Another example of the small 3-6 unit projects that are popping up around the inner city. This one on 10th street NW and 18th ave.
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Infill Development Discussion
- Thread starter Surrealplaces
- Start date
gsunnyg
Senior Member
Honestly why can't we just have developments like this for the next 10 years instead of building the same stuff on greenfield land. Imagine 27000 new units in the inner city in the form of row homes/midrises instead of the 14 new communities approved last year. There has to be a loophole somewhere for making these sort of developments as cheap as greenfield homes so people can afford them.
integerhomes
New Member
I planted 5 trees on the site, one American elm, one tamarack, and three edible apples, all of my preferred options weren't allowed by Enmax toward the rear for reasons that don't make much sense if you look at the actual electrical lines and where they are. I asked the city to approve of planting more on the 19 ave side but the parks department said no because it was too late in the year (wasn't the case), but they could look again next year. my retaining wall is right on the property line so all the grass area is city owned. What should have happened is the city could have sold me a couple meters to do what I wanted with but for whatever reason it is highly protective of these useless setbacks. Also not sure how well trees will grow in the shadiest north facing side that gets a lot of shadow.
integerhomes
New Member
On these types of projects the city tends to act in such a way as to interpret its rules and regulations to maximize its own revenue and pass on as many City costs onto the builder as it can such as asphalt, curb, streetlight, storm upgrades, etc, so there is no way to make it affordable. If you guess the land cost at 3m, that would be about 125k per unit in its raw form. So you just look at the fixed costs and it gets frighteningly expensive.
land/door $125k
construction at say $175/ft so maybe $250k each depending on quality
soft costs @ some % of $6M - can't even guess but a lot
cost of financing, taxes, city fees - a lot
marketing/commission/gst at 9% of the total value of sales
I'd guess these need to be sold for 500k just for the builder to crack even. Compare that to what a half million gets you in a sprawl area...no comparison. A lot of the market would object to this type of row house and simply never buy it at any price. Hard to fit your diesel pickup and RV lifestyle into the inner city. The same builders that specialize in detached tract homes with tremendous productivity would be crushed by the challenge and complexity of this build, their staff just wouldn't be used to the high degree of management it would take to run that site effectively. Despite all these issues, building a dozen new communities is a giant leap in the wrong direction. We don't even have enough resources to update archaic and harmful ARPs that prevent the sort of changes you suggest need to happen, yet there is political will to raise taxes to fund sprawl? It does seem crazy.
Calgcouver
Active Member
Those numbers seem close. But $3M for a ~50x120ft corner lot? Seems high. I was finding functional MC-1 possibly MC-2 3 lot (~50x120ft) land assembly's walking distance to LRT in the SW for $3M. I feel like even $1-1.25M is a little rich for a single RC-G lot.
integerhomes
New Member
5 lot assembly. At 600 or more each that adds up quick but they did get 24 approved. You can buy multi family lots in calgary right now for as low as 650 for a 50 ft site. Perhaps less, and often way more.
Calgcouver
Active Member
Oh nevermind it is a five-lot assembly, that is completely reasonable then. I like your project by the way! Great to see PBR rowhomes, and I like the exterior materials you chose. Keep up the good work
Just build it
Active Member
More infill updates. This one on Centre Street is almost finished...after only three years or so. Still don't know anything about this development.
Also the lot to the north is now completely cleared, and again no info for this one either. I wonder if it's the same developer?
Also the lot to the north is now completely cleared, and again no info for this one either. I wonder if it's the same developer?
jdixon
Active Member
Mediocre building but better than what it replaced at least.
integerhomes
New Member
that is an interesting approach to an above ground underground parking structure. can only imagine how much it would have cost to permit, design, and engineer an underground parking lot, by the end of the process of investigating that the builder must have said F that, just put the building on some stilts that will be good enough. yet another reason I wouldn't be involved in such projects as that.
outoftheice
Active Member
I've got a friend who is a developer in Winnipeg and that approach is quite popular there. The economics don't work for underground parking and in-fill lots with surface parking at the rear don't leave much buildable space so the solution is for the building to be built over the parking lot with a row of ground floor units facing the main street to comply with city requirements. I wouldn't be surprised if we start to see more of this in Calgary as density comes to the communities that can't support the price-points seen in the inner city.
Always_Biking
Senior Member
I agree it makes sense from a practical point of view, but I hope they properly insulate the floors on those second floor units. I lived in a unit right above a car park and the floors were always cold in the winter. We had to use space heaters a lot. It was an older building built in the 70's or 80's.
A different kind of infill. A mother in law suite above a back alley garage seen in Inglewood. Thoughts?
Social Justice
Active Member
I like it! It increases the population density without radically altering the look of the neighborhood.
haltcatchfire
Senior Member
Good to see more of these. I might have to consider doing one myself.