Calgary Openings, Closings, and Developments

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Muta

Better than the building sitting there unused I suppose, but the majority of us will never be able to afford or use it. On a related note, annual reminder, too, that the west end of downtown desperately needs a public, multi-use recreation centre.

Evolve Strength needs to open up a location in the West Village Towers. Would be nice to have a good quality powerlifting/dryland training gym that's accessible to downtown and central Calgary residents and employees.

[Bigtime]

Step aside Eau Claire Y private club, East Village is getting a combination public washrooms/pickleball court building...

https://www.calgarymlc.ca/articles/c...n-east-village

Note how buried in the write up they are quietly announcing the closure of the existing washrooms right along Riverwalk by the Simmons building (which they shut down in 2022 to evaluate things).

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Step aside Eau Claire Y private club, East Village is getting a combination public washrooms/pickleball court building...

https://www.calgarymlc.ca/articles/c...n-east-village

Note how buried in the write up they are quietly announcing the closure of the existing washrooms right along Riverwalk by the Simmons building.

I don't hate the idea of a pickleball court but I wish the city would spend a bit more money on this a put some sort of roof over it so that it can be a year round facility. I would assume that something could probably be done that could look cool, function as an outdoor space and yet still be covered.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Step aside Eau Claire Y private club, East Village is getting a combination public washrooms/pickleball court building...

https://www.calgarymlc.ca/articles/c...n-east-village

Note how buried in the write up they are quietly announcing the closure of the existing washrooms right along Riverwalk by the Simmons building (which they shut down in 2022 to evaluate things).

Pain the ass. Where are downtown visitors supposed to go in the event of a bathroom emergency? I guess the library or else forced to buy food / drinks somewhere.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Pain the ass. Where are downtown visitors supposed to go in the event of a bathroom emergency? I guess the library or else forced to buy food / drinks somewhere.

If I'm picking the right spot at 6th street and 7th avenue where this will go, it will be about a 400 meter walk from the existing facilities by the Simmons building.

So not a huge deal, but you can also see what they are doing by moving the public washrooms facilities farther east and away from the river...

[Table 5]

What's to stop the same thing from happening to this new washroom?

I do like this though...the pickle ball court should be fairly pretty popular. I'm curious why they only did one court, there seems to be plenty of space for two.

As someone who works in the area, I appreciate the effort of adding some more sporting amenities to the Fort Calgary park space. They recently built a skating rink further east...although sadly I have yet to see anyone use it (but I'm only there on weekdays, so maybe it's a weekend thing). The cross-country track doesn't seem to get a ton of action either. But atleast they are trying!

[Locke]

Any Fort without a Trebuchet is barely even a Fort at all!

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by fotze2

Woohoo, and thanks for the link. Figured it would be somewehre.

And its still not open.

I can't even find it on that link.

Any update to when its said to be open but isn't?

Oopps the new substation construction 2 lanes closed.

[timun]

Yeah man, I noticed that too this morning. Don't know WTF is going on with that project, but it's getting damned annoying...

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by timun

Yeah man, I noticed that too this morning. Don't know WTF is going on with that project, but it's getting damned annoying...

It looks too permanent for my liking. There's a Starbucks opened up in those two lanes now.

[Julio]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Posted over on Skyrisecities that it looks like the Eau Claire YMCA is going to come back to life as a private club.

https://skyrisecities.com/forum/thre...7#post-2068007

More info here:

https://calgaryherald.com/business/l...-athletic-club

[kevman]

I wonder how their fees compare to the other private clubs in Calgary.

I never thought I'd say this, but joining a private club within walking distance from home, work and day care almost seems worth it for the swimming lessons alone. Especially when the alternative is 5am registrations and driving across the city to separate pools for each kid if you're even lucky enough to get a space.

[getbak]

https://mailchi.mp/ecathleticclub/fi...g?e=925722d691

Individual Membership: One person per membership, $10,000 initiation fee, annual dues apply.

Family Membership: Family members residing under the same household (maximum two adults) $15,000 initiation fees, annual dues apply.

[Bigtime]

Losing the Y at Eau Claire sucked, this isn't exactly an equal replacement (accessibility and affordability wise).

[kevman]

Originally Posted by getbak

https://mailchi.mp/ecathleticclub/fi...g?e=925722d691

Sorry I meant I saw that but how does that compare to the clubs that don't advertise?

"If you have to ask, you can't afford."

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by kevman

I wonder how their fees compare to the other private clubs in Calgary.

I never thought I'd say this, but joining a private club within walking distance from home, work and day care almost seems worth it for the swimming lessons alone. Especially when the alternative is 5am registrations and driving across the city to separate pools for each kid if you're even lucky enough to get a space.

Getting swimming lessons at the winter club is no picnic. They fill up instantly, so if you aren't on as soon as registration opens you are screwed.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

Getting swimming lessons at the winter club is no picnic. They fill up instantly, so if you aren't on as soon as registration opens you are screwed.

Huh. I would have thought for sure that level of cost would provide enough capacity for all the members.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by kevman

I wonder how their fees compare to the other private clubs in Calgary.

I never thought I'd say this, but joining a private club within walking distance from home, work and day care almost seems worth it for the swimming lessons alone. Especially when the alternative is 5am registrations and driving across the city to separate pools for each kid if you're even lucky enough to get a space.

Originally Posted by getbak

https://mailchi.mp/ecathleticclub/fi...g?e=925722d691

It will be tough to compare the new club with places like Glencoe and Winter Club. I've never looked at Winter but I had considered Glencoe about 15 years ago when they had a wait-list available. The reason why I don't think they are comparable is because of the scale of the clubs. The existing facilities have larger footprints and offer a lot more facilities including bowling, skating, climbing, curling, childcare, etc which the new club won't be able to offer.

As a pure fitness club it might be good but then it is competing against gyms that have significantly different membership models like GoodLife or fancier ones like Bow Valley Club and Bankers Hall Club (did they ever reopen?)

Tangent, but I actually love the idea of clubs like Glencoe and Winter Club and about 12 to 15 years was contemplating and trying to figure out if it would be possible to build and open a new club. I lived down the street from the King Edward School and I thought the existing building plus the land would be an awesome site for a club. Of course it would not be cheap but I figured there was enough money in the area to potentially support membership sales and lots of families who could be clients. Of course the city had a much different vision for the old school.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

It will be tough to compare the new club with places like Glencoe and Winter Club. I've never looked at Winter but I had considered Glencoe about 15 years ago when they had a wait-list available. The reason why I don't think they are comparable is because of the scale of the clubs. The existing facilities have larger footprints and offer a lot more facilities including bowling, skating, climbing, curling, childcare, etc which the new club won't be able to offer.

Agreed, it seems the target demographic here is not going to be for families as it lacks all of the facilities you mentioned. The other problem is that families with newborn kids are the #1 demographic to join private clubs. The lack of free / close parking in close proximity is a huge turnoff for this demographic.

Weekends might be OK with the surface lot next to Millennium Tower, but don't forget that the stay at home parent demographic isn't going to pay ~$20 to park for lessons on a weekday 3x a week or push the Uppababy Vista stroller 2 blocks...

The last Y wasn't financially viable despite a growing population. I'm curious to know what's different this time round.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

Agreed, it seems the target demographic here is not going to be for families as it lacks all of the facilities you mentioned. The other problem is that families with newborn kids are the #1 demographic to join private clubs. The lack of free / close parking in close proximity is a huge turnoff for this demographic.

Weekends might be OK with the surface lot next to Millennium Tower, but don't forget that the stay at home parent demographic isn't going to pay ~$20 to park for lessons on a weekday 3x a week or push the Uppababy Vista stroller 2 blocks...

The last Y wasn't financially viable despite a growing population. I'm curious to know what's different this time round.

They do have a great benefit in that the location is at a c-train hub so it would be attractive to people near the new line (in 4 or 5 years or whenever that will open.)