News   Apr 03, 2020
Pastel Morning
 6.6K     1 
News   Apr 02, 2020
A Message to Our Readers
 8.2K     5 
News   Apr 02, 2020
Soon to be Gone
 4.8K     0 

Urban Development and Proposals Discussion

Last edited:
Office conversion list updated again and I think this should be up to date now. The thing that really struck me was the total number of residential units at 3605. It's like building around 10-12 x 30 storey residential towers around the core.

NameStatus# Units/RoomsOpened/OpeningNotesDeveloper
1Westley HotelCompleted1042022Hotel
2CubeCompleted652020Strategic
3Sierra PlaceCompleted1082022Homespace
4CornerstoneCompleted1122024Including below-market and accessiblePeoplefirst
5The Hat Eau ClaireCompleted872025Cidex
6HAT @ NINTHCompleted1082025Teck PlaceCidex
7The LoftCompleted562025Institutional Mortgage Capital
8Dominion CentreCompleted1222025Including below-marketAlston Properties
9Place 800In Progress2042026Including below-marketPeoplefirst
10Taylor BuildingIn Progress832026Cressey
11The BarronIn Progress94No posted dateStrategic
12Petro FinaCompleted1032025Including below-marketAstra Group/People First
13Eau Claire Place IIIn Progress1952025Pacific Reach
14Palliser OneIn Progress4182027Including below-marketAspen Properties
15Hannover BuildingIn Progress264No posted dateCairo Developments
16Joffre PlaceIn Progress1192026Alston Properties
17Element HotelCompleted2262025HotelPBA Land Development
18110 - 12 Ave (Former Transalta)In Progress153
19University of Calgary ( former Nexen bldg)In Progressn/a2027Campus for 1,200 students.U of C
20606 4th StreetIn Progress166Dream Office REIT
21The HAT @ 5 AvePlanning32Cidex
22510 5thPlanning128Bluevale Capital
23441 FifthPlanning63Bluevale Capital
24Atrium ResidencesPlanning180Astra Group/People First
25Epique HousePlanning35Alston Properties
26Wicked HostelIn Progress28HotelBryan Mar & Axiz Associates
27640 5thPlanning262Kanas
28Aurora ResidencePlanning92
29Chevron BuildingPlanning332Strategic
30Missao BuildingCompleted2415th and 16th floor converted to 24 unitsStrategic
358Total Hotel
3605Total Residential
 
Interesting rendering found on Farmor Architecture's website. I don't know how serious the proposal is as there is no DP, but it would be nice to see another highrise near the Banff trail LRT station.

high-rise-test-10.jpg

Image185.jpg
Screenshot-2024-07-19-at-11-43-58-23-014-Hilltop_Dec11.pdf.png
 
Ah yes, the Banff Trail Triangle: Where design disappears. Except for the ground floor of this idea... This looks to be at the end of the strip mall and not on the empty lot just to the south of this.

1764087735737.png


Anyhow I would've thought, being that this triangle is mostly hotels they would want to put some effort into the area around their businesses, but I guess not. I imagine tourists coming to Calgary, finding these cheaper hotels and training into downtown. Not the best impression of the city staying here but I guess it is probably cheap.
 
CalgaryTiger said:
Ah yes, the Banff Trail Triangle: Where design disappears. Except for the ground floor of this idea... This looks to be at the end of the strip mall and not on the empty lot just to the south of this.

Anyhow I would've thought, being that this triangle is mostly hotels they would want to put some effort into the area around their businesses, but I guess not. I imagine tourists coming to Calgary, finding these cheaper hotels and training into downtown. Not the best impression of the city staying here but I guess it is probably cheap.
Click to expand...
the Banff Trail motel village triangle is another inner NW Calgary example on the list where design and planning has been largely forgotten - or at least misaligned - with the role the area plays in the region. The area's design is as if no one ever realized that demand would be permanently high in an area this central, with such close access to major hospitals, universities, malls and transportation networks. The result is just weird ad-hoc stuff, like Motel Village incrementally building towers, that Uxborough project across from Foothills, and Brentwood's half-redeveloped push. Clearly demand existing in a wide swathe of area around these big hubs, but only is realized in strange, uncoordinated pockets of development thanks to no real land use plan or strategy that reflected the persistently high demand in the area.

As much as these random developments stand out, the other standout is on the opposite side of the density equation - so much unusable land or land locked in at zero density. Enormous un-useful vacant grasslands all over, from giant random lots around the research park to giant transportation setbacks around major corridors like the 16th/Crow/University Drive. We have doubled-down on this further with long-term plans to further expand Crowchild and the land take on the transportation side, as if the already excessive land dedication isn't enough. Meanwhile some neighbourhoods like University Heights are successful at resisting redevelopment pressures despite being in the centre of it all.

Put simply - it's like this whole area circled below can't decide if land is worse nothing (so is stagnant with sprawlly, inefficient land uses and corridor designs) or if land actually worth more than land anywhere else outside the core (so redevelops into higher density). The answer appears to be both all the time, resulting in such a strange density pattern and a lack of design follow-through on details for things like sidewalks in Motel Village.

1764094458586.png
 
Last edited:
CBBarnett said:
the Banff Trail motel village triangle is another inner NW Calgay example on the list where design and planning has been largely forgotten - or at least misaligned - with the role the areas plays in the region. The area's design is as if no one ever realized that demand would be permanently high in an area this central, with such close access to major hospitals, universities, malls and transportation networks. The result is just weird ad-hoc stuff, like Motel Village incrementally building towers, that Uxborough project across from Foothills, and Brentwood's half-redeveloped push. Clearly demand existing in a wide swathe of area around these big hubs, but only is realized in strange, uncoordinated pockets of development thanks to no real land use plan or strategy that reflected the persistently high demand in the area.

As much as these random developments stand out, the other standout is on the opposite side of the density equation - so much unusable land or land locked in at zero density. Enormous unuseful vacant grasslands all over, from giant random lots around the research park to giant transportation setbacks around major corridors like the 16th/Crow/University Drive. We have doubled-down on this further with long-term plans to further expand Crowchild and the land take on the transportation side, as if the already excessive land dedication isn't enough. Meanwhile some neighbourhoods like University Heights are successful at resisting redevelopment pressures despite being in the centre of it all.

Put simply - it's like this whole area circled below can't decide if land is worse nothing (so is stagnant with sprawlly, inefficient land uses and corridor designs) or if land actually worth more than land anywhere else outside the core (so redevelops into higher density). The answer appears to be both all the time, resulting in such a strange density pattern and a lack of design follow-through on details for things like sidewalks in Motel Village.

View attachment 698720
Click to expand...
From the redevelopment of UD, there's clearly lots of untapped potential in this area if it's done right with proper planning.

Research Park is just getting started and will be a longer build out since it's tied to the University/not residential. North Hill mall has the contamination problem, Banff Trail/McMahon has been stuck due to a combination of ownership structure issues, it's owned by the university but they're not a property developer, and city planning issues, lots of well-used but dated facilities, and the fieldhouse is in design. In the end it's like a suburban parking lot stadium, combined with some city amenities. All are well used so it's not an easy area to redevelop.
 
Half-baked idea:

1. City buys back McMahon lands from UofC.
2. Tunnel Crowchild from south of 16th to north of 24th
3. ???
4. Profit

Would the lift in value from not abutting a freeway exceed the delta between a tunnel and the costs for the current plans for 16th/24th? My first thought was no - not even close you idiot! But holy cow do the medium-term plans for Crowchild eat up a lot of land:

Screenshot 2025-11-25 at 2.49.32 PM.png


Screenshot 2025-11-25 at 2.49.41 PM.png


At least 40,000 sq meters of space on the west side of current Crowchild Tr between 16th and 24th. That's at least 3 full blocks of land area wasted. Plus the Mormon Church and the whole triangle on the south side of 16th (which would also need to be bought for my idea, but could be productive land in the end).

Interesting to imagine how 16th, University Dr, 24th Ave, and 24th St could work if 24th St was actually a complete street in place of current surface Crowchild. Especially in timeline where UD and Currie are fully built out and this is one of the last big central parcels left.
 
lemongrab said:
Half-baked idea:

1. City buys back McMahon lands from UofC.
2. Tunnel Crowchild from south of 16th to north of 24th
3. ???
4. Profit

Would the lift in value from not abutting a freeway exceed the delta between a tunnel and the costs for the current plans for 16th/24th? My first thought was no - not even close you idiot! But holy cow do the medium-term plans for Crowchild eat up a lot of land:

View attachment 698770

View attachment 698771

At least 40,000 sq meters of space on the west side of current Crowchild Tr between 16th and 24th. That's at least 3 full blocks of land area wasted. Plus the Mormon Church and the whole triangle on the south side of 16th (which would also need to be bought for my idea, but could be productive land in the end).

Interesting to imagine how 16th, University Dr, 24th Ave, and 24th St could work if 24th St was actually a complete street in place of current surface Crowchild. Especially in timeline where UD and Currie are fully built out and this is one of the last big central parcels left.
Click to expand...
That would be multi billion dollar investments with a very uncertain return. There's plenty of developable land there without spending billions to bury a highway.
 
outoftheice said:
Huh. Apparently actions have consequences....

globalnews.ca

Calgary’s $129M in federal housing funds ‘paused’ pending citywide rezoning status - Calgary | Globalnews.ca

Calgary city council is preparing to debate a motion that calls for the repeal of the citywide rezoning policy in December, which would require a public hearing in the spring.
globalnews.ca globalnews.ca
Click to expand...
Seems like the easy thing to do is wait for that third and final payment then repeal rezoning. I personally support rezoning, but agree with councilors it should tie to units built and overall affordability rather than specific policies. A city could simply pass rezoning and put up some other road block and the Feds are just playing whack-a-mole
 
NWUrbanism said:
Looks nice, but that parking lot in the front should not be allowed on Centre Street. Maybe they are repurposing the existing building?
Click to expand...
Yep, a repurpose of an existing building. I'm guessing they can get away with it as is, due to the building itself not changing much. I would prefer a new building with parking in the back, but this will be better than the auto mechanic shop for sure.

1764112514933.png

1764112658080.png
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top