Westbrook Redevelopment Project - Page 4

Surrealplaces · #61 Posted **Dec 5, 2013, 10:47 PM**

There hasn't been much said about Westbrook TOD lately, but who knows maybe something will pop out of blue, something like a 34 storey condo tower. You never know

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Can anyone give us a hint as to when we might hear something about the future of Westbrook? Someone said something about it a while ago that we might hear something soon, but nothing...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tropics

No doubt, the lack of talk about Westbrook is odd. The land sale for the old school site is closing on two years ago now.

Given how grand the original plans were for Westbrook Village I would have thought it would be a fairly well talked about development/proposed development area. It is probably the premier site in the entire city to attempt to build a fully functional TOD hub.

Chadillaccc · #62 Posted **Dec 5, 2013, 10:59 PM**

YOU TEASE!

34 storeys would make it taller than Ovation! That's like 105 - 110 meters!!

H.E.Pennypacker · #63 Posted **Dec 5, 2013, 11:09 PM**

34 Stories? Wow - that'd start the Westbrook redevelopment off with a bang

danofkent · #64 Posted **Dec 5, 2013, 11:26 PM**

The site owners weren't at all interested in the ARP process and made clear that they had no intention of redeveloping the mall for decades. In the midst of it all, they actually extended Walmart's lease for 30 years. The Manning site could be redeveloped though, and I'm surprised that nothing has been proposed for that land.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

You would think people would be clammering to buy in a TOD like this, right next to a subway station, in Killarney, tons of amenities around and on the way, etc.

Westbrook is actually in Rosscarrock rather than Killarney.

Calgarian · #65 Posted **Dec 5, 2013, 11:29 PM**

If the mall can attract some better stores, I see no reason why it can't stay, as it is right now though it may be the shittiest mall in the city.

There is more than enough land in the area for the TOD to get going anyway, shouldn't be dependent on the mall.

Tropics · #66 Posted **Dec 6, 2013, 1:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgarian

If the mall can attract some better stores, I see no reason why it can't stay, as it is right now though it may be the shittiest mall in the city.

There is more than enough land in the area for the TOD to get going anyway, shouldn't be dependent on the mall.

The mall does get in the way of the redevelopment project that the city had in mind though with the central park and residential and retail all around it. You simply cannot come close to doing that with the mall there, it is in the way for sure and will wreck any high end development potential being built along side of it.

What are the legalities of the city simply expropriating the land, paying off the owners and lease fines, and getting it out of the way? 30 years of Walmart basically kills that area for a lot of the remainder of our lifetimes.... ffs... this sucks...

DizzyEdge · #67 Posted **Dec 6, 2013, 3:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tropics

The mall does get in the way of the redevelopment project that the city had in mind though with the central park and residential and retail all around it. You simply cannot come close to doing that with the mall there, it is in the way for sure and will wreck any high end development potential being built along side of it.

What are the legalities of the city simply expropriating the land, paying off the owners and lease fines, and getting it out of the way? 30 years of Walmart basically kills that area for a lot of the remainder of our lifetimes.... ffs... this sucks...

I would never want the city to have the power to expropriate so that private enterprise can do business on the land seized.

lineman · #68 Posted **Dec 6, 2013, 4:10 AM**

If the way The Bridges have progressed is any indication, having the mall hastily razed would be a bad idea.

Tropics · #69 Posted **Dec 6, 2013, 4:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

I would never want the city to have the power to expropriate so that private enterprise can do business on the land seized.

Normally I would not either but the city spent a huge sum of money on the WLRT and that land is on the only underground LRT station in this city and Westbrook station was BUILT to be a TOD hub. The tax payers paid a huge amount of money on Westbrook and now the owners of the mall have decided to make that taxpayers money a waste.

I dont understand how the mall owners could even consider blocking this, I lived 2 blocks from that mall and it is a dead wasteland and is prime for redevelopment. How much can s dollar store seriously pay in rent selling $1 bags of balloons and $2 scented candles.

I would not be surprised if the whole thing is a strongarm tactic to get paid. The Walmart and Safeway do great business but the rest of that mall is a money pit. The Walmart and Safeway could be converted into urban format stores to suit the redevelopment. They dont have to not be a part of it.

The mall owners also own the srrip mall to the south with the drug store and the strip mall to the north with spa lady and the piano bar/theater. This has effectively killed the Westbrook TOD.

Chadillaccc · #70 Posted **Dec 6, 2013, 6:40 PM**

It would just be nice to see SOMETHING else get going, you know? Like the 100+ meter tower Surreal alluded to... even just some urban-format retail. There is sooo much potential in that area.

lubicon · #71 Posted **Dec 6, 2013, 7:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

I agree. Also considering how well other suburban TODs are doing in far less "urban" type settings like University City and Groves of Varsity. You would think people would be clammering to buy in a TOD like this, right next to a subway station, in Killarney, tons of amenities around and on the way, etc.

Without disagreeing with your statement, don't forget one huge advantage Varsity Grove and especially University City have - their proximity to the U of C. Westbrook cannot match that.

Chadillaccc · #72 Posted **Dec 6, 2013, 7:24 PM**

That is true, but Westbrook is at a major bus route nexus for Mount Royal University and is a far more attractive "urban-ish" setting than either of those.

Tropics · #73 Posted **Dec 6, 2013, 9:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lubicon

Without disagreeing with your statement, don't forget one huge advantage Varsity Grove and especially University City have - their proximity to the U of C. Westbrook cannot match that.

Ahh, but this is where the gondola to the UofC and Foothills Medical Center comes in!!!

Bah! Westbrook had such awesome freaking potential...

TallBob · #74 Posted **Dec 7, 2013, 7:26 AM**

So, I take it Westbrook is probably several years away from anything significant being built?

Tropics · #75 Posted **Dec 7, 2013, 4:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TallBob

So, I take it Westbrook is probably several years away from anything significant being built?

Unless the mall owners actually decides to allow redevelopment I would guess ~30 years, or the length of the Walmart lease extension.

The blue outline is basically the extent of the Westbrook parcel. The red outline is the area the mall owners have removed.

There is no way that without the mall owners on board you can create a proper TOD community. You are left with single condo building developments stuck on the south side on the old school site. Without designing the whole parcel of Westbrook from scratch as Westbrook Village Redevelopment Project had envisioned the whole area is probably now destined to be a disjointed discontinuous mess built in pieces over an extended period of time with no overall plan guiding the development.

You also have to be honest about what developers are actually willing to build on a parcel of land that is adjacent to one of the worst malls in Western Canada. If anyone develops there as things currently stand it is going to be on the cheap and it is going to set a precedent for that area that will last decades.

eggbert · #76 Posted **Dec 7, 2013, 6:17 PM**

Is that whole SE portion of the site just a park?

CorporateWhore · #77 Posted **Dec 7, 2013, 7:14 PM**

If you support the TOD, stop shopping there and tell your grandparents to find another mall to loiter and play cards in.

Allan83 · #78 Posted **Dec 7, 2013, 7:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tropics

Unless the mall owners actually decides to allow redevelopment I would guess ~30 years, or the length of the Walmart lease extension.

...

The blue outline is basically the extent of the Westbrook parcel. The red outline is the area the mall owners have removed.

There is no way that without the mall owners on board you can create a proper TOD community. You are left with single condo building developments stuck on the south side on the old school site. Without designing the whole parcel of Westbrook from scratch as Westbrook Village Redevelopment Project had envisioned the whole area is probably now destined to be a disjointed discontinuous mess built in pieces over an extended period of time with no overall plan guiding the development.

You also have to be honest about what developers are actually willing to build on a parcel of land that is adjacent to one of the worst malls in Western Canada. If anyone develops there as things currently stand it is going to be on the cheap and it is going to set a precedent for that area that will last decades.

Is the Boston Pizza on land owned by the mall as well? I didn’t know that. Am I imagining things or was there a plan at some point to put a walkway under Bow Trail linking to a new development that was to be situated where the BP is, and then on the LRT?

Apart from the BP site and a better way to cross Bow Trail at 33rd, I don’t really mind that the development of the mall site is being delayed. I think that mall is going to turn over as the surrounding neighbourhoods turns over. The Starbucks was the first sign of this, and I think we’ll continue to see more movement in that direction. I think there’s a lot that can be done with the areas closer to 17th in the meantime. That area is developing into a nice little international avenue west type strip.

Spring2008 · #79 Posted **Dec 7, 2013, 8:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surrealplaces

There hasn't been much said about Westbrook TOD lately, but who knows maybe something will pop out of blue, something like a 34 storey condo tower. You never know

Damn that'd be pretty noticeable up on the hill. Time to get going with developments here. That's some prime land!

Spring2008 · #80 Posted **Dec 7, 2013, 8:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CorporateWhore

If you support the TOD, stop shopping there and tell your grandparents to find another mall to loiter and play cards in.

Lol ya, I think the owners are just waiting for the land value to go up as the area around it develops more. Probably doesn't make sense to wait too long though because I'm sure they're not making much at all sitting on this one after all the operating expenses, taxes etc. And I don't see them putting capital into this to try and attract better tenants, as the huge piece of land is worth much more than that shitty strip mall.