means the main street won't extend any further than the currently under construction Autumn. They mention that Area 1 aligns with campus expansion plans; hopefully something that also involves that giant parking lot to the north!

Areas 2, 3, and 4 are being changed to not be so focused on office buildings, but switched to mixed use development instead. Area 5 will be interesting as it will have homes built on a slope. Should make for some unique buildings with great views.

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This is the kind of rational, efficient urban concept plan really highlights just how bizarrely inefficient and unthoughtful our major provincial facilities are at site design at integration with the communities around them. Children's Hospital (and to a lesser extent U of C) is so strange because they are relatively new, obviously intentionally care about having nice amenities and walking areas immediately around them, but totally forget that idea and fall apart in a sea of trashy, poorly organized surface parking and terrible crosswalk and sidewalk connections to anything nearby. Bizarre stuff - the first 15m of the building must be excellent, but we seemingly want the 15 to 100m stretch to the nearby parcels as disorganized and trashy as possible.

It's like the defining design objectives of the province when building a hospital or major facility is to maximize the walking time to any adjacent property (1) and make future expansion bizarre with curvy non-standard parcels (2).
 
They've started working on the roads and sidewalks north of Argyle and Autumn. Wonder if we'll see something proposed for the new lots this opens up soon? There's one proposed on Block 11 already, so just two more are needed to fill in the gap!

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CalgaryTiger said:
It is near perfect. Now do McMahon.
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Eventually. Innovation Quarter is in the docket first. Then the city needs to decide that its doing with Crowchild, and eventually, McMahon. TBH, it is too bad there wasn't more talk of land swaps with the field house. Enables phasing a bit more and a better end state where the field house and university don't 'turn their backs' to each other. A bit more land for main campus, another connection from the university into university heights. Figuring out the best place to put the field house on the site instead of trying to stay with the city parcels, enabling keeping other facilities operating for longer. Enabling the crossing to Banff Trail to be a flyover instead of a constrained interchange needing collectors. Alas.
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CT (Chinese_T) said:
Interesting... "Planned Office Spaces" were quite substantial in the original plan.
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I imagine they're thinking more about that for the Innovation Quarter where more 'intensive' uses, like wet labs, can perhaps be accommodated better. The plaza development also accommodated some of that medical/office demand -- there isn't unlimited demand for hospital adjacent clinics for specialists.
 
Does the Children’s Hospital have a full build out plan? Or is what we have now the full build? I’m curious where future expansions go. Upward, outward, or both - and how those plans (if any) interface with the surrounding developments.
 
YYCALGARY said:
Does the Children’s Hospital have a full build out plan? Or is what we have now the full build? I’m curious where future expansions go. Upward, outward, or both - and how those plans (if any) interface with the surrounding developments.
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"We designed the building for multiple opportunities for future expansion"

Was under pressure last time I talked to a specialist doctor there a decade ago. They're planning an inpatient expansion right now, the project was launched in 2023, and they're running a competition for consultants as we speak for a one year planning project.

There is also a research focused care expansion in planning. The projects may be delivered together or as two phases.
 
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