General Construction Updates

[Joborule]

Awesome job U of C! They really have come a long ways. While we don’t have the historic buildings of many universities in Canada, maybe we can become the most modern/futuristic looking campus. Now to re-do Mac Hall, bulldoze Craigie Hall, and renovate the Education building.

Think Education recently had an internal renovation within the past decade? So don't think the envelope will get any attention soon. But a building that badly needs to be renovated/expanded is the Kinesiology Block A building. It's stuck in the 60s, and doesn't function well for the current student population, and evolving University District.

 

[darwink]

Think Education recently had an internal renovation within the past decade? So don't think the envelope will get any attention soon. But a building that badly needs to be renovated/expanded is the Kinesiology Block A building. It's stuck in the 60s, and doesn't function well for the current student population, and evolving University District.

Kines is a high priority project. Finding money for it though…

 

[FCC1982]

Staggering budget numbers.

 

[FCC1982]

Mathison Hall at the UofC is almost done:
View attachment 436143View attachment 436144View attachment 436145View attachment 436146View attachment 436147

That’s beautiful - the interior is even more so.

 

[darwink]

Staggering budget numbers.

Those are from 2018. And yeah, building buildings with labs and equipping them and building to last 50 years is expensive.

 

[O-tac]

Anyone know what's happening at the Blackfoot Trailer Park? Looks like they're finally clearing it out. I know there's been proposals for that site for over a decade. Will it simply be an extension of Meadows Mile?

 

[CalgaryTiger]

Anyone know what's happening at the Blackfoot Trailer Park? Looks like they're finally clearing it out. I know there's been proposals for that site for over a decade. Will it simply be an extension of Meadows Mile?

Only recent DPs have been for signs.

 

[DougB]

Anyone know what's happening at the Blackfoot Trailer Park? Looks like they're finally clearing it out. I know there's been proposals for that site for over a decade. Will it simply be an extension of Meadows Mile?

I think it has some slope stability issues that still need to be resolved. Can't see it being redeveloped as anything other than strip mall

 

[UrbanWarrior]

I forget the name of the tower, but that 70s high rise in Bridgeland is having its windows boarded up today. 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors now.

 

[O-tac]

Has the replacement affordable housing project been revealed yet?

 

[UrbanWarrior]

Not yet. The redevelopment of the building site has only been mentioned a bit here. A little shocked to see it being closed down.

 

[Nimbus]

A writeup on Bridgeland Place in The Tyee:

A Breath of New Life or Gentrification’s Latest Casualty | The Tyee

Bridgeland Place, a bulwark of Calgary’s affordable housing stock, is closing after 51 years. What does its future hold?

thetyee.ca

 

[Mountain Man]

Hopefully they can just renovate Bridgeland Place, affordable housing is important!

 

[CalgaryTiger]

Article says Bridgeland Place is still being examined for options by a third-party the city hired. Requires 15 million is work and is worth 1.5 million. Not sure they actually sell it though... There's still a lot of under developed land in the core that would come cheaper for a developer than the purchase cost and costs to bring this up to modern standards let alone above that. That's not even taking into account the cost to demo this.

To say something 'radical', gentrification of an area is necessary to improve an areas vibrancy. Cheap neighborhoods in your core house people, yes and that is important. But it has been shown that cheap neighborhoods in the core lead to empty lots and speculation. The goal shouldn't be to stop gentrification it should be to preserve and require some affordable housing in those neighborhoods.

 

[zagox]

Article says Bridgeland Place is still being examined for options by a third-party the city hired. Requires 15 million is work and is worth 1.5 million. Not sure they actually sell it though... There's still a lot of under developed land in the core that would come cheaper for a developer than the purchase cost and costs to bring this up to modern standards let alone above that. That's not even taking into account the cost to demo this.

To say something 'radical', gentrification of an area is necessary to improve an areas vibrancy. Cheap neighborhoods in your core house people, yes and that is important. But it has been shown that cheap neighborhoods in the core lead to empty lots and speculation. The goal shouldn't be to stop gentrification it should be to preserve and require some affordable housing in those neighborhoods.

$15M to renovate 210 units works out to only $71k/unit. Even if the real cost is more than that, no way CHC is going to get new construction built for a comparable price elsewhere in the city - seems like an obvious choice to do some lifecycle upgrades and maintain the housing for those who need it.

The shame of this is that a competent landlord would be doing the evaluation of options and decision-making while the building was still occupied, and if the building needs to be vacated, the eviction notices would be followed a couple weeks later by either renovation or demolition. In this case, it looks like the building is going to sit vacant for some significant period of time, despite CHC having 5+ years to arrive at a solution.