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UrbanWarrior said:
Yes.
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A part of me wishes it too just to see the reaction from the city purchasing a $50 million dollar balloon dog. A $25 million pedestrian bridge and a $500,000 blue ring gave residents heart palpitations.

I thought I should google it. It was $58.4 million.
 
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darwink said:
That +15 already exists.
View attachment 171423

Also, nice. Hopefully closer to the $100 million mark, sorta like Edmonton's central library redo, than closer to the RAM's budget. Will be interesting to see how it is reconfigured now that the archive space is being moved up to UCalgary.

Given what was built in the last decade (Central Library, National Music Centre, Telus Spark, Heritage Park Gasoline Alley, Sports Hall of Fame), I think it is entirely viable to do Glenbow, Contemporary Calgary and Arts Commons by 2030 plus some smaller ones.
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Huh, I keep learning something new about Calgary downtown. You'd think having been there over a hundred times I'd have memorized everything in it.
 
maestro said:
A part of me wishes it too just to see the reaction from the city purchasing a $50 million dollar balloon dog. A $25 million pedestrian bridge and a $500,000 blue ring gave residents heart palpitations.

I thought I should google it. It was $58.4 million.
Click to expand...

That balloon dog was 58.4 million damn dollars?! :eek:o_O
 
maestro said:
A part of me wishes it too just to see the reaction from the city purchasing a $50 million dollar balloon dog. A $25 million pedestrian bridge and a $500,000 blue ring gave residents heart palpitations.

I thought I should google it. It was $58.4 million.
Click to expand...
Seriously $58Million?

Edit: Yep $58 million..okay maybe not as interested.
 
Dumb question - is funding secured for the Glenbow? If not, would they be reaching to the City and Province for money? I just don't see an appetite from tax payers right now to support that beautiful project.
 
Mull said:
Dumb question - is funding secured for the Glenbow? If not, would they be reaching to the City and Province for money? I just don't see an appetite from tax payers right now to support that beautiful project.
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From what I recall city council is supposed to vote on Jan 29 on which capital projects (Arts Commons, arena etc) to prioritize for the $300 million in funding that they have available. Not sure whether any private funding/donations have been received specifically for the Glenbow.
 
UrbanWarrior said:
Don't forget both the Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (Kahanoff 2) over the past 10 years, and the future expansion of the Alberta Ballet for the next 10! :D
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DJD was small potatoes ($26 million) compared to the Ballet ask, which to build today would be around $100 million. The ballet will probably come back with a less grand vision over the next decade, and be funded late in the cycle or in the next one.
 
retrofiturbanism said:
Why are towers potentially sterile, but not mid rise buildings?
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It's only my opinion, but to me high rise towers are inherently more sterile than low rise buildings due to repetition of the same materials over more floors. I'm not against high rise towers, and like seeing them around our core as long as there aren't too many in one cluster. I don't like the cold wind swept feeling that comes from a cluster of highrises when there are too many. By the same token, I don't care for areas that are all 6 storey buildings either. I like the variety.
 
How would one pressure Enmax to sell/develop the decommissioned substation site along Mission Road? What would be a good fit for there? I heard a rumor there is ground contamination on the site, anyone hear that?
 
Zoom said:
It's only my opinion, but to me high rise towers are inherently more sterile than low rise buildings due to repetition of the same materials over more floors. I'm not against high rise towers, and like seeing them around our core as long as there aren't too many in one cluster. I don't like the cold wind swept feeling that comes from a cluster of highrises when there are too many. By the same token, I don't care for areas that are all 6 storey buildings either. I like the variety.
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A taller building being larger will have a larger servicing area at grade. The largest contributor towards sterility is number of developments per block. A midrises which occupies a half to a full block is not as interesting as a half dozen or more distinct midrises that share the same block. Unfortunately, everything is large scale today. Fortunately sterility can still be a pleasing aestethic if done well. Historic cues replicating eras of 6 plus midrises per block doesn't transfer well to modern, large scale development.
 
Late to the convo, but here’s my $0.02:

It really should be a mix of densities, and every single design element should aim to promote walking, biking, and transit use. Often low to medium rise buildings are better at this than high rises. Retail and mixed use are great at promoting these modes too, but zoning for it is not enough to Keep retail alive. The best thing the city can do with the VP plan is develop a park along the Elbow, improve cycle network, etc. I’d have no problem with a 100-storey condo going in next to the new Green Line station. I’d also have no problem with some 4-6 storey walk-ups near the river.
 
http://troymedia.com/2019/01/21/challenging-economy-boosts-rental-demand/
A good read that backs up the recent rental boom we've had and signs show that it probably won't slow down anytime soon so thats great news. Although I do prefer a booming condo market. On that note, the mortgage stress rules are complete BS when u factor in rising interest rates and really only two markets dictating the federal governments justification for them (Vancouver & Toronto). Practically killed our housing market recovery. Even Vancouver's housing sales numbers are hovering around 2008 recession levels but failed to drop in values drastically because home prices are very sticky. A pathetic policy IMO and from what Ive read, for most housing experts too, should be reversed ASAP.
 
With all of the new rental product coming onto the market (including condos that owners are renting out) together with existing older buildings (particularly in the inner city), there is a lot of competition for renters. Those are usually not conditions for raising rents.
I have difficulty with the premise in the article that 'people are nervous about buying when home prices are depressed because they want to see appreciation in home values first'. What???? Increased demand is exactly what causes price appreciation over time. I don't think anyone thinks when they buy a home, the value should start going up the day after they move in. Who even pays attention to that in the first few years if you are a first time home buyer?
The new mortgage rules may be preventing some people from buying but interest rates are still very low. I think the main factor that is keeping a lot of young people out of the housing market is the lack of job security in Calgary.
 
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