Calgary Openings, Closings, and Developments

[DuckSauce]

Anyone know what is going on with the construction/redevelopment of the old Nexen building?

[Calgary14]

Its been empty for years. Possibly a residential conversion

[Bigtime]

I don't think that building is on the conversion radar yet, wasn't there an alleged asbestos issue with it?

[fotze2]

Anyone know when they open those two lanes on 9th?

[firebug]

Originally Posted by Table 5

It doesn't come with the American chain hype, but if you guys want a solid sub, give Peppino in Kensington a try.

Everyone should also check out 'Around the Bend' on Blackfoot Trail south of the car dealerships. An old friend of mine started it up and he makes terrific food.

I always do the Hawaiian Twist but several here at my office are partial to the Steak Frite Twist.

Their fries are also my favourite in the whole city.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by DuckSauce

Anyone know what is going on with the construction/redevelopment of the old Nexen building?

Lobby refresh, some of the floors are being renovated, I hope that they're overhauling the HVAC because I had some miserably sauna-like meetings in that building.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by firebug

Everyone should also check out 'Around the Bend' on Blackfoot Trail south of the car dealerships. An old friend of mine started it up and he makes terrific food.

I always do the Hawaiian Twist but several here at my office are partial to the Steak Frite Twist.

Their fries are also my favourite in the whole city.

They have pretzel buns? There is a massive lack of pretzel baking goods in this city.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by fotze2

Anyone know when they open those two lanes on 9th?

They're open! Finally was able to get to work today in a decent time using that road haha

[InglewoodFan]

Originally Posted by firebug

Everyone should also check out 'Around the Bend' on Blackfoot Trail south of the car dealerships. An old friend of mine started it up and he makes terrific food.

I always do the Hawaiian Twist but several here at my office are partial to the Steak Frite Twist.

Their fries are also my favourite in the whole city.

Can confirm, very good sandwiches. I need to get back soon, but I do remember from times I have been there in the past that the portions were generous. I'd take half a sandwich home.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Muta

They're open! Finally was able to get to work today in a decent time using that road haha

Can confirm! I was downtown over the weekend and 9th was fully open between 8th Street and 4th.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by timun

Can confirm! I was downtown over the weekend and 9th was fully open between 8th Street and 4th.

HAHA, I just saw it! Nice. Still one lane closed for contractors to park in, but I will take it.

[MrSector9]

Originally Posted by firebug

Everyone should also check out 'Around the Bend' on Blackfoot Trail south of the car dealerships. An old friend of mine started it up and he makes terrific food.

I always do the Hawaiian Twist but several here at my office are partial to the Steak Frite Twist.

Their fries are also my favourite in the whole city.

I do not get down there as much, but when I worked in the area I would grab a sandwich from there and a desert from the french place a few doors down.

Great restaurant, the milkshakes were awesome

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

I don't think that building is on the conversion radar yet, wasn't there an alleged asbestos issue with it?

I heard the claimed aesbestos problems was CNOOC using it as an excuse to get out of their expensive lease obligations after they abandoned it. Yes there is aesbestos but it is in situ and won't be an issue unless they start demolishing walls and floor.

[Muta]

It's too bad too, that is one of the the top-three most gorgeous towers in the core IMO. Fred Valentine designed that in the early 80's for NOVA Corporation, and its sharp lines and distinct floorplate have made it a real architectural masterpiece for decades, even better than most newer towers. It is stunning from all angles, from any distance.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I heard the claimed aesbestos problems was CNOOC using it as an excuse to get out of their expensive lease obligations after they abandoned it. Yes there is aesbestos but it is in situ and won't be an issue unless they start demolishing walls and floor.

From earlier in the thread:

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I had heard that's kind of a BS excuse CNOOC used to get out of rent there. Was there confirmed asbestos? Last I had heard, it was a pretty shaky excuse.

Ah, here we are:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/busi...-over-calgary/

Originally Posted by timun

The argument, from the legal decisions I've read (see the latest (2022 ABCA 293) and the sordid history of the last three years...), centres on the premise that the steel structure's spray-applied fireproofing contains asbestos and it posed a danger to the occupants. It is super-common in office buildings that the space above the ceilings is used as a 'plenum' for air to be returned back to the air-handling system (whereas in, say, a healthcare facility air will be ducted back to the air-handler for infection prevention and control reasons), and in the case of the Nexen Building—or rather, "801 Seventh" now—the fireproofing is directly exposed to the plenum and thereby asbestos fibres could be pick up, circulated back into the air-handling system and cause health problems for the occupants.

There's no doubt the fireproofing has asbestos in it, it's just a question of whether it poses a risk to the occupants or not. CNOOC argued it was and used it as the reason to break their lease and move into Brookfield Place. The landlord's counterargument is it's total BS because unless you damage the fireproofing in some way there's no way for the embedded asbestos to be released.

Granted I'm not an asbestos expert but I do know building HVAC systems, and in my experience what CNOOC is arguing is super-flimsy BS. There is no reason for asbestos fibres to be released from the fireproofing unless quite deliberately disturbed, and even on the flimsy assumption that asbestos was released and particles were light enough to be carried away and into the air-handling unit, the filters at the AHU should be MERV 7 or 8: more than sufficient to filter it out anyway.

It's a super-shaky excuse, and CNOOC's legal counsel is being as obstinate as possible about it.

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Thanks for the summary.

It still sounds like a tough one for the actual humans occupying the space...reminds me of oil execs drinking a glass of contaminated water at a press conference - but would they drink it every day?

With that many occupants in a building, several are going to end up with cancer...almost certainly unrelated to the stuff in the ceiling, but what happens to employee morale and willingness to spend 8 hrs a day there?

Absolute risk may be near zero, but perceived risk might be more important?

Originally Posted by timun

Oh it's entirely perception, based on inflammatory and panicked rhetoric. That's essentially what CNOOC's entire legal argument is: the perceived risk is too high for them to continue to occupy the space. The issue is whether or not CNOOC deliberately crafted this narrative in order to plant the seeds for breaking their lease. Up to the courts to decide, but in my opinion from what I've seen, it sure seems like CNOOC fanned the flames of paranoia and fear in order to get out of an expensive lease for far more space than they needed.


In reality, if you've ever set foot in a building built before 1983(ish), you've been surrounded by asbestos. Fireproofing spray, drywall compound, duct mastic, floor tiles: it was used all over the place, and it's not dangerous if you just leave it.

Originally Posted by Shazam

I thought CNOOC moved so that the tin tower could be renovated, since the hvac in that building sucks gigantic donkey balls, and then when they started tearing things apart they found the asbestos and that's when it all went to poop. The original intent was that cnooc was going to move back in.

Originally Posted by timun

No, CNOOC alleged they 'discovered' the asbestos in 2017, hired consultants to do testing/investigation (as did the landlord), and CNOOC concluded "this space is unfit for our occupancy because it's unsafe" and signed a sublease from Cenovus at the end of 2018. They moved out and stopped paying their rent at Nexen Building in the spring of 2019. There was no intent for them to move back in... (Their lease was signed near the peak of the market in December, 2013, and was for a preposterous 18-year term that expired the end of 2031.)

This is still in court, and CNOOC keep taking L after L after L.

[DuckSauce]

It would be awesome to see the Nexen building and Husky buildings being used again. It is so sad to see that part of DT such a ghost town without those major tenants.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by timun

From earlier in the thread:

This is still in court, and CNOOC keep taking L after L after L.

There are definite cultural issues with these guys when it comes to negotiating on this continent. The amount of times I have to say "ahh, you can't do that in Canada".

[Sr. Mints]

Rooms & Spaces at Brentwood gone already? I don't think I even had a chance to go in and be disappointed at all the overpriced ####.

[Locke]

Akela Construction with a Wolf logo? I love it. Someone used to be a Boy Scout.

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by Locke

Akela Construction with a Wolf logo? I love it. Someone used to be a Boy Scout.

I know him. Yes he is still an active Scout leader in one of the Calgary troops / packs.