OMG, they are letting Chinook Mall expand

[wooohooo]

I've looked at many houses in NW calgary to the inner city... there sure are many many houses out there but the prices for those are way high. Everyone is trying to ride the market hoping it would be how it was a few months/year ago, but the thing is, I think people would much rather live somewhere close to calgary or in winnipeg for a nice, affordable house that can house a family comfortably than have a run down house that is barely standing for the same price. But that is just my opinion.

Having done some rentals, prices for some houses have ranged for a 3 bedroom from 1200-1800 dollars, now that is insane. And the cost of a 4 bedroom house - 1400-2000? That probably covers the cost of a mortgage so it would be all the more reasonable for people to own their own house. However most of the people either can't afford to buy a house or they hope the market will fall over the years and be able to buy an affordable house.

The rich just get richer and the poor just get poorer!

-Southcentre is one of the worst malls to go to... well maybe the 2nd worst mall... well maybe third behind northland mall (is that even a mall?) and west ed! (I hate west ed!!!!!!!! Only thing that makes it big is that there are doubles of every store and the place is so run down it sucks)

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by fotze

What community was that? I sold that very small bungalow in Sunnyside 8 months ago for $420k. You could not get that lot the size you mentioned and that house there for anywhere near that.

Also, why do realtors call communities that are not inner city, "inner-city". I'm sorry but North Haven is not inner-city.

Mount Pleasant, just south of 20th Ave - it's a 25 - 30 minute walk from where I work downtown (BP Centre - 4th Ave & 2nd St SW) so I classify that as inner city, others might not. The one criteria that I could not give in on was that we could walk, or at least have a reasonable bike ride, into work. (BTW: My appreciation for this city's pathway system has grown immensely over the past year since my wife has been training for the weekend to end breast cancer - cycling really is a viable option for many communities).

My friend bought a similar house about a year and a half back in the same area for 300+.

We saw a couple of houses in Sunnyside and West Hillhurst in our price range, but nothing we wanted to move into purely for the reason that the lots were lacking future potential. The houses were nice and livable (certainly an upgrade over our condo), and the area is one of the best in the city for proximity to downtown, shopping, and quiet living. It would have been absolutely awesome to live directly in the area, but it's like a 10 - 15 minute walk for me to get down there so it's not bad. Someone with less stringent criteria on investment potential would probably feel better about a few of the places we saw.

Where did you end up moving to?

[ken0042]

Speaking of getting back on topic.............

[Tyler]

The reason I'm looking forward to the new renovated Chinook?

Calgary's first official Apple Store!

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy

Now, back on topic... I am not surprised that Chinook is expanding, but I am surprised that the owners of Southcentre continues to crap the bed in the battle of the Southern malls.

Chinook is owned by Cadillac Fairview, who is in turn wholly owned by the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan. OTPP is the majority owner of MLSE.

So by shopping at Chinook you are supporting the Leafs!

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

I've looked at many houses in NW calgary to the inner city... there sure are many many houses out there but the prices for those are way high. Everyone is trying to ride the market hoping it would be how it was a few months/year ago, but the thing is, I think people would much rather live somewhere close to calgary or in winnipeg for a nice, affordable house that can house a family comfortably than have a run down house that is barely standing for the same price. But that is just my opinion.

Having done some rentals, prices for some houses have ranged for a 3 bedroom from 1200-1800 dollars, now that is insane. And the cost of a 4 bedroom house - 1400-2000? That probably covers the cost of a mortgage so it would be all the more reasonable for people to own their own house. However most of the people either can't afford to buy a house or they hope the market will fall over the years and be able to buy an affordable house.

The rich just get richer and the poor just get poorer!

Well, unless it is subsidized by taxes, rents will usually only be behind the cost of ownership by a small fraction. It depends on when the owner got in, but if someone who is holding a rental property with high equity will re-finance to minimize the mortgage payments and step their rent up to be even with the market. People will ALWAYS take what they can get because the sun doesn't shine forever.

Besides, there hasn't been enough demand for affordable housing so our city, as usual, will have to have a homelessness crisis before anything gets done. It astounds me how much we sit and bitch about the problems that are brought on by a combination of our poor planning and prosperity...

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Chinook is owned by Cadillac Fairview, who is in turn wholly owned by the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan. OTPP is the majority owner of MLSE.

So by shopping at Chinook you are supporting the Leafs!

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Tyler

The reason I'm looking forward to the new renovated Chinook?

Calgary's first official Apple Store!

As cool as that sounds, Apple stores are actually a big waste of space. From going to a couple of them in Denver and Seattle I can tell you that all they have is pretty much a Future Shop bredth of selection of Apple ipods and computers in the space equivalent to the GAP store in Chinook. So really it consists of three or four very spread out isles demoing each product with the inventory in the back. I suppose the benefits could be that there's people there who know apple stuff better than the Future Shop people, but then again in this city I could only imagine who they could get working for them at $10/hour.

[The Goon]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Chinook is owned by Cadillac Fairview, who is in turn wholly owned by the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan. OTPP is the majority owner of MLSE.

So by shopping at Chinook you are supporting the Leafs!

And you are supporting my Mom, who is a retired Ontario teacher. By all means, keep padding my inheritance.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by The Goon

And you are supporting my Mom, who is a retired Ontario teacher. By all means, keep padding my inheritance.

I did income tax preparation in Ont for many years and saw teachers who made as much or more after retirement than they earned in their final few working years.

Edit: To add on on topic question....

So where is this expansion going to go? Wikipedia mentions the NE side - by the Sears?

[OracleOfCalgary]

I don't live and work downtown; I live and work near Chinook. This is my hood, it doesn't belong to the 20 somethings who need to drive across the city to spend a whole day shopping for clothing.

Also, surburbs are not artificial, big city downtown cores are. In this era of cheap and instant communication, there is no reason to have thousands of paper pushers work in a concentrated area.

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by OracleOfCalgary

Also, surburbs are not artificial, big city downtown cores are. In this era of cheap and instant communication, there is no reason to have thousands of paper pushers work in a concentrated area.

I think you might find this a bit out of touch with the reality of downtown business... maybe in 2-3 decades, but for now it makes a ton of sense to have us all together in the downtown area, MUCH easier to work with other businesses that are related to you when you're within 5-8 blocks of each other. Hell, it must save millions$$$ a year in courier charges alone having most of the offices in one place.

[Bill Bumface]

There is no point complaining about suburbs when I can live on the edge of the city for a fraction of the cost, pay less taxes, yet in the last 5 years there have been 6 overpasses built for me and one more on the way. My commute to downtown is now less than 20 minutes now that Nose Hill drive and Crowchild is open. Thank you inner city dwellers for paying all that extra tax money to build those for me

Seriously, in this city inner-city dwellers get pretty financially screwed so it's no wonder people flock to the suburbs.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Reaper

Not everyone has the luxury of being able to live in the inner city. The relative scarcity of inner city homes on the market has done a good job of keeping the prices higher than the average person can afford.

Yes, I can somewhat agree with this. However, it all depends on lifestyle choices. As a recent graduate, I was still able to find a condo in the inner-city for sub-$500k levels, and yes, I did go in it with someone else. Again, it's all about how much you value a) space, b) commutes, and c) prices. I make pennies at my job, but I'm still able to make it work. Budgets are a wonderful thing.

Working in a (somewhat) related industry to real estate, it's simply a matter of looking more intensively for a property, too. Just because lots of properties are expensive in the inner city, doesn't mean that ALL are. There's gems out there that, yes, may require some elbow grease, but it will pay off in spades financially in the end. If not with the value of the property, then with the savings you amount when you don't have to buy gas all the time.

If you have a family of 4+ people, then yes, you need more space. Otherwise, living in the inner core isn't impossible on any level, really.

One of the things that irks me are small things, like... in the suburbs, the fire hydrant:household ratio is ALOT smaller than the inner-city... yet, we in the inner city pay the same, if not more, taxes. As well, my taxes shouldn't have to go to building huge highways so that people who choose to live 50k outside of downtown can commute everyday on highways I will never have a reason to use... perhaps those people can pay for those costs themselves? But I digress...

And to keep this thread on topic, yes... I am happy for additional renos to Chinook. Urban development always means long-term gain, as long as it's conducted in a smart and systematic process.

[PowerPlayoffs06]

Originally Posted by llama64

I refuse to go to the Paramount Cinema anymore either. It's just not worth dealing with that many people.

That and the fact that they keep the lights on in the theater through all the previews and like 5 minutes into the actual movies now. What's with that?

I'd be most worried about parking and the parking lot traffic spilling back into McLeod as so often seems to happen. The left turning lane into the main parking lot of the mall is always backed-up so far it stalls the left lane of McLeod.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

There is no point complaining about suburbs when I can live on the edge of the city for a fraction of the cost, pay less taxes, yet in the last 5 years there have been 6 overpasses built for me and one more on the way. My commute to downtown is now less than 20 minutes now that Nose Hill drive and Crowchild is open. Thank you inner city dwellers for paying all that extra tax money to build those for me

Thanks hulk, you have just described the very backwards urban mentality this municipal government has in one paragraph!

[Burninator]

The whole cost thing balances out in my opinion. Sure some inner city dwellers are paying for roads that they'll never take advantage of to get built. But also theoretically suburbanites are paying for the police that spend most of their time in the inner city. We can spend all day giving examples, but I am sure it balances out one way or the other.

Personally, I live in the suburbs and I want out. I work downtown, and most of industry has their offices downtown as well. So more than likely I will be working downtown for the majority of my career. If I drive to work it takes about 30-40 minutes and costs at minimum $10 to park, no mention gas and wear and tear on my car. So I mostly take the train which as everyone knows can be terrible. I would so much rather walk or bike to work and live downtown. It's so much easier being central. A bunch of my friends now live in the north and driving to their houses can take 45 minutes with clear roads. I am sick of it.

I am all for Chinook expanding. I really don't see a problem. Some of the traffic issues will need to worked out better. But it would be nice to only have to go to one building and do almost all of my shopping.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by Muta

Thanks hulk, you have just described the very backwards urban mentality this municipal government has in one paragraph!

Yup. The less services you use, the more tax you pay. Makes sense right?

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Barnes

Yup. The less services you use, the more tax you pay. Makes sense right?

It must. It's happening as we speak.

[OracleOfCalgary]

Originally Posted by Burninator

I am all for Chinook expanding. I really don't see a problem. Some of the traffic issues will need to worked out better. But it would be nice to only have to go to one building and do almost all of my shopping.

Yah, that's what this city desparately needs, more women's clothing stores. Last time I went to Chinook I swear I couldn't find a single thing worth buying.