[IanBray]

Analog is one of the most urban coffee spots in the city. It would be an absolute shame if they bulldozed it. I’m all for more density but I fear they risk destroying any character the street has. Does anyone know if they bought out the now closed Wendy’s? That type of stuff should be the first to go. Not Analog Coffee.

Wendy's is turning into a Popeyes Chicken, so another fast food chain restaurant. There are plenty of buildings along 17th Ave that need to go instead of the actual busy and popular ones such as Analog Coffee. This includes the empty HR Block building, the ATB bank building and some others.

I do note that one of the building's in Arlington's portfolio is the strip mall that houses Thai Thai. This strip is ripe for redevelopment, the same for the one across the street. So yes to some redevelopment, just not to the 1-2 storey unique character buildings that actually make the street what it is now. Surely the City would have something to say with respect to sunlight if 1/3 of the block was redeveloped into 4-5 storey mid rises. If that was the case, many south facing patios would loose their sunlight.

 

[O-tac]

Here's an example of one of their proposed redevelopments. To me this block long building with glass retail storefronts destroys the character and human scale of the area. The new building design is better than the old but I'm still not 100% sold on this. There's nothing architecturally special about the buildings on this block, but the amalgam makes it the eclectic and interesting streetscape that it is.

Proposed:

https://www.arlingtonstreet.ca/property/asi-royal-park/

Existing streetscape:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.0378...4!1spuwEfwG2F_8pCx-W2omczg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

[Social Justice]

Wendy's is turning into a Popeyes Chicken, so another fast food chain restaurant. There are plenty of buildings along 17th Ave that need to go instead of the actual busy and popular ones such as Analog Coffee. This includes the empty HR Block building, the ATB bank building and some others.

I do note that one of the building's in Arlington's portfolio is the strip mall that houses Thai Thai. This strip is ripe for redevelopment, the same for the one across the street. So yes to some redevelopment, just not to the 1-2 storey unique character buildings that actually make the street what it is now. Surely the City would have something to say with respect to sunlight if 1/3 of the block was redeveloped into 4-5 storey mid rises. If that was the case, many south facing patios would loose their sunlight.

That's too bad!

I wish the following buildings along 17th could be nuked(from west to east):

-Mcdonalds
-Scotiabank
-Wendy's
-KFC
-CIBC
-Sleep Country
-The mac's strip mall(Although there are a few nice stores in there)
-Liquor Depot

There's nothing wrong with single story commercial buildings. I just don't like auto oriented develops on 17th. Parkings lots and driveways that interact with the sidewalk.

 

[O-tac]

Fuck, they also own the Scotia Block which I sincerely hope they aren't planning on destroying. The more properties I see they own, the more worried I'm getting. Buy the fucking McDonald's or other shitty suburban style parking lots. Don't buy character buildings.

https://www.arlingtonstreet.ca/property/asi-scotia-block

In particular this line makes me leery: ". There is future potential to reposition the site for longer term redevelopment."

 

[Social Justice]

Here's an example of one of their proposed redevelopments. To me this block long building with glass retail storefronts destroys the character and human scale of the area. The new building design is better than the old but I'm still not 100% sold on this. There's nothing architecturally special about the buildings on this block, but the amalgam makes it the eclectic and interesting streetscape that it is.

Proposed:

https://www.arlingtonstreet.ca/property/asi-royal-park/

Existing streetscape:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.0378...4!1spuwEfwG2F_8pCx-W2omczg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

It's a nice proposal. Although, I prefer the existing.

 

[IanBray]

Fuck, they also own the Scotia Block which I sincerely hope they aren't planning on destroying. The more properties I see they own, the more worried I'm getting. Buy the fucking McDonald's or other shitty suburban style parking lots. Don't buy character buildings.

https://www.arlingtonstreet.ca/property/asi-scotia-block

In particular this line makes me leery: ". There is future potential to reposition the site for longer term redevelopment."

I actually believe they plan on saving the Scotia Block building. From the imagine, it looks like they plan on renovating it and building and extension to the rear. I think it looks good overall. They have very interesting and ambitious plans for the 50's style building on the west side of 17th Ave and 14th Street that used to house the book store.

 

[O-tac]

I actually believe they plan on saving the Scotia Block building. From the imagine, it looks like they plan on renovating it and building and extension to the rear. I think it looks good overall. They have very interesting and ambitious plans for the 50's style building on the west side of 17th Ave and 14th Street that used to house the book store.

Oh, haha the top image was so grainy I never noticed that. Well then that's not so bad. Still worried about Analog though. What other historic properties do they own?

 

[haltcatchfire]

Well that's unfortunate. An eclectic mix of building types and scales from a variety of different eras is what makes a great street. Each individual storefront has evolved over years renovations adding character and differentiation. Arlington will create a street where every half block is a new massive unitized development where the retail storefronts aren't inherent to the architecture but a skin like an interior of a mall.

We've seen the Arlington renderings for the remainder of the Mount Royal Block, The Sentinal (14th), High Street, and The Fifth. Nothing inspires confidence we won't just see a repetition of anodized aluminum storefronts where the only distinction between units comes by signage.

We've already seen this happen with the Mount Royal Block (Shoppers), Hanson Square (Best Buy), and the Second Cup building at 4th. How many developments like this can 17th handle?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-developer-buys-17th-avenue-buildings-1.4614830
Calgary developer buys 42 buildings to revamp 17th Avenue

 

[O-tac]

Precisely my fear.

 

[Mountain Man]

What has ASI actually built in the past? This makes me nervous! Crazy decision by these guys too, that's a lot of risk for one company...

 

[maestro]

I'm hopeful. The previous owner or owners of these 42 buildings hasn't done much with them.

 

[CBBarnett]

I'm hopeful. The previous owner or owners of these 42 buildings hasn't done much with them.

They have taken their time accumulating buildings. In many places they are the "previous owners" who didn't do anything for a decade or two. If anyone is looking for reasons for stagnation or lack of redevelopment of 17th, surely the largest land-owner might be a prime suspect.

I don't know much about retail property economics, but I am suspicious if the always-increasing rents on 17th despite apparently flagging sales that many retailers have faced is related to these guys throwing their market weight around. It's not a monopoly, but if 1/3 buildings are owned by one capital-focused developer focused the street's retail economic picture must be influenced, no? Similar to Concord Group's role to consolidate the restaurant industry along the same strip.

I find the comparisons by the developer to Robson, St. Denis, St. Catherines and Bloor quite laughable. Their retail success is driven by a few things - increased density being one of them - but also many, many individual land owners all investing at different times, with different strategies, different tenant markets and different visions. The result of this environment is the vibrant main street where there is something for everyone and a 24 hour environment for a variety of audiences, incomes and lifestyles. Bloor and St. Denis (not sure about the others) both have strict heritage preservation regulations as well that prevents much of what this developer is proposing.

I can imagine some developers understanding this nuance, but from the limited amount we have heard about this one I am not sure about Arlington.

 

[O-tac]

Not only that but I fear they will only use one architect for all their buildings and we might get Gaged.

 

[luk_o]

What has Arlington done in the past that is giving the low optimism for their development of the 17th buildings they purchased? I'm not a huge fan of this Fifth Street design, but its not too bad. Have they cut corners in the past?

 

[Mountain Man]

Well, Ron Poon (formerly of NORR) works for them now, so it's likely that NORR will get quite a bit of this, and NORR hasn't done many exciting projects...