Blume | 48m | 15s | Remington | Systemic Architecture

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Beautiful development. No issues given that it’s suburban.
 
The urban built form is very good. I wouldn't go that far and call the design beautiful. It's intriguing. I haven't seen anything quite like it. I get strong hotel vibes.
 
Seeing developments like this makes me wonder why on earth the city continues to sit on all of their park and ride properties. Seems like a no brainer for Calgary Transit to open a real estate division. Hong Kong's MTR does this and Translink in Vancouver has just opened a real estate development arm this year.
 
They have had lots of plans for developing areas around C-train stations, Anderson had a pretty major study done and Westbrook should have happened years ago. Brentwood seems to be the only area that's really taken off, and that's like as much proximity to the UofC as it is ti transit. Dalhousie has potential finally now too!
 
Brentwood took off, and then stalled out it seems. Anderson has an approved outline plan, but it came with Council requiring a 1 for 1 parking stall replacement to ensure the same number of park and ride stalls remained, which essentially hampers the City's real estate arm from actually building it, as it kills the pro forma.

I am not convinced that the market demand in Calgary is there for TOD yet unfortunately. We are starting to see a few smaller projects around Westbrook, and Shaganappi Point, but not much else on the west line. Matco has a fully approved DP, but no action. Same with Anthem's large project at the Erlton station. I think there are also 2 more towers approved as part of London at Heritage, along with a Seniors residence tower, but noone is pulling the trigger. Might just have to wait a few more years before more happens unfortunately.
 
MichaelS said:
Brentwood took off, and then stalled out it seems. Anderson has an approved outline plan, but it came with Council requiring a 1 for 1 parking stall replacement to ensure the same number of park and ride stalls remained, which essentially hampers the City's real estate arm from actually building it, as it kills the pro forma.
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That parking rule doesn't just apply to Anderson I don't think, isn't it systemwide? Agreed totally kills all redevelopment and is completely backwards.

There's loads of pseudo-science in parking demand modelling in general, even more weirdness in local TOD policies. The plan seems to be to build giant terminus station catchment parking lots, but not have a process to remove the inner city ones that are no longer required when the terminus moves on and the line is extended, thus collapsing demand on your previous terminus' oversized lots. As far as I know this plan hasn't changed since the LRT has existed.

MichaelS said:
I am not convinced that the market demand in Calgary is there for TOD yet unfortunately. We are starting to see a few smaller projects around Westbrook, and Shaganappi Point, but not much else on the west line. Matco has a fully approved DP, but no action. Same with Anthem's large project at the Erlton station. I think there are also 2 more towers approved as part of London at Heritage, along with a Seniors residence tower, but noone is pulling the trigger. Might just have to wait a few more years before more happens unfortunately.
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I don't think our market also likely can support Vancouver-style mega towers; but there's loads of redevelopment just not near TOD. There's probably a bit more going on here.

All our station locations we dream of TOD in policy plans are usually freeway adjacent dead-zones, it's not surprising there isn't realized development. Erlton is on the other side of the Macleod canyon, and definitely the least attractive part of the Mission/Erlton area. Westbrook had some weirdness in the land deal with Matco, all those Truman projects are very TOD-focused and seem to have no problem in the same area.

Sunnyside is a TOD, and shows what actually can be done in Calgary's market if you actually make a walkable, nice place with reasonable density growth potential. It's been cruising along for decades.

So I don't think there's no market for TOD - it's that the market doesn't want the woefully terrible "TOD" opportunities available next to highways and trashy major roads. Plus there are fewer TOD opportunities than may appear because Transit can't dispose of it's under-utilized parking effectively for whatever reason.
 
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