Calgary Openings, Closings, and Developments

[shermanator]

It's just maddening to me how we raze buildings that bring some life into the downtown core, replace them with soulless corporate boxes that are good only for those with the privilege of working in them, then complain that there's no vibrancy downtown.

If you want to build a 66 story tower, go snap up one of the numerous parking lots along 9th avenue and go to town...

[Shazam]

Why there? Here's a list of some the parking lots north of 9th that Impark/Indigo/CPA/Diamond would gladly sell:

633 3 Ave SW

605 3 Ave SW

326 3 Ave SW

500 6 Ave SW

332 6 Ave SW

216 4 Ave SW

114 2 St SW

311 8 St SW

935 4 Ave SW

1007 6 Ave SW

7 St SW/ 4 Ave SW

660 2nd Ave SW

There's also a derelict building at 400 6 St SW just waiting to be torn down.

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by shermanator

Art Central torn down to become Telus Sky.

NSFW!

The Calgary Herald building torn down to become Brookfield Place.

NSFW!

Holy cow those photos take me back to my younger days, especially the second one (Billy's news, the airline ticket place, the watch repair shop). Weird feelings of nostalgia despite maybe going into those stores a handful of times (although I did walk past them hundreds of times if not more).

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Holy cow those photos take me back to my younger days, especially the second one (Billy's news, the airline ticket place, the watch repair shop). Weird feelings of nostalgia despite maybe going into those stores a handful of times (although I did walk past them hundreds of times if not more).

Wasn’t there a computer game store there too?

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by J pold

Posted this in the YYC thread:

I'm in the commercial real estate industry. There is strong speculation that the development would be Suncor's new HQ location. Their lease in Suncor Energy Centre is up in 2028 (pretty sure) and they've been out in the market teasing a new development for the last couple of years. At first, most thought it was just a negotiation tactic to get their Landlord to renegotiate their lease early, but with this news, they may actually be doing it.

The other rumor was they want a development that would be run off 100% renewable energy, LEED & WELL certified. Basically using the office space to drive their ESG rating.

I could see the City of Calgary wanting this as well since it would allow for a +15 from The Bay all the way to the Hyatt, which is something they've wanted for ages.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Shazam

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

Guess who was chairman of the board at SNC-Lavalin when all that #### was going down 10 years ago?

Gwyn Morgan is a self-absorbed plutocratic ####.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Shazam

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

It's a matter of integration and connectivity. Our biggest challenge is the heavy rail tracks separating our busiest 9-5 area from our busiest 5-midnight area. The underpass rehab projects are better than nothing, but ultimately still lipstick on a pig.

I'd route the Green Line up 1 St SW, closing the underpass to vehicles, and use the extra available width to make the best possible pedestrian experience. (other benefits include Green Line cost savings by utilizing an existing tunnel & simplifying the Bow River crossing, while also significantly mitigating its impact on PIP)

Originally Posted by Shazam

Why there? Here's a list of some the parking lots north of 9th that Impark/Indigo/CPA/Diamond would gladly sell:

633 3 Ave SW

605 3 Ave SW

326 3 Ave SW

500 6 Ave SW

332 6 Ave SW

216 4 Ave SW

114 2 St SW

311 8 St SW

935 4 Ave SW

1007 6 Ave SW

7 St SW/ 4 Ave SW

660 2nd Ave SW

There's also a derelict building at 400 6 St SW just waiting to be torn down.

I doubt the parking companies own any of those blocks, they just operate them.

Originally Posted by Shazam

I could see the City of Calgary wanting this as well since it would allow for a +15 from The Bay all the way to the Hyatt, which is something they've wanted for ages.

Would there be a +15 over 1 St SW since the westernmost buildings of this block won't be touched?

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Wasn’t there a computer game store there too?

I remember that place, back when you had to go to specialized store to get games. I remember hitting that place up after the arcade that was nearby on 7th Ave.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Robbob

I remember that place, back when you had to go to specialized store to get games. I remember hitting that place up after the arcade that was nearby on 7th Ave.

I thought Compucentre was in the 90s version of Bow Valley Mall? Back when Lunchbox theatre was in there as well somehow as well as the Energium energy museum a few blocks away? Hard to remember the 90s now.

[DownInFlames]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I thought Compucentre was in the 90s version of Bow Valley Mall? Back when Lunchbox theatre was in there as well somehow as well as the Energium energy museum a few blocks away? Hard to remember the 90s now.

There was a computer game store in the NE corner of Bow Valley Square. It might have been Compucentre. I bought a PS2 there so it was open until at least 2000.

I did a Google search and this old thread came up:

https://forum.calgarypuck.com/archiv...p/t-32872.html

Funny coincidence.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Shazam

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

People say that, but I can never find parking on the weekend downtown.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

It's a matter of integration and connectivity. Our biggest challenge is the heavy rail tracks separating our busiest 9-5 area from our busiest 5-midnight area. The underpass rehab projects are better than nothing, but ultimately still lipstick on a pig.

I'd route the Green Line up 1 St SW, closing the underpass to vehicles, and use the extra available width to make the best possible pedestrian experience. (other benefits include Green Line cost savings by utilizing an existing tunnel & simplifying the Bow River crossing, while also significantly mitigating its impact on PIP)

Are you planning for people to go north or south?

Hanging out on the first or second floor of an office tower where you work or your friends work doesn't have a lot of common appeal.

I doubt the parking companies own any of those blocks, they just operate them.

Okay then, whoever owns the land would be happy to sell them.

Would there be a +15 over 1 St SW since the westernmost buildings of this block won't be touched?

There's already a +15 network from the Hyatt to City Hall.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by troutman

People say that, but I can never find parking on the weekend downtown.

Which areas? The Core parkade always has parking available. There's always lots of street parking - the CPA made more zones free on Saturday even pre-2020.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Are you planning for people to go north or south?

All directions, but especially beltline to Stephen Ave. Foot traffic is vastly more lucrative to urban business owners than car-drivers.

A lot of big city downtowns have 'evening' districts that are closer/more accessible to the office core than ours.

Hanging out on the first or second floor of an office tower where you work or your friends work doesn't have a lot of common appeal.

Which is why we should be very very careful about giving up street-level retail for soulless office lobbies, as has been shown with images in this thread.

Okay then, whoever owns the land would be happy to sell them.

To what end? The parking operations likely turn a modest profit over property taxes...the owners are likely holding to develop the blocks themselves or cash-in at the right market conditions...

There's already a +15 network from the Hyatt to City Hall.

You said Bay to Hyatt...I'm not sure how this proposal would have a +15 to the west or south?

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

It does not.

Well #### that then. I'm sick of losing dope, intimate music venues, to silly real estate decisions. The embassy, ranchmans, hifi, republik, etc;

[jayswin]

Ranchmans? It went under, was purchased last year and is now open again.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Ranchmans? It went under, was purchased last year and is now open again.

Amazing.

[jayswin]

nm

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Amazing.

Yep, and I believe the same owners have Kingshead that went under during Covid as well, but are just staggering their openings.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Yep, and I believe the same owners have Kingshead that went under during Covid as well, but are just staggering their openings.

Jeez, haven't been to the KH in ages, but didn't realize they went under either.