DougB
Active Member
Maybe the Glenbow could take over space in the Convention Centre. After the BMO Centre expands, the Convention Centre will be obsolete
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- Thread starter Surrealplaces
- Start date
FCC1982
Active Member
I agree, the Glenbow reno looks like a decent improvement but not a mind-blower.
What are they planning to do to Olympic Plaza ? Seems fine as it is to me and has everything you would want - plus the history of the 88 games. I’d rather put any funds slated for that towards another city improvement project.
MissingMiddle
Active Member
Disraeli
Active Member
I've always thought a movie theatre + rec room type space would be a good use of that space.
gsunnyg
Senior Member
Preferably, the convention center land would be ideal for midrises along 8th ave and two or 3 large residential towers along the 7th ave station. It's something 8th ave badly needs, more people living along it to keep businesses running after 5 pm. We can build all these large fancy projects all we want, but until the local population of downtown grows, we'll be left with the same dead streets that we have now. More residents living along 8th ave would do wonders.
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darwink
Senior Member
There will still be a need for at least some of the convention facilities in downtown - seeing where we are by ~2030 would be a good decision point, would be at the point the loan for the expansion should be paid off/the facility close to fully amortized.
MichaelS
Senior Member
A DP has been submitted for a new commercial building on the north side of 1st Ave in Bridgeland:
Just on a 50' lot, so probably similar in scope/scale as the one by Gravity Architecture just one block west on the south side. The new building is proposed for here, where Burger 320 is currently located with an old house:
www.google.ca
Just on a 50' lot, so probably similar in scope/scale as the one by Gravity Architecture just one block west on the south side. The new building is proposed for here, where Burger 320 is currently located with an old house:
Google Maps
Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
www.google.ca
DougB
Active Member
For the newer Convention Centre North space. The older, south side should be added to the Glenbow
Calgcouver
Active Member
I have always thought that we could accommodate some additions integrated with the historic buildings that have residential units above, and retain the historic nature of the buildings on 8th Ave. I think architectural controls and scale would have to be very strict and that buildings should not exceed, 6-10 storeys. But i do think that buildings like the old Sport Chek, Winners and ATB building could see development like this Westbank & BC Housing proposal at 33 Cordova that also activates Blood Alley (the lane) behind:
from the lane:
I think a few of these types of developments and something like a conversion of the upper floors of the Hudson's Bay building to apartments (like they did with the same building in Victoria) would create some real momentum for Stephen Avenue and transition the area to start feeling more like Gastown. This same form of development could be used on the derelict buildings on the southside of 7th Avenue between Centre Street and 1 St SW. While i'm dreaming, do the same thing with the old York Hotel site that was disassembled for the Bow Tower parkade and the St Regis Hotel.
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gsunnyg
Senior Member
That actually looks great but seeing we only have 2 streets in Calgary that are full of historic buildings, I can't see there being much support for something like this. However, I would love to see these sorts of developments in front of our large sterile office towers. Especially where we have one-way streets with 5 lanes, take one lane away on each side and build some skinny midrises, the office towers can act as the highrise setbacks. But for something like that to even happen, the +15 would likely need to be killed, but I don't see why we can't try with one or two blocks around the core. As a City, we need to change our mindset from a commuter's downtown to a place where people enjoy being. That means 5 lanes for one-way traffic should not be a priority.
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Disraeli
Active Member
That would be great
Facadism should be done sparingly though as it means the demolition of a heritage building at the end of the day. For example, the two buildings on the right have been heavily renovated and the one on the left is some ugly 2000s building. So this would be a good site. For buildings that have retained their historic interiors i'm less keen on these types of projects.
It is a crime that the site sits empty when a residential development with the York facade reinstalled would do wonders for the area. If I was the city I would be looking at every avenue available to get the owners to do something with the site. We got supremely screwed by the developer
gsunnyg
Senior Member
I can definitely get behind a York-style redevelopment for these buildings.
JonnyCanuck
Senior Member
This block and the one between Centre St & 1St SE, on the north side of 7th Ave are really the only blights left on that street. It is amazing how 7th Ave has transformed since the LRT was put in forty years ago.
sameg
New Member
Not sure if it's been discussed but saw signs up for this development on the corner of 34th Ave and 20th St in Mardaloop
https://www.systemic-ai.com/wip-the-martel-block
https://www.systemic-ai.com/wip-the-martel-block
Calgcouver
Active Member
Totally agree that it should be used sparingly, and only on buildings that have lost the majority of their interior character through renovation, which is why i mentioned the Sport Chek building and Winners, as they completely ruined the interior spaces of those buildings from what I can tell. I presume the upper storeys of the Bay building have little of the interior character they were originally constructed with. Good call on the Grand & Toy building, would be a great spot for this type of adaptive reuse/redevelopment too.