haltcatchfire
Senior Member
Sure there is. I count 35 easy. Full, surrounded by 4 street, blocks that could be upzoned.
- Thread starter gsunnyg
- Start date
1875
Senior Member
just thinking the blocks north of center ave, assuming over time its rezoned if needed
outoftheice
Active Member
My understanding is that the master plan for Bridgeland was extremely prescriptive in what could be built there... right down to the colours that could be used. Buildings also had to be concrete and a max of six stories. The economics barely worked in the first phases of The Bridges and stopped working all together in the later phases which is why development stalled out.
The City learned their lesson and dropped the prescriptive elements for the remaining sites which is why Dominion and the Jemm Properties parcel across the street finally launched, are both much taller than anything in the neighbourhood and look completely different than anything else in the area. I'm happy they did as I feel the original master plan for 'The Bridges' wasn't nearly ambitious enough. Had they gone with 4 stories instead of 2 along the south side of the main drag and 8 stories instead of 6 everywhere else Bridgeland would probably have the density to support a grocery store and some more mid-rise mixed used development would have started to happen organically. Some important lessons to learn for Inglewood and Ramsay which are the next communities to undergo a similar evolution.
UrbanWarrior
Senior Member
oh, when I think of “developable blocks” I think lots that aren’t already developed, of which there’s only a handful.
1875
Senior Member
i was thinking in the context of 50, 75 or 100yrs as mentioned in the post. in that sense i dont think bridgeland has exhausted its growth potential.
CBBarnett
Senior Member
Yep I totally agree and I should clarify - I use "complete" in quotations as it's more of subjective feeling (e.g. minimum vision of a high density active community achieved, with no giant holes or imaginary projects that will one day fill them). I could now live there and say I live in a neighbourhood with those urban characteristics, not that one day it will become a neighbourhood with those characteristics. It's an opinion, not a measurable fact. With these projects, Bridgeland officially meets my minimum characteristics of being a successful high density urban community.
In reality no neighbourhood - particularly in a new city like Calgary with wildly unused/underused open spaces - is truly ever complete. Evolution is part of the game, even if it slows from time to time from the occasional external force (local and global economy collapse) and the local political interference (development regimes that unfairly restrict redevelopment). Both forces can stagnate a community for a generation or two, but there is always something changing because the demographics and people within them are always changing.
1875
Senior Member
i think the blocks surrounding the park look great and not including places i havent visited like mackenzie town is maybe the only area that will feel like a successfully completed quality neighbourhood like exists in alot of cities. maybe east village and university city might get there but not for a long time after bridgeland is “complete”.
GoVertical
Senior Member
Decent height for that area and it's nice to see a project help balance out the weight of the crossings project
1875
Senior Member
outoftheice
Active Member
Interesting that this building is now essentially the same height as the RNDSQR Inglewood project that was so controversial and approved by Council today. I think this is still human scale, doesn't loom over Bridgeland and gives me hope for Inglewood.
1875
Senior Member
Glass
Calgcouver
Active Member
1875
Senior Member
tap that glass
DiscoStu
Active Member
It looks even more transparent in person. I doubt they rest of the tower will be as such, but nevertheless, it's coming along nicely.