artvandelay said:
To be fair and counter some of the negativity - let's not lose sight of the fact that this development has all of the ingredients to be an excellent addition to downtown. They just need to be assembled much more strategically:

- Beautiful heritage buildings that could be leveraged to create character retail space that is appropriately scaled for pedestrian realm
- Ample at grade retail space (often missing from the typical office mega development in Calgary)
- Bigtime density
- A "woonerf" type space that could be fantastic if executed appropriately - there is enough retail frontage on the woonerf to activate the interior areas, however there has been to much space dedicated to turning radii and passenger drop-off as designed
- A well balanced mix of pretty much every use you would want in a downtown core that should keep the site buzzing at all hours
- Optimal location at the heart of downtown

If you look closely, the massing is arranged in a way that should allow maximum light penetration into that space, as the bulk of the density is positioned along the N and E sides of the site. Credit where due.
Click to expand...
The one thing that gives me pause to praise all retail at grade is what they will be charging for rent. There is no chance that the Thai place will be able to afford what will inevitably be charged. My greatest fear is that we get what happened at EAP: A fancy clothes store that really can't activate the street, and a space that was empty for about 8 years before becoming a BMO branch.
 
Delving deeper, the heights of the towers are actually Condo: 238.9m (784 ft), Rental 202.6m (665 ft), Office 119.5m (392 ft) , podium L6 roof 28m (92 ft)

There's a major error in the grade points on the schematic section. 0.000 starts well below the parkade P5 level that shows 29.3m.

Brookfield is 247m so it looks to me that this remains the tallest and this new tower falls short by 26 feet.
 
artvandelay said:
To be fair and counter some of the negativity - let's not lose sight of the fact that this development has all of the ingredients to be an excellent addition to downtown. They just need to be assembled much more strategically:

- Beautiful heritage buildings that could be leveraged to create character retail space that is appropriately scaled for pedestrian realm
- Ample at grade retail space (often missing from the typical office mega development in Calgary)
- Bigtime density
- A "woonerf" type space that could be fantastic if executed appropriately - there is enough retail frontage on the woonerf to activate the interior areas, however there has been to much space dedicated to turning radii and passenger drop-off as designed
- A well balanced mix of pretty much every use you would want in a downtown core that should keep the site buzzing at all hours
- Optimal location at the heart of downtown

If you look closely, the massing is arranged in a way that should allow maximum light penetration into that space, as the bulk of the density is positioned along the N and E sides of the site. Credit where due.
Click to expand...

Sure, in June it will get great light penetration from noon to four. Here's what it will be like. It will get no direct sun between mid September and mid April.

April/August 21st 11:40am
coutyardshadow1april.png


April/August 21st 1:40pm
coutyardshadow2april.png


April/August 21st 4:40pm
coutyardshadow3april.png


June 21st 11:40am
coutyardshadow1.png


June 21st 1:40pm
coutyardshadow2.png


June 21st 4:40pm
coutyardshadow3.png
 
haltcatchfire said:
Delving deeper, the heights of the towers are actually Condo: 238.9m (784 ft), Rental 202.6m (665 ft), Office 119.5m (392 ft) , podium L6 roof 28m (92 ft)

There's a major error in the grade points on the schematic section. 0.000 starts well below the parkade P5 level that shows 29.3m.

Brookfield is 247m so it looks to me that this remains the tallest and this new tower falls short by 26 feet.
Click to expand...
Oh boy, how many incorrect headlines did my poor reading of the plans in the first post create.... :(

This one at least: https://calgaryherald.com/business/massive-new-tower-proposed-for-stephen-avenue
 
If we could somehow morph the massing, somehow visually "lift" it off the current existing historic building fabric, (give history room to breath so to speak)... I mean, Jezuz the section through the podium is just massive, massive. I know it's different, but again I'll point to the 5th and Macleod proposed development, (past), carry more green up through the podium, carve the crap out of it and make it more permeable. Just musing. Right now, the only feeling I'm left with soul crushing weight.
 
So went down to the block.
There is no signage for either of the permit applications anywhere that I could see on the block, including the land use change where comments must be in in 3 weeks.
This is unusual is it not?
 
haltcatchfire said:
Delving deeper, the heights of the towers are actually Condo: 238.9m (784 ft), Rental 202.6m (665 ft), Office 119.5m (392 ft) , podium L6 roof 28m (92 ft)

There's a major error in the grade points on the schematic section. 0.000 starts well below the parkade P5 level that shows 29.3m.

Brookfield is 247m so it looks to me that this remains the tallest and this new tower falls short by 26 feet.
Click to expand...
I got 241M, but either way still below the height of Brookfield.
Essentially a boring building that blocks out my view of Telus sky from Stephen Ave 😐
 
YourBoy007 said:
Begging for density and revitalization, yes. Calgary downtown is a ghostly dump. If it all gets built in one phase with some design tweaks to the podium I'll be all for it.

Chill, guys.
Click to expand...
I’m going to be a hypocrite and say that even though I’m all for extra density and residents in the core I would rather see it done differently. Done via smaller developments and conversions of office space instead of another tall tower with a monolithic podium replacing some of the few remaining human scale buildings left in the downtown.
 
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