News   Apr 03, 2020
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General Construction Updates

Add me to the list too. The area for pre-schoolers was the part I liked best. The rest was underwhelming, and the building, also underwhelming. The old building had so much character, thankfully it will be turned into an art gallery.
 
Holy Cow. For the record, I am (or was) enthusiastic about an injection of life into this space. Not like this. While it has always been a unique, and occasionally weird spot to hang out in the core, time has obviously not been kind to some elements of the park. The always strange vertical log-wall/seating area along the northwest corner has begun to surrender to nature, decayed and moss covered, yet comforting in it's familiarity. The sections of the plank bridge walkway that have not been replaced heave and moan, perhaps reminding you of a simpler time, or that this might be the biggest risk you'll take all day and broken ankles eventually heal. It's all part of the charm.

Perhaps you'll sit a while and eat your shawarma, despite the occasionally dystopian atmosphere. A couple of magpies squabble over a pizza crust, a bottle picker kicks another in the balls in a Roll-Up-The-Rim cup dispute for the ages (free potato wedges). Someone, somewhere is screaming about Jesus. Commuters huddle for safety on the train platform, unable to avoid the constant 8th street echo, as familiar as the wind...gottasmoke?gottasmoke?gottasmoke?..and so on.

And yet, now comes the inevitable and obvious destruction of a truly public space. The foul stench that wafts down Stephen Avenue from the angry corpse of Devonian Gardens threatens to infect another downtown oasis. These renderings, preliminary as they may be, find me longing for the Calgary that was. It would be nice if the brutalist nature of the park could be retained, if only to remind us that ugly does not always mean bad.

What a shame.

Being someone who has developed a love of brutalism, I was dreading the redevelopment of this park. The park is such a wonderful example of brutalist public spaces (especially because most brutalist public spaces are terrible!). I've never seen anything like it anywhere else in the world.

However, brutalism does have its problems. I am actually pleasantly surprised at how this design balances the preservation of brutalism with making some improvements.
 
Not sure if I've seen anything posted but here are some crude (in terms of quality) renders of the redevelopment of the Heninger site on Macleod Trail just south of the cemetery. Retail on the main with condo's above plus a new gas station/c-store. DP is in for it. It's called 'Mission Landing'. A Co-op is planned for the main floor IIRC.
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Thanks for posting HEP. I haven't seen this one before. Nothing special, but to be honest it's also on a site that offers very little flexibility (kind of like the one of 16th ave and 14th street NW). This is pretty good for where its located, and it's a close walk to the LRT station.
 
Interesting. This site is owned by by Quarry Bay Investments (formerly Lake Placid). They are also partnering with Calgary Co-Op on the Oakridge, Brentwood and Dalhousie re-developments.
 
Not terrible, not great. I'm glad something is going good there, and the density boost is definitely a huge plus! :)
 
Thanks for posting HEP. I haven't seen this one before. Nothing special, but to be honest it's also on a site that offers very little flexibility (kind of like the one of 16th ave and 14th street NW). This is pretty good for where its located, and it's a close walk to the LRT station.

No problem. I agree. Given the narrow depth and topography, it it's not too bad. One of those instances were building a gas station towards the core isn't bad because of other limited uses. Also I believe some of the site is already contaminated, which could have been a factor in deciding that use.
 
Segregating the uses on the site lets one redevelop the commercial part later, when demand moves along. Might be 30 years but better than freezing the land use forever.
 
What an atrocious colour palette and design made of randomize facade materials. I agree the urban form isn't bad.
 
I agree about the colors, they stole them right from that development on Centre Street N and 13th ave. The overall design is not too bad all considered. I never would have thought anything would ever be developed there.
 
Interesting. This site is owned by by Quarry Bay Investments (formerly Lake Placid). They are also partnering with Calgary Co-Op on the Oakridge, Brentwood and Dalhousie re-developments.
I had heard those CO-OP proposals are more or less on hold indefinitely.
 
I had heard those CO-OP proposals are more or less on hold indefinitely.

Not surprising that the other ones are on hold. Like for many other projects on hold, the market is not right to launch them. However, the Mission Landing one is smaller and less ambitious so that one could be first.
 
Not surprising that the other ones are on hold. Like for many other projects on hold, the market is not right to launch them. However, the Mission Landing one is smaller and less ambitious so that one could be first.
Smaller projects seem to have more traction, as we've seen lately. It could very well go ahead especially if it's rental. If the other ones are indeed on hold, it's probably a matter of how long. It really makes sense to develop those sites.
 

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