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Calgary's Downtown Dilemma

Mountain Man said:
I'm sure that building is in terrible condition having sat for 5-10 years. Also, I bet it's full of asbestos.
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From what I recall, the building was in terrible condition even 30 years ago. If it wasn't for the it being one of the remaining brutalist buildings, I would say tearing it down would make the most sense.
 
If not re-using an existing building the Chumir west lot might work for a downtown school. I think there's enough space for a small play field, a gym, and say a 4 storey building. Another spot that would have been great is the Lougheed House, but I don't see the house going anywhere soon. Geographically both spots are in the centre of the Beltline/Mission/Downtown.

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Whenever the Eau Clair site is redeveloped, they should have a school portion. Probably a good way for a developer to tap into public money. Curious if a developer has done something like that before...
 
I think the school boards are loathe to differentiate from their required design standards, so anything unique on an urban parcel is probably difficult to determine.

Speaking of Eau Claire, any guesses as to what happens to that area now that the Greenline is dead? Will they demolish the mall and townhome complex? Just turn around and sell / lease them out? Leave them as fenced off abandoned buildings?
 
I expect them to sit abandoned and fenced off for a while. It would be awesome if they leased out the townhomes and the market (maybe to the Calgary Farmers Market) until they decide what the next step is.
 
Haultain Park would be a good site for a school as well. You could manage a school nearly twice the size of St Monica (if built to 3 storeys) on the old school and tennis courts, and the playground and field already exists. Minimal negative impact to the public, and I’m sure we can find a place for more tennis courts.
 
Mountain Man said:
Connaught school should be renovated and expanded. The parking lot should be built over (with underground parking) and the soccer field should become classrooms with a roof top field & playground maybe?
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Not maybe, definitely should do this and more. They have options in the inner city but I don't see it happening because it isn't being talked about outside of a "we might have to use office space for schools" press release in the summer. I have no idea when the school boards meet or even if they talk about this but at least in the public sphere, there was a panicked yelp and then nothing.
 
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trtcttc said:
CBE proposed new schools and modernizations are the first two maps. The last is the enrolment growth. How are new schools proposed in every dark grey region EXCEPT downtown where Connaught is operating at 121% capacity.

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I suspect the biggest reason is the lack of adequate sites in the downtown area which means they have to rely on modernizations. School sites take up a lot of space (8 ac at a minimum) and with the stricter requirements around play fields, bus loading, student pick up and drop off, building envelopes etc its hard to find sites that meet the requirements in the inner city. Even though there are large vacant chunks of land that might work in the central area, the CBE would need to buy them.
 
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