Urban Development and Proposals Discussion

[CBBarnett]

What a missed opportunity to provide hundreds of housing units within walking distance to LRT! We aren't going to solve the housing crisis by building a few dozen rowhouse 4-plexes in Altadore and Mt Pleasant at $800,000 a unit. This Council is incredibly frustrating sometimes.

Eh - the design and orientation of this project was really poor. They really did nothing to design in any of that “walking”, it was a pure car-oriented building with massive parking and no pedestrian thoughtful designs anywhere within or around it.

The parcel could do a lot better than what was proposed to make actual walking more likely and enjoyable. Close enough on a map to transit isn’t the same thing as designed to be actually walkable.

 

[Surrealplaces]

Any idea what the reasoning was for the rejection?

 

[CalgaryTiger]

Any idea what the reasoning was for the rejection?

From a CTV news story (you've heard it before, for every development): "more traffic jams, safety concerns, daily disruptions and worries about the environment." The environmental thing is a bit rich considering it is a grass field.

 

[Albertasaurus]

Eh - the design and orientation of this project was really poor. They really did nothing to design in any of that “walking”, it was a pure car-oriented building with massive parking and no pedestrian thoughtful designs anywhere within or around it.

The parcel could do a lot better than what was proposed to make actual walking more likely and enjoyable. Close enough on a map to transit isn’t the same thing as designed to be actually walkable.

Yes but Council approves land use, not design. If Council did have concerns around walkability, etc they could have approved the land use but directed that the DP go to Planning Commission for review.

 

[MichaelS]

The City has done an update to its development map. Check it out:

https://developmentmap.calgary.ca/

 

[Albertasaurus]

/\Nice! If you check out the DP drawings for the Sony site, it turns out that their increase in density is due to them planning a second tower of similar size to the first (which seems to still be moving ahead with more or less its original design). They appear to have a land use amendment application on the site to transfer density from the Riviera Apartments on 9 St SW to this site to allow for the second tower. So eventually 2, ~25 storey towers there which will bring some nice density to the area.

 

[badc0ffee]

The City has done an update to its development map.

It seems to be missing dates for the public comment periods. On the old map, for example, Central Taps Marda Loop said the city would be accepting comments until August 1st. I can't find that in the new details page. Same with the Sentinel (Aug 1), Viscount Bennett site (Aug 8), etc.

One thing it does still have is meeting dates. It still says, for example, that there is a public hearing for Blues by Batistella on Sep 10.

 

[IanBray]

Not sure if this has been discussed yet but the City of Calgary's Development Map now has a 3D feature. It is awesome.

 

[JoeUrban]

Very cool. Another feature I'd like added is differentiating between a property that is having a 30 story tower built on it and one where they're putting up a sign.

 

[MichaelS]

I would love to see infrastructure projects added. Things like Main Streets, or functional planning studies, etc...

 

[KrisYYC]

Apologies if this has been discussed already but does anybody know anything about this potential redevelopment of Heritage Plaza (the plaza with London Drugs) on the corner of Heritage Dr and Macleod Tr?

If you click on the shadow study they have a very rudimentary rendering.

Heritage Plaza Open House

View attachment 515145

I just noticed on DMAP that the land use re-designation for this site was approved. It'll be interesting to see if anything goes forward from here.

 

[gsunnyg]

Interesting map of the number of highrises going up across NA.

As a highrise fan, Im a bit dissapointed to see Calgary lagging behind cities like Ottawa, London and Hamilton who have smaller populations, but at the same time its nice to know we're building more than big cities like LA or San Fran.

Has anyone really got to the bottom as to why highrise starts have drastically slowed down in Calgary, even with the high rental demand? Higher interest rates and building costs still have other cities building away towers.

 

[badc0ffee]

Isn't it just that you can sell a condo for more $ per square foot in these places than in Calgary?

 

[Surrealplaces]

As a highrise fan, Im a bit dissapointed to see Calgary lagging behind cities like Ottawa, London and Hamilton who have smaller populations.

SFHs, semi detached and townhomes are very expensive in those cities, and they don’t build many of those, leaving mostly apartment units. I don’t know the ratio of high-rise concrete apartments compared to low rise wood frame apartments but they definitely have a much higher ratio of apartment units than we do, and it probably influences the amount high rises.

I’m a high-rise building fan also, but TBH I’d prefer to see more low rise builds and row homes, etc. than high-rise towers. Most of those high rises towers built in London, Ottawa, etc are boring suburban high rises that aren’t really adding to the urban fabric.

What I found most interesting about those numbers, is the amount of high-rises being built in places like Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas, etc.

 

[FCC1982]

I get the sense it is like water building up behind a dam - once the conditions are right it will burst in Calgary (at least I hope so)