Calgary Openings, Closings, and Developments

[DownInFlames]

I'll pour out a 40 of Zithromax in its memory.

[Joborule]

I think there will be a tent on the south side of 9th Avenue in the same area. I believe it was intended for either Stampede 2020, or 21. So with this year likely to be a full service Stampede, it should be a go.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Joborule

I think there will be a tent on the south side of 9th Avenue in the same area. I believe it was intended for either Stampede 2020, or 21. So with this year likely to be a full service Stampede, it should be a go.

There was a tent at the SE corner of 5th St and 9th Ave SW a few years ago, is that the location? That parcel is a funky shape if I remember correctly.

[Calgary14]

There's a future London Drugs sign in Shawnessy near where the old Lowe's used to be. That store has been split into 3 with Value Village and the Brick taking two spots so maybe London Drugs will take the 3rd. Being so close to Walmart I am not sure they can last there

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

There was a tent at the SE corner of 5th St and 9th Ave SW a few years ago, is that the location? That parcel is a funky shape if I remember correctly.

Close, but the SW corner actually. There's a permit application for it again this year.

It's the new Cowboys tent I'm assuming, based on Penny Lane applying.

[bob-loblaw]

It looks like a car dealership is going into the old Rona on MacLeod south of Fish Creek Park. Maybe Fish Creek Nissan is moving there.

[FLAME ENVY]

Originally Posted by Calgary14

There's a future London Drugs sign in Shawnessy near where the old Lowe's used to be. That store has been split into 3 with Value Village and the Brick taking two spots so maybe London Drugs will take the 3rd. Being so close to Walmart I am not sure they can last there

A whole bunch of London Drugs stores are adjacent to Wal-Mart locations, several in Calgary too...

[CM ONE]

Originally Posted by bob-loblaw

It looks like a car dealership is going into the old Rona on MacLeod south of Fish Creek Park. Maybe Fish Creek Nissan is moving there.

Bring back Beaver Lumber.

[Timbo]

Originally Posted by CM ONE

Bring back Beaver Lumber.

And the free popcorn

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Timbo

And the free popcorn

That was Totem.

[calgarygeologist]

Does anyone know what is being built in Montgomery right behind the Foundations for the Future school? I noticed the development for the first time today while driving down Shaganappi and it looks like a pretty large scale build. It doesn't appear to be residential and it seems too big to be a school although I guess it could be a replacement for the aging FFCA campus.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Does anyone know what is being built in Montgomery right behind the Foundations for the Future school? I noticed the development for the first time today while driving down Shaganappi and it looks like a pretty large scale build. It doesn't appear to be residential and it seems too big to be a school although I guess it could be a replacement for the aging FFCA campus.

FFCA is getting a big overhaul.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Calgary14

There's a future London Drugs sign in Shawnessy near where the old Lowe's used to be. That store has been split into 3 with Value Village and the Brick taking two spots so maybe London Drugs will take the 3rd. Being so close to Walmart I am not sure they can last there

As I get older I tolerate Walmart and RCSS less and less. I'd rather go to LD and spend the extra $3 total so that I don't get run over by carts.

Also I find LD pharmacies to be better run and helpful than every other chain pharmacy.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy

FFCA is getting a big overhaul.

Is it still going to be just the high school or will it be a larger campus for younger students as well? Back in the day we had our kids on the wait-list for FCCA but we never followed through with that plan mostly because the thought of bussing across half the city seemed like an awful idea when they could walk 5 minutes to our community school.

[Hack&Lube]

https://globalnews.ca/news/8823491/m...tephen-avenue/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...enue-1.6448863

There is a proposal from Triovest to create a gigantic block development in Stephen Avenue that will tear down the dilapidated buildings on the C-Train side and keep only the facades of all the Heritage buildings on the Stephen Avenue side. This includes the Winners store down to the ATB branch. This includes a 66 story highrise which would be the tallest building yet in Calgary.



I'm not sure this is a good thing in the whole proposal including the south Stephen Ave side. Certainly the North Side needs action and this is much better than the parkade that was proposed around 10 years ago. I don't like seeing all the historic buildings destroyed and only the facades kept but there are stores that need revitalization like that old Sportchek store that has sat empty for a few years now.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

How is developing that block not a good thing? Dumpy old buildings aren’t historic when they’re dilapidated.

[the_only_turek_fan]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

How is developing that block not a good thing? Dumpy old buildings aren’t historic when they’re dilapidated.

I think this is super exciting. That spot is pretty ugly and rundown.

[FormerPresJamesTaylor]

Former A&B Sound*

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

How is developing that block not a good thing? Dumpy old buildings aren’t historic when they’re dilapidated.

The north half of that is dumpy old buildings. There are historic structures on the Stephen Avenue side from the founding days of Calgary and I would like something more than just the facades kept. From the elevation plans you can see they plan to completely knock down and open a bunch of the buildings on the Stephen Avenue side into the interior park.

The opposite elevation on the C-Train side looks like a big brutalist wall but we would have to wait to see the high rise that is on top of it.

[Muta]

I am usually pro-preservation when it comes to historic buildings if I had to pick one direction or the other, as redevelopment can include restoration while respecting heritage... but often times, I think people get too nostalgic / sentimental about buildings that are no longer in use and are likely impeding growth as cities grow. Many of these proposed buildings for demolition are dilapidated and are sitting empty / underused as is. I say in this case, make way for progress. That is a very, very central / high-value block that can be a catalyst for other development in the core going forward (hopefully residential), something that has consistently been needed in this city since the 1970s. Plus, not everything in that block will be destroyed.

We don't keep most cars that become outdated, or appliances or clothes (we buy new goods), so why don't we hold buildings to the same standard? Sure, keep ones that have a unique history and still can serve a physical purpose; keep them if you have the resources to restore or modernize them (the St. Louis Hotel and the King Edward Hotel come to mind). But we should really not let nostalgia, NIMBYism and predictable fear of change get in the way of something that can be transformational for an urban core, likely resulting in something greater than the sum of its parts.