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Urban Development and Proposals Discussion

cameronhowe said:
I agree, I don't find the renderings of what they're proposing to be all that groundbreaking tbh but it's an improvement from what exists there today. I hope that they don't cave and allow for the car access as I think this should be one of the few pedestrian-only streets in the city. I also agree that these improvements shouldn't take 15 months and that the 3-month approach would be ideal. My only comment to that is they don't want 24/7construction but yet want the project expedited as fast a possible. Those two ideas are a bit conflicting.
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They do want 24/7:
He said they hope to get across to the City that 15 months spent on one block isn’t reasonable. They want that cut down to three months per block. They would also like to see a flex street instead of the proposed high street. They’d also like to see 24/7 construction to limit the length of time it will impact local businesses.
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Oh great. Grey brick and modern style lampposts. The thing that makes Stephan Ave so identifiable is the sandstone, warm paving stones and historical (looking) furniture. We really should not be cleansing this space by making it look like any corporate or private mall plaza. Gives outlet vibes. No bueno. Was consultation just not done at all? Why would they take all the texture and grandiose out of the street?
outoftheice said:
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YYCALGARY said:
Oh great. Grey brick and modern style lampposts. The thing that makes Stephan Ave so identifiable is the sandstone, warm paving stones and historical (looking) furniture. We really should not be cleansing this space by making it look like any corporate or private mall plaza. Gives outlet vibes. No bueno. Was consultation just not done at all? Why would they take all the texture and grandiose out of the street?
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Exactly - seems like a no-brainer but I guess not.
 
darwink said:
Years of it by my memory.
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Looks like it dates back all the way to 2019 https://engage.calgary.ca/stephenavenue

But it seems like maybe Phase 3 may not have really happened as usual? I feel like we would have discussed it a lot more on here if it was

Screenshot 2025-07-12 at 11.36.54 AM.png
 
lemongrab said:
Looks like it dates back all the way to 2019 https://engage.calgary.ca/stephenavenue

But it seems like maybe Phase 3 may not have really happened as usual? I feel like we would have discussed it a lot more on here if it was

View attachment 665635
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I find with city streetscape projects that usually after the concept design has been finalized with engagement, the detailed construction design is created internally then built without being shared
 
whatchyyc said:
I find with city streetscape projects that usually after the concept design has been finalized with engagement, the detailed construction design is created internally then built without being shared
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For design elements yes, because I think those sometimes change with procurement timing and cost. They can't depict a specific lamp post style because maybe they go with a different vendor. However, the exact street layout is usually shared in advance down to exact measurements of width and where ramps are, etc.
CBBarnett said:
I think the subway is on the 30 year+ plan, so perhaps they do what they can now but acknowledge that it's probably the next lifecycle of Stephen Ave that will warrant more serious consideration of a subway. I wish it was sooner - I want the LRT to convert more and more to a grade-separated light-metro style system, rather than the way it's going with more at-grade crossings added slowing things down. Calgary at 2.5 million is going to need the Red Line to do a lot more than it currently can (as impressive as the capacity is at-grade today).

Back to Stephen Ave upgrades - I think what's often forgotten here is the project is really is mostly utility work in cost and time. It's truly an iceberg where 90% is below the surface - all the cost, delays and risks are beneath the ground. It all compounds, because not only do you have to dig deep, you have to keep access open and keep everything safe - safety fencing, supports, openings, closures. Digging underground will inevitably hit something unforeseen, delaying things further. It's so much harder than just the surface treatment.

If they didn't need to upgrade any pipes, they could probably complete just the surface job in a month or two. That's just scraping off the top layer and putting in some new pavers and light poles. You'd hardly need any fencing or closures beyond some temporary stuff for accessibility - there's no big excavations to fall in.
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I don't imagine they're redoing utilities in 30 years, most of these are almost a century old, and I'd assume materials have gotten better that they're designed for 100 years now (which means it'll be replaced at 130 years). But I agree utility work is most of it. They're redoing the 19th street NW with a pretty significant change (adding bike lanes, expanding side walks, expanding overall street width) and it's planned for 2 summers. But each street in Marda Loop is taking way longer because they're redoing drainage, utilities, etc.
 
I do love the, "what about the strain on utilities?" When it comes to redeveloping areas juxtaposed against the, "what about businesses?"

Again, we're not the only city in the world, do we ever ask other city's what they're doing when it comes to utility and streetscape upgrades on main streets?
 
CalgaryTiger said:
I do love the, "what about the strain on utilities?" When it comes to redeveloping areas juxtaposed against the, "what about businesses?"

Again, we're not the only city in the world, do we ever ask other city's what they're doing when it comes to utility and streetscape upgrades on main streets?
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The same thing we're doing. City says it's necessary, businesses complain. City delays the timeline, makes the project more complicated, and businesses complain it's "always under construction!". And once something happens (pipe burst), residents stand up and say why didn't the city replace the pipe sooner! And round and round we go.
 
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