Calgary Openings, Closings, and Developments

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Macman

I see there was a building demolished on fourth and 11 ave sw, must be something new coming there now.

Nope. Parking lot.

[timun]

Which is to say there were no buildings demolished, it was previously a parking lot, and there will be a six-storey apartment building there, not that buildings were demolished and will be replaced by a new parking lot.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by timun

Which is to say there were no buildings demolished, it was previously a parking lot, and there will be a six-storey apartment building there, not that buildings were demolished and will be replaced by a new parking lot.

I haven't been there in person, but isn't the SW corner going from a parking lot to a building while the SE corner (Mongolie Grill) is being demolished into a parking lot?

[FormerPresJamesTaylor]

There are city development signs all along 16th but finding out there is a KFC without the Thai place closing is great

[cam_wmh]

This new development seems all dandy, but please tell me the Palomino remains.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Macman

I see there was a building demolished on fourth and 11 ave sw, must be something new coming there now.

Nm. Covered already.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

I haven't been there in person, but isn't the SW corner going from a parking lot to a building while the SE corner (Mongolie Grill) is being demolished into a parking lot?

Correct.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

This new development seems all dandy, but please tell me the Palomino remains.

My favourite place in Calgary.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by troutman

My favourite place in Calgary.

Agree, top 3 for sure.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

This new development seems all dandy, but please tell me the Palomino remains.

It does not.

[bizaro86]

I dont see how you could build on the middle of the block without the palomino parcel, as you need access to a road.

[timun]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

I haven't been there in person, but isn't the SW corner going from a parking lot to a building while the SE corner (Mongolie Grill) is being demolished into a parking lot?

Oh ####, sorry, I was talking about the SW corner.

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by 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.

I couldn't disagree with you more here.

The site in question is one of the few full blocks of preserved history this city has left. They have some of the few venues downtown that people want to be around after working hours. We have so little history in this city precisely because we have torn it down over the last 5 decades, bit by bit.

It would be an absolute shame to tear this block down to build yet another bland high rise tower that will be cheaped out on once oil prices drop again. And I don't think this will be the catalyst to anything except even higher office vacancies and a further depressed condo market.

Here are a few examples of what we've lost in the last 15 years. Most examples saw a building that needed some TLC bought, neglected and torn down in favour of shiny new skyscraper that made the developer a tonne of money. Individually no cause for alarm, but many examples over decades it leads to a soulless downtown that is avoided after working hours.

Penny Lane Mall torn down to become Eighth Avenue Place:

NSFW!

Art Central torn down to become Telus Sky.

NSFW!

The York Hotel torn down to become a bunch of benches (despite the developer promising to rebuild it).

NSFW!

The Calgary Herald building torn down to become Brookfield Place.

NSFW!

Strictly as office buildings, the examples are great. But once the business day is done they offer nothing to the people that don't work in them. I work in Brookfield, and it's a place to be inside from 7-4 and anytime outside those hours there is no reason to be anywhere near it.

I hope this proposal is immediately shot down.

[timun]

Originally Posted by shermanator

The Calgary Herald building torn down to become Brookfield Place.

NSFW!

The real shame was what it originally looked like. An acquaintance of mine who thought the Herald Building was a thoroughly mediocre modernist building from the '60s was gobsmacked when they saw glimpses of the original Edwardian façade underneath:

[powderjunkie]

It's amazing how much better some of those old places look in photos compared to what I recall for the in-person experience.

Which isn't to say I don't think they weren't actually any good...rather that we've actually had some good fabric in downtown, but have just down a piss-poor job of stitching it together (largely due to +15 network & generally poor pedestrian experience)

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by shermanator

I couldn't disagree with you more here.

The site in question is one of the few full blocks of preserved history this city has left. They have some of the few venues downtown that people want to be around after working hours. We have so little history in this city precisely because we have torn it down over the last 5 decades, bit by bit.

It would be an absolute shame to tear this block down to build yet another bland high rise tower that will be cheaped out on once oil prices drop again. And I don't think this will be the catalyst to anything except even higher office vacancies and a further depressed condo market.

Here are a few examples of what we've lost in the last 15 years. Most examples saw a building that needed some TLC bought, neglected and torn down in favour of shiny new skyscraper that made the developer a tonne of money. Individually no cause for alarm, but many examples over decades it leads to a soulless downtown that is avoided after working hours.

Muta has zero idea just how many class C buildings need to be torn down, and how many surface parking lots there are waiting to be sold.

Right now there is zero reason to tear anything historical down, and there probably never was any reason.

Penny Lane Mall torn down to become Eighth Avenue Place

To be fair, PLM was falling apart. Near the end of its life, the first floor became crooked. Not sure how that happens.

Brookfield and The Bow added way too much office space. Those two buildings alone added an extra 25% of total office space to the DCD. Having said that Brookfield attracted a lot of businesses and I think it's mostly full. The Bow of course is another story. And now there's a lot of class B and C buildings that have lots of space.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by shermanator

I couldn't disagree with you more here.

^I need to register a "this post is depressing" account and thank this again.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Having said that Brookfield attracted a lot of businesses and I think it's mostly full. The Bow of course is another story.

The Bow: Corporate Dick-Swinging Triumphs Over Common Sense

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

It's amazing how much better some of those old places look in photos compared to what I recall for the in-person experience.

Which isn't to say I don't think they weren't actually any good...rather that we've actually had some good fabric in downtown, but have just down a piss-poor job of stitching it together (largely due to +15 network & generally poor pedestrian experience)

DCDs in general are 9-5 places. The "downtown" action happens in Kensington, Inglewood and 17th Ave.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by timun

The Bow: Corporate Dick-Swinging Triumphs Over Common Sense

Gwyn Morgan was the worst thing to happen to the oilpatch.