Urban Development and Proposals Discussion

[maestro]

Can we please get rid of community associations? Why do we allow these associations government money to interfere with developments?? They aren't even voted in by neighborhood members, so why do we recognized them and allow them to interfere?

Community associations still have a greater understanding than developers under pressure to maximize investor contributions. The gaining traction across Canada to eliminate community engagement or even entire planning departments to expedite residential development scares me knowing what developers have been building. However, community engagement should be at the level of building a community growth master plan than individual proposals. The resulting master plan should have teeth whereas a developer can't propose something unexpectedly large that creates this animosity towards intensification.

 

[Calgcouver]

I wonder how temporary this will be. It definitely isn't a sure thing that this will need to be removed. Money well spent.

Am I correct in understanding that this temporary sod area is only for the River Run Townhomes site? If so, an estimated cost of $750k for the project is pretty wild if they are just grading and adding loam/sod to City specs. like 2.5-3X what I would guess for the same scope (permitted that is the scope).

 

[CalgaryTiger]

Am I correct in understanding that this temporary sod area is only for the River Run Townhomes site? If so, an estimated cost of $750k for the project is pretty wild if they are just grading and adding loam/sod to City specs. like 2.5-3X what I would guess for the same scope (permitted that is the scope).

I do think there's more going on, it does mention tree removal. So I assume there's larger site prep happening here AND then they're adding some grass.

 

[JoeUrban]

What is the upper levels of that building used for? Too bad we have such an abundance of office space. In Toronto's King West, there's some nice re-use of older buildings into renovated office space. Nvidia occupies one at the corner of King and Spadina. Shopify's Toronto HQ is also an adapted space where they kept some of the facade and built a modern office on top.

View attachment 687179

I was watching a Conan O'brien clip last night and they mentioned the Spreckels theatre in San Diego and it reminded me of the Bay, how about a new downtown theatre

 

[FCC1982]

^I like that idea for the Bay building.

 

[trtcttc]

It probably doesn't help that RioCan owns The Bay building but CDPQ and AIMCo owns Core Shopping Centre. I hope RioCan puts it up for sale and a Pension Plan takes it. They're slow but they're also willing to wait out cycles and take longer view on their investments

 

[YYCguy]

On the topic of Hudson Bay, we will find out this week if Ruby Liu will be approved to take over the leases she’s requested.

 

[FCC1982]

^Is the Calgary DT Bay store on her list ?

 

[Nawads]

^Is the Calgary DT Bay store on her list ?

No, but she wanted Chinook and Market Mall. Interestingly, the article in the retail thread about Chinook mentioned that CF plans to split the Hudson's bay space for multiple retailers but is waiting out the court decision on the leases. Which makes sense, as CF has always been strongly against Ruby Liu in any of their malls.

 

[trtcttc]

No, but she wanted Chinook and Market Mall. Interestingly, the article in the retail thread about Chinook mentioned that CF plans to split the Hudson's bay space for multiple retailers but is waiting out the court decision on the leases. Which makes sense, as CF has always been strongly against Ruby Liu in any of their malls.

The primary reason they are against is that her business plan is pretty thin on details, but also her plans for "mall within a mall". Where there will be food and other services within her space. That's problematic for mall operators because they want to determine the product mix. When they sign a food retailer to the food court, they have to be able to tell them what other food retail is in the mall. If she's allowed to do what she wants with her space, it'd be much harder for the mall to lease out other spaces since other tenants have very little control over the rest of the mall.

 

[adamyyc]

I really want the DT bay to be used for a public use. If Glenbow wasn’t already under renovation, I feel like they could have stayed open while renovating this property then doing a big move.

Speaking of the HBC and art, a bunch of HBC’s art is going up for auction:

Heffel | Canadas National Fine Art Auction House - Live Art Auction

Heffel fine art live auction. Buy artworks by: Walter Joseph (W.J.) Phillips, Adam Sherriff Scott, George Franklin Arbuckle, Charles Fraser Comfort, Frank Hans (Franz) Johnston

www.heffel.com

 

[Surrealplaces]

Would the downtown Bay work as a new AUA campus? Assuming they added some floors somehow.

 

[darwink]

Would the downtown Bay work as a new AUA campus? Assuming they added some floors somehow.

I doubt they would need to add floors.

It would probably work. What is it, 360,000 square feet? Nothing in the interior has heritage value.

A hundred million or so could go a long way, depending on how much remediation would be needed.

 

[Surrealplaces]

I doubt they would need to add floors.

It would probably work. What is it, 360,000 square feet? Nothing in the interior has heritage value.

A hundred million or so could go a long way, depending on how much remediation would be needed.

Would be nice if they could have some sort of atrium so as to allow natural light into the campus. Would be a nice central location and also tied to an historic building, it would be a cool spot for an arts campus.