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General Construction Updates

Is the pathway connection between Glenbow Ranch and Haskayne actually open? I've read sources saying that it is, but then I've also talked to Calgarians who said as of last summer, it was not.

Seems like horrible planning on the City's behalf as the Rockland Park subdivision that will provide future direct access wouldn't have been on the drawing board when planning occurred for Haskayne Park.

A $7M underpass isn't going to happen. Sounds like the private landowner is looking for some free infrastructure to facilitate future development of their land.
 
The pathway is open but it's about a 10K walk from where the Glenbow's parking lot is
 
DougB said:
Is the pathway connection between Glenbow Ranch and Haskayne actually open? I've read sources saying that it is, but then I've also talked to Calgarians who said as of last summer, it was not.

Seems like horrible planning on the City's behalf as the Rockland Park subdivision that will provide future direct access wouldn't have been on the drawing board when planning occurred for Haskayne Park.

A $7M underpass isn't going to happen. Sounds like the private landowner is looking for some free infrastructure to facilitate future development of their land.
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I think what they might be looking for is the removal of the growth management overlay on their land - the talk of an underpass might just be shadow boxing.
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Seems like the City did a decent job concentrating the higher density away from the existing residential. I don’t think the neighbours have anything reasonable to complain about.
 
Couldn’t agree more about the comments on the ball parks. They really don’t get used much ever these days. One could really say the same about most school yard playgrounds. Huge amounts of land that isn’t well utilized. When the children are out playing they tend to use about 10% of the school yard....and it’s the 10% closest to the school. The rest is mainly wasted.
 
Is that the new Child and Youth Mental Health Centre?

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Surrealplaces said:
In case anyone was wondering what the tent structure on top of Calgary Place was going to used for. It's a rooftop bar.
dailyhive.com

Calgary is getting a plant-filled rooftop bar with stunning downtown views | Eat & Drink

A huge new rooftop bar is coming to downtown Calgary, and it looks gorgeous. The Rooftop YYC's tent is filled with plants and lit with twinkling lights.
dailyhive.com dailyhive.com

View attachment 310334View attachment 310335
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It is cool and all, but I still view this as a fundamental problem with how we see reinvestment in the downtown core, the public realm and streetscape remains a desolate car oriented wreck. Great, we allowed retail above grade and the street level of Calgary Place is absolutely terrible. This kind of thing should be coupled with a transformation of the ground floor of the building to become something considerably more hospitable and vibrant at grade. Instead we will get a rooftop bar accessible by +15 and the streetscape will continue to be this:
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This does nothing to improve our Downtown Core as a neighbourhood or for placemaking, and the decision seems to be "well the ground level and streets are so inhospitable the best choice is to put a tent on the roof to get away from all that". Unpopular opinion, but i think that no retail, restaurant or food uses should be allowed at the +15 level. Banks, office supply and medical office should be all that is allowed on the +15s. If we continue to allow this, we will get this outcome where a bank is located with a single entrance on the main floor, all the windows have blinds drawn, while a restaurant that would activate the corner is on the +15 level. The bank closes early, killing activity on the street level after 5pm. This is exactly what makes the Downtown Core suck, but no one is willing to do anything about the fact that +15 centered retail/restaurant and freeway ROWs are the top thing killing the vitality of our public realm and street life.
 
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Ya, we can talk about putting all these residential units downtown to help increase vibrancy but the reality is, our downtown is designed very poorly, and at this point, it looks like an issue that's almost not even worth trying to fix. The +15, the base design of the towers, the one-way streets, etc. all are things that need to be addressed and it's gonna take a lot of time and investment. We can always rename Downtown the Business district of Calgary and redesignate Victoria park and the Beltline as the new Downtown. Building on our strengths.
 
1875 said:
step one, nuke the one way streets. all of them.
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For the amount of traffic that Calgary’s downtown streets handle on an average workday, there is no need for many (any) of them to be one way. Most, if not all of our current one ways (I’m looking at you 11th and 12th) could be 4 lane (two in each direction) with centre turning lanes. I would suggest forcing the utilization of parking structures by removing parking lanes to expand sidewalks, and/or to form bus bays (in the business district only). Avenues would take this form, and Trails/Streets not including McLeod, 4th and 8th would all be single lane with centre turning.
 
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