CALGARY DEVELOPMENT - Media Article Repository

[atlas_inc]

Village' in city
Condo towers to be added near Deerfoot Meadows
Kathy McCormick Calgary Herald Saturday, April 14, 2007

Kenneth Mariash is the developer of The Bluffs at Deerfoot Meadows project.

Creating a good community is not just about putting in stores for people to shop, nor is it about constructing buildings to house people. You need to create an urban village, says Ken Mariash, managing partner of the Deerfoot Meadows retail centre. His company, Heritage Partners, has already created the backbone of the massive, 1.7-million-square-foot Deerfoot Meadows project just west of Deerfoot Trail and south of Heritage Drive S.E. The next step is adding a thriving population to take advantage of the project's many shops, services and amenities. Mariash is working on plans for The Bluffs at Deerfoot Meadows, a tract of land 100 feet above the retail centre in the valley.

The area, which is adjacent to Blackfoot Trail on the west side, runs from Heritage Drive on the north to the Blackfoot Mobile Home Park. The site has views of the river valley both north and south, as well as the extensive shopping mall and big-box retailers below. "We're now transitioning into a final vision for the area," says Mariash. Mariash has been working on plans for the site since the mid-'90s when he first bought the land. "We'll finalize it with an elaborate and significant urban village, which is just begging in the Calgary market."

The 10.8-hectare parcel of land on top of the hill "is quite a jewel in its own right, and it can be synergistic with the other components," says Mariash. "The objective is to help sustain what's below." The area is "perfect for luxury residences," he says. Preliminary plans call for high-end condo towers -- as many as 500 to 1,000 units in total -- of ultra-luxurious living spaces the likes of which have not yet been seen in Calgary, he says. "We believe there is a fairly significant market for that product here," says Mariash. "By the time we finish, it will probably be the most upscale product of its type in the community. We're talking things like recreation and a clubhouse with Olympic-sized pools, exercise facilities, spa treatments and all the pampering.

"The team has taken the things it learned from designing and marketing a similar development in Victoria, B.C. Bayview, which is now in its first stages of development, is selling quickly. Watch for more on this development when Victoria is featured in Recreation and Investment Properties in the New Condos section on April 28. "We learned that people want it all -- restaurants, boardrooms, a clubhouse and more," says Mariash. A seniors' component will definitely be part of the mix, he says, adding that details about the type of facility, where it will be located and how big it will be have yet to be determined. "We have an opportunity to please everybody," he says. "The site is large and lengthy, so we can create mini districts of price categories."

The challenge is to make the whole project cohesive. The developer is working on creating a broad, boardwalk-type deck along the east side of the whole range of condos. "It will be a challenge to integrate the buildings and we are planning a pedestrian promenade along the river side of the site as one way to do that," says Mariash. "It will be uninterrupted all along the ridge. "There is a tendency in developments to plop buildings down with no sense of connectivity, and this long area is an interesting design challenge. We need horizontal connection at the ground level, but there will be vertical buildings, so we're looking for balance and synergy -- and that will combine for a powerful outcome."

Other plans for the site include office buildings and hotels. Another key to the development will be access to the shops and services below, as well as a connection to the 40 hectares on the river that Heritage Partners has dedicated to the city for use as parkland. "That makes it a true integrated community -- a real gem," says Mariash. The developer will be submitting plans for the residential component of the property to city officials within the next few months. Meanwhile, plans are moving on the last phase of the bottom retail site, which Mariash terms a lifestyle centre. "We will provide a significant fashion and entertainment area, which will complement the other uses -- and by the synergy of all the different areas, it will create an element of excitement for Calgary and give it the global recognition it deserves," he says.

The 500,000-square-foot Village at Deerfoot Meadows will have more than 100 retailers, including very high-end stores not previously in Calgary, he says. Unlike the big-box component next door, the new area will be more pedestrian-friendly, with an ambience that will make it conducive to leisurely shopping, dining and entertaining, he says. The Village at Deerfoot Meadows is expected to cost $250 million. By completion, the total Deerfoot Meadows development will contain 3.5 million square feet.

© The Calgary Herald 2007








'D-word' needs embracing by Calgarians
Richard White For The Calgary Herald Saturday, April 14, 2007

More and more, we hear the need for more density in how we develop our cities. Unfortunately, the "d-word" is feared by many Calgarians and Canadians as we still evolve from an agrarian to an urban society. Increased density is about creating more diversity in housing options for Calgarians. It is not about eliminating single-family housing. For many people, higher density is synonymous with multi-family development. However, that is not always the case.In the suburbs, it could mean smaller lot sizes or more attached town homes like we see in McKenzie Towne. It doesn't have to mean apartment blocks or highrise condos. In established communities, it can be infills where a lot with one house is subdivided to accommodate two houses, or it could be small condominium or apartment complexes. In the city centre, it means mid- and high-density urban villages. There are several reasons why people fear high density development. One of the main fears is that density will mean more traffic and congestion.

While this is true, it is usually not as bad as people fear. If the road network and community are well-designed, the higher density development will be located within walking distance of bus stops, LRT stations, grocery stores and other amenities, allowing people living there to walk and take transit more than currently occurs. For most roads in Calgary, congestion happens only a few hours a day. Most of the time, there is excess capacity. Another reason people fear density is that multi-family housing has been associated in the past with lower-cost housing -- which people have stereotypically associated with cheap building materials and poor designs. They were also once seen as attracting low-income people. Such stereotypes are certainly not true anymore. Many multi-family housing projects are built to high standards, attracting wealthy empty nesters and young professionals. Think Bridges, Eau Claire, Garrison Woods and McKenzie Towne. In the past, high density communities also meant less privacy. But with new multi-family construction materials, the walls, windows and floors can create an almost soundproof place to live.

Attached homes and balconies can be staggered to allow for more privacy than enjoyed by many current suburban homes, which often have shared front driveways and back decks that seem to almost touch one another. People in single-family communities often feared the addition of multi-family projects because they believed it would decrease property values through things like increased crime and more transients. But this certainly isn't the case in communities like Garrison Woods. Property values in these communities have increased more than most neighbourhoods.

The increased density brought increased amenities -- new Safeway, Starbucks and other retailers and restaurants, which helped make the area more desirable. In a traditional single-family street, there is eight feet between houses. If there are 20 homes on the street, that means 160 feet of side yard that serves no useful purpose. If you were to attach each of the homes, you could create four more homes 40-feet wide, or five more on 30 foot lots -- a 20-per-cent increase in density without changing the size of the lots.This would also allow more "tot lots" or playgrounds where children or grandchildren can play and meet other kids, rather than being locked up in a backyard with a six-foot fence.

Higher density is about better design that would stagger homes so there is more, rather than less, privacy. It also creates a more social place where residents know their neighbours and can feel more part of their community. I think there are some great opportunities to densify our established communities, especially along major bus routes and near LRT stations. Imagine if streets like 17th Avenue (east and west), Bow Trail, Centre Street, 14th Street North and Edmonton Trail were converted from being primarily single-family homes and small businesses.

Imagine if they were instead changed to four- and five-floor mixed-buildings with retail at the base and apartment and condos above. Imagine if our older shopping centres and grocery store sites were redeveloped to include some residential development, as has happened at North Hill shopping centre. Why create more density? Simply put, a denser city is more cost-effective, more environmentally friendly and allows for a better quality of life. A denser urban city invests less in roads and interchanges and more in transit, schools, hospitals, libraries and parks. A denser city is a healthier city, creating more green space, more walking and better air quality through less driving. This isn't going to happen overnight in Calgary. But if we build more quality medium- and high-density communities, we will see that living in denser neighbourhoods does not mean you have to sacrifice your current quality of living. In fact, it will enhance it. Think of roof-top gardens rather than mowing the back yard. Think of people watching on a sidewalk patio, rather than painting the back deck.
Think of a front porch, rather than a patch of grass and a massive driveway to shovel. Think outside the single family box. I expect that, in the future, Calgarians will embrace the D-word.

Richard White is the director of operations and communications at Riddell Kurczaba Architecture.

In Short:
People oppose density because they fear it will bring:
- Increased traffic;
- Increased crime;
- Decreased property values;
- Decreased privacy;
- Unattractive designs;
- Attract lower income owners and renters.

© The Calgary Herald 2007



Office projects hit $5B
Calgary development leads nation
Mario Toneguzzi Calgary Herald Saturday, April 14, 2007


DOWNTOWN BUILDING FRENZY: "(Calgary) is definitely in a market of its own," says Calgary Economic Development boss Bruce Graham.

The number of current downtown office developments either under construction or proposed in Calgary's central business district is estimated to be a staggering $5.5 billion. With 12 buildings currently under construction, representing 6.5 million square feet, Calgary's frenzied pace of development is leading the nation. In Canada, there were 21 office buildings under construction in the first quarter of this year throughout the country's downtown central business districts. Calgary's total square footage of construction accounts for a whopping 57.8 per cent of all downtown office construction in the country. Bruce Graham, president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development, said the pace of activity means Calgary is "leading the country in office construction and economic activity and that's undisputed.

"In a North American context, this is definitely in a market of its own as far as I can tell," said Graham. "And we're being noticed by investors as far away as Dubai and Europe. That's a byproduct of what's happening here (economically) . . . We're now being recognized as one of the major office centres in the world. "It also suggests to me nobody had a crystal ball that was working perfect and consequently we've been caught short which has led to a very tight office market situation. We've got a lot of projects coming forward at this time to satisfy a lot of pent-up demand and a lot of projected demand as well. "There is a sense of confidence. Certainly a lot of the downtown office construction has a linkage to the energy sector and the commodity prices have stayed relatively stable and firm at a price point that has kept a lot of the projects still moving forward."

The downtown office vacancy rate had hit the historic low level of under one per cent and continues to hover around the one per cent mark with a total inventory of more than 32 million square feet. And about 2.3 million square feet of new construction scheduled to be available in 2007 is already spoken for. Mike Gigliuk, director of research for Alberta for CB Richard Ellis, said there is currently $3.5 billion in downtown office construction underway or just being completed and another $2 billion in the pre-leasing/proposal stage. According to CB Richard Ellis data for the first quarter of this year, there is a total of 11.25 million square feet of downtown office construction across Canada with Calgary leading the charge at 6.5 million square feet. Toronto follows at 3.38 million square feet. A first quarter office market report by The Staubach Company says seven buildings are due for completion this year in Calgary.
"A drastic increase in the cost of construction materials, trades people, and the supply of labour, has sharply increased the cost to construct standard office space," said the report. "A year ago tenants could build out new office space from a base building standard for approximately $25-$30 per square foot. In today's market, tenants would need to pay approximately $60-$70 per square foot to build out the same space."

The report said the downtown office vacancy rate in the first quarter was 1.5 per cent and it is forecast to be one per cent for the year. Proposed downtown buildings include billion-dollar projects like The Bow (EnCana) and the Penny Lane towers -- both projects would each add about two million square feet of office space. Brad Krizan, president of the Calgary chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and director of leasing for OPUS Building Canada, said there is obviously a lot of confidence in the Calgary economy given the amount of construction. "And these are big, big projects that are coming in the second wave of development," said Krizan. "It also speaks to our market. Calgary is unique in that we have large-size tenants that occupy large square footage. And really the market has hit a critical point again in this development cycle which calls for another flurry of large office developments to be built."

By 2010 and 2o11, the downtown core will be "absolutely different. You're going to have some high-rise signature projects completed and occupied. So the whole look of the skyline is going to be different. You're going to have more residents downtown. The streetscape is going to change quite a bit too just by virtue of new building design and more people walking the streets downtown," said Krizan. "So it's going to be a pretty interesting, exciting, dynamic place." Tod Hughes, president of Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (Alberta), said that level of construction signifies "continued optimism in downtown Calgary at all levels." "We've seen people from hoteliers to multi-family developers to office buildings and more institutional type buildings. I think there's a lot of optimism in Calgary still and I think it just signifies that people don't think it's changing," said Hughes. "They're planning construction projects for a long time in the future. You don't do them for 12 months or 24 months. People long-term continue to be very bullish on the Calgary market." Graham said more than 50 per cent of the downtown office construction taking place in one city with about one-thirtieth of the country's population is "definitely unique."

mtoneguzzi@theherald.canwest.com

CALGARY OFFICE DEVELOPMENTS
1 Centrium Place, 332 - 6th Avenue S.W.
Under construction, Fully Leased/Sold
2 Homburg Harris Ctr East, 207 and 213 9th Ave. S.W
Under construction, Fully Leased/Sold
3 Homburg Harris Ctr West , 224R 10th Ave. S.W.
Under construction, Vacancy
4 Opus 8, 607 - 8th Avenue S.W.,
Under construction, Fully Leased/Sold
5 Livingston Phase 1, 2nd St. and 3rd Ave. S.W.
Under construction, Fully Leased/Sold
6 Livingston Phase 2, 2nd St. and 3rd Ave. S.W.
Under construction, Fully Leased/Sold
7 The Bow, 5th and 7th Avenues between Centre St.
and 1st St. S.E.
Fully Leased/Sold
8 8 West, 903 - 8th Avenue S.W. -- Under construction, Vacancy
9 Bankers Court, 9th Avenue - 2nd Street S.W.
Under construction, Fully Leased/Sold
10 Calgary City Centre 1, 2nd Avenue S.W.
Pre Leasing/Pre Sales, Vacancy
11 Genco Tower, 608 - 7th Street S.W.
Pre Leasing/Pre Sales, Vacancy
12 Palliser West, 1st St. and 10th Ave. S.E.
Pre Leasing/Pre Sales, Vacancy
13 Palliser East, 1st St. and 10th Ave. S.E.
Pre Leasing/Pre Sales, Vacancy
14 Palliser South, 8th Ave. and 2nd St. S.W.
Pre Leasing/Pre Sales, Vacancy
15 Penny Lane East, 507 to 535 8th Ave. S.W.
Pre Leasing/Pre Sales, Vacancy
16 Penny Lane West, 507 to 535 8th Ave. S.W.
Pre Leasing/Pre Sales, Vacancy
17 Centennial Place East, 555 2nd Ave. S.W.
Under construction, Vacancy
18 Centennial Place West, 555 2nd Ave. S.W.
Under construction, Vacancy
19 First Canadian Ctr Phase 2, 350 7th Ave. S.W., Vacancy
20 Jamieson Place, 302 4th Ave. S.W. Under construction, Vacancy
21 CPA Lands, 428 6th Ave. S.E. Pre Leasing/Pre Sales, Vacancy
22 Eau Claire Redev., between 2nd & 3rd Ave. & 2nd to 3rd St. S.W. Pre Leasing/Pre Sales, Vacancy
23 Herald Block, 1st St. and 7th Ave. S.W.
Pre Leasing/Pre Sales, Vacancy
24 Imperial Oil., between 5th & 6th Ave & 4th & 5th St. S.W. Fully Leased

© The Calgary Herald 2007




Pace of non-residential construction sets record
Alberta, B.C. lead country in surge of new projects
Geoffrey Scotton Calgary Herald Saturday, April 14, 2007

A 20 per cent increase in first-quarter non-residential construction values in Calgary led the way across the country. There was no end to Alberta's surging construction sector in the first three months of 2007, as a frenzy of office building in this province and neighbouring British Columbia pushed national non-residential building construction values to a record in the first quarter. Calgary played a central role, with the 20.8 per cent increase in non-residential construction spending here totalling $985 million. It was the largest dollar gain quarter-to-quarter of any major Canadian city and compared with just $531 million in the same quarter of 2006. Statistics Canada said Friday Alberta's non-residential building expenditures rose 11.8 per cent to $2.1 billion in the January to March time frame, the 12th consecutive quarter that spending in the sector has risen.

That pushed the national record to $9.4 billion, an increase of 3.3 per cent from the prior quarter at the end of 2006. It was the 16th consecutive increase in non-residential construction spending at the national level and reflected strength across the non-residential segment. Commercial sector investment nationally was up five per cent to $5.6 billion; institutional investment edged ahead 1.3 per cent to $2.3 billion and there was a marginal increase i the industrial sector to $1.4 billion, a 0.2 per cent gain. "Provincially, by far the biggest first-quarter increase (in dollars) occurred in Alberta," said StatsCan. Western Canada's dynamic economy continued to spark the non-residential sector (and) other contributing factors, included a strong labour market, strong consumer demand for durable goods and declining vacancy rates in large urban centres, which provided added incentive for office building construction." In this province, while industrial construction spending slipped 5.4 per cent to $324 million in the first quarter, it jumped 21 per cent in the commercial grouping to a record $1.36 billion and surged 14.2 per cent to a record $427 million in the institutional sector, compared with the final three months of 2006. Calgary's performance in the institutional sector was also notable, as institutional investment in the first quarter of 2007 rose 26 per cent to $247 million. That was fuelled, StatsCan said, by major projects in the health care and educational fields.

gscotton@theherald.canwest.com

© The Calgary Herald 2007

[atlas_inc]

Task force backs rent controls
Rules would be similar to B.C.'s
Kelly Cryderman, Calgary Herald
Published: Tuesday, April 17, 2007

A deluge of steep rent increases and condominium conversions has prompted a Stelmach government committee charged with finding solutions to the housing crunch to call for a two-year period of rent controls, among other solutions, say government sources.

This morning, Conservative government MLAs will review and debate the suggestions from the 16-member Alberta Affordable Housing Task Force, which was initiated by Premier Ed Stelmach earlier this year and toured the province in February and March.

If the recommendations are adopted, rent increases would temporarily be limited by mandatory "rent stability guidelines." This would cap rent hikes to inflation levels, plus two per cent -- similar to the rules in B.C.

If landlords have extraordinary costs such as renovations or high utility bills during those two years, they would have to apply for permission to a yet-to-be determined government body for a greater rent increase. New construction would be exempt from these rules.

"The decision to recommend this protective measure was a very difficult one for the task force," the report says. "There was clear concern among many members about the impact of rent guidelines on overall new rent supply and on rental rates once guidelines are removed in two years.

"At the same time, the task force was confronted everywhere with the plight of renters who are losing their homes right now. These people have few other affordable housing options in today's overheated market. The task force understood that keeping people in their current homes wherever possible is essential while dealing with the urgent situation Alberta is facing."

While rent increases are now allowed twice per year, the task force recommends they be permitted only once annually.

Sources told the Herald the report also includes a recommendation to force landlords to give tenants one-year's eviction notice, instead of the current six months, if they are going to convert an apartment building into condominiums -- a trend that has swept through the province's largest cities.

No rent increases will be allowed during that period.

Other recommendations are focused on homelessness -- an increasingly visible problem in Calgary -- including one calling for increased funding to temporary emergency shelters.

The recommendations are likely to win praise from housing activists and opposition parties, while frustrating landlords -- who have spoken out against rent controls in recent months, saying they distort the market, and discourage development and maintenance.

The rent controls will be a tough pill to swallow for MLAs with a strong belief in the free market, but is increasingly seen as a possible solution in light of the past year's changes to the market. For instance, Calgary-East MLA Moe Amery called for rent controls last week.

The task force heard a number of worrying stories, including one from Calgarian Catherine Mitchell when the task force came to the city Feb. 28. She and her husband have lived in their home -- a rented two-bedroom apartment -- for 35 years, but live in fear that eviction is just one condo application or rent hike away. "It's the stuff nightmares are made of," the 75-year-old retired teacher said.

The report went to Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Ray Danyluk in March, and has been working its way through the government's private review process since then.

The fact it hasn't been released a month after being given to the minister has been a major bone of contention for opposition members.

kcryderman@theherald.canwest.com

===============================

East Village plan gets $135M boost
Borrowing bylaw will pave way for redevelopment
Colette Derworiz, with files from Joel Kom, Calgary Herald., Calgary Herald
Published: Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Dirt could be moved in the dilapidated East Village as early as this fall, after city council approved borrowing $135 million to kick-start redevelopment in the area best known for drug dealing and prostitution.

The borrowing bylaw, which was given two readings by city council Monday, is the first hurdle in a plan to prepare the area for redevelopment.

The money will be used to restore the river walk, replace the underground water and sewer pipes, and create new parks. Once the infrastructure is in place, the land also needs to be raised 1.5 metres above of the flood plain.
Speaking in favour of the East Village revitalization were residents Karin Wong, left, Bill Nairn, and B.J. Annis at City Hall on Monday.View Larger Image View

"It's a long time coming," said Ward 7 Ald. Druh Farrell, who represents the rundown area east of City Hall.

Four years ago, East Village was well on its way to becoming a unique urban village with a winding canal and a pedestrian walkway full of cafes and shops. But the billion-dollar proposal fell apart, amid accusations of mismanagement and a $3-million cost for the city to get out of the deal.

The $135-million loan approved by council Monday is part of a new plan usually referred to as tax increment financing, which the city is now calling a community revitalization levy.

The tax scheme allows the city to borrow money to pay for much-needed infrastructure upgrades in the rundown east side. It's expected those upgrades would attract new development, which should improve property values. The increased tax revenue generated from the higher property values would then pay off the infrastructure debt.

However, three aldermen -- Diane Colley-Urquhart, Helene Larocque and Ric McIver -- voted against borrowing for the infrastructure work.

"It's a high level of risk," Colley-Urquhart said. "At a time when the economy is booming, we don't need to have government subsidizing development, and that's exactly what it is."

McIver agreed, suggesting the money should be paid for by private developers.

"In one way, council's betting that if you build it, they will come," he said. "And there's a chance they will. There's also a chance they won't.

"If you have the private sector pay for it, there's no bet required. But council's decided to gamble with taxpayers' money on this one."

Mayor Dave Bronconnier defended the scheme, saying the debt will be paid back ultimately by developers in the area.

"This is the only option to move forward to actually have a comprehensive approach to start dealing with a very troubled area," he said. "When you look at what is occurring today between the crime activity . . . and the lack of reinvestment in this community, I think if we are not going to do it now, I don't know when we will ever contemplate doing it."

Once city council approves final reading of the bylaw next week, it will be sent to the provincial government to sign off on the plan.

"That could be done as early as June, and ultimately you could see dirt being moved in early fall 2007," Bronconnier said.

cderworiz@theherald.canwest.com


© The Calgary Herald 2007

[atlas_inc]

$100M to target housing crunch
$33B budget reflects 'price of prosperity'
Jason Fekete Calgary Herald Thursday, April 19, 2007

Alberta Finance Minister Lyle Oberg tries on a new pair of cowboy boots, Wednesday, in Calgary, in advance of the provincial budget which will be delivered today in Edmonton.

The Stelmach government is set to unleash a torrent of spending in today's provincial budget -- including $100 million in new cash to municipalities for affordable housing -- which is raising serious concerns about its fiscal restraint and ability to plan for the long term. Government sources peg the fiscal blueprint at $33 billion, which would be a nearly 30 per cent increase in forecast budget expenditure in just two years, numbers that spending watchdogs and the opposition insist aren't sustainable. Yet, the fallout from the province's petro-fuelled economic growth is forcing the government to break the bank. It's believed $18 billion will be invested over three years in the province's capital plan to deal with what Premier Ed Stelmach has labelled "the price of prosperity."
Lyle Oberg said on the eve of delivering his first budget the Tories have little choice but to address the overwhelming needs across the province. "We need a lot of things in Alberta right now . . .We will be spending what needs to be spent," Oberg said in Edmonton.

"It's a balance in a growing economy with a potential cloud on the horizon of lowering or moderating oil and gas prices," Oberg said. Oberg noted earlier in the day in Calgary -- during a stop to buy a pair of Alberta-made size 11D, 10-inch black cowhide boots he'll wear when delivering the budget -- there will be "some emphasis on savings," as well as tax cuts.
With the overall splurge, it's believed the projected surplus will total about $2 billion, which would be a relatively puny estimate compared to recent years.

The expected spending binge also is worrying business groups and tax watchdogs, who had expected tighter purse strings under a new regime. "If they do go to $33 billion, it will be extremely disappointing . . . It's pretty clear the government has a sustainability problem," said Scott Hennig, Alberta director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. "It says something when a Conservative government spends more than the opposition Liberals would." But the financial reality facing the Tory government is long and expensive wish lists for new schools, hospitals, transit and community facilities. Calgary school boards are looking for almost $600 million for maintenance costs and school upgrades, including $466 million for the Calgary Board of Education and $115 million for the Calgary Catholic School District.

There is also a long list of new schools for both boards. The CBE's capital plan calls for $300 million to be spent on 19 new schools over the next three years, but only three of them have been promised money. The Catholic board wants 12 new schools to be built, but only two of those have received funding. Education Minister Ron Liepert hinted Wednesday in the legislature the government may pursue controversial public-private partnerships to build new schools. On the post-secondary side, SAIT is seeking $353 million for a new trades and technology complex, while the University of Calgary wants $283 million for the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy. Mount Royal College is looking for $55 million for a new library.

The City of Calgary hopes Stelmach will live up to his commitment to provide $1.4 billion annually to municipalities -- ramped up over three to four years -- and extending over a period of 10 years. Opposition parties said the former Klein government -- which admitted it didn't have a plan for Alberta's phenomenal growth -- is to blame for the infrastructure backlog now crippling the province. "This is not the price of prosperity. This is the price of failing to plan," charged Liberal Leader Kevin Taft. "This is the price of bad management and there's no excuse for it."

jfekete@theherald.canwest.com

© The Calgary Herald 2007





New levy may add $1,900 to uptown living
Colette DerworizCalgary Herald Thursday, April 19, 2007

A civic committee has given the nod to a series of redevelopment levies to help pay for recreation facilities, pathways and sidewalks in and around downtown Calgary. The levies, which still have to be approved by council Monday, could add between $1,500 and $1,900 to every home built downtown and in the Beltline. While most committee members were in favour of the levies as a way to help pay for much-needed amenities, some aldermen said they're concerned about the additional cost to homebuyers. "I don't think that we can just keep coming up with new levies," said Ald. Madeleine King, whose Ward 8 includes both the downtown and the Beltline. "It will make the centre city a bit more expensive, and that can't be a good thing. "We're already fighting with affordability, and the centre city plays a very important role in providing affordable housing."

But developers said most homebuyers would expect to pay their fair share toward improving the community as they move into the city's inner core. "To create a community in which people want to live, those residents need to pay for the services that are lacking," said Paul Battistella, a Calgary developer who is also a representative with the Calgary Region Home Builders Association. Battistella said, however, there's a concern among developers that the current residents are already dealing with a shortfall of recreation centres, libraries and parks. Ward 7 Ald. Druh Farrell addressed those concerns by getting an amendment passed at committee. "I believe this levy is necessary," she said.

However, she said there needs to be a commitment by the city to deal with the lack of amenities downtown and in the Beltline. Farrell suggested an annual report be prepared to update city council on how the money being collected would be spent that also highlights the city's commitment to the improvements. "This will remind council, as the money comes in, we have a commitment to spend it rather than just letting it accrue in a dusty account," she said. The levies range between $535 per front metre (of development along the street) for alternative transportation networks such as pedestrian overpasses, sidewalks and bike paths, to $1,130 per front metre for recreation facilities. A levy of $222 per front metre for parks and another one costing $260 per front metre for the 13th Avenue Greenway were rejected by the committee. There's about 20,000 metres of developable frontage in the centre city, although homeowners would be exempted if they decide to rebuild on their property.

cderworiz@theherald.canwest.com

© The Calgary Herald 2007

[atlas_inc]

Alberta energy revenue crashing
Tories expect
$6.5B less in ’09 budget
SHAUN POLCZER CALGARY HERALD
For oil-rich Albertans in the midst of an economic boom, this week’s budget presented the sobering prospect that falling resource revenues could put an end to the province’s free-spending ways.
According to budget projections, oil and natural gas revenues are expected to be nearly cut in half within two years, dropping to $7.8 billion in 2009-10 after peaking at $14.35 billion in 2005-06.
The $6.5-billion drop in petrodollars has prompted questions about whether Alberta has hit its budget peak, with fewer resources available for the future.
“We have plateaued for a short time,” Finance Minister Lyle Oberg said Friday in Calgary.
“We have money, yes, but looking five, 10, 15 years out, we have to decide if that money is going to be there.”
In his budget address Thursday, Oberg referred to “a tempering” of the province’s outlook for oil and gas.
He blamed the drop on a combination of lower conventional production, falling commodity prices and lower land sales.
“We have the most volatile energy stream of any government in North America. Fluctuating commodity markets and other global factors can’t be controlled by any government,” Oberg said in his address.
The forecast decline comes as conventional petroleum supplies dwindle, placing greater emphasis on Alberta’s massive oilsands resource.
The province is reviewing all royalties this year to ensure Albertans get their fair share of the energy pie. But earlier this week, an internal government report estimated “future oilsands royalties will be in the order of $1.2 billion when production reaches three million barrels per day in 2020, essentially the same as the current value for 2004-05.”
Local observers have warned that runaway spending threatens to undermine the province’s prosperity. The Calgary Chamber of Commerce said the Stelmach government failed to keep spending increases in line with inflation and population growth.
In addition, the province didn’t address what the chamber called a “problematic reliance” on oil money.
“Last year, the Alberta government recorded unprecedented revenues,” said chamber chairman Hal Walker.
“This year, they committed most of that money to out-of-control spending, while forecasting a rapid decline in non-renewable resource revenues. This budget puts the province on a road that risks the return to deficit and debt.”
David Taras, a political analyst at the University of Calgary, said Stelmach — like his predecessor Ralph Klein — has no vision for managing the province’s enormous wealth.
The government should be stashing more cash into the Heritage Fund and other savings accounts because resource revenues are likely to decline sharply in future years.
“It’s a big mistake not to plan for the future,” Taras said. “We’re entering a different economic era.”
Despite steep spending increases, Oberg insisted there’s no chance of falling into a deficit position. He noted Alberta has more than $7 billion stashed away in its rainy day account, aside from the Heritage Fund.
“We’ve got a substantial amount of dollars in the sustainability fund to cover that,” he said in an interview. “I hope it doesn’t happen, but we’d be foolish not to listen to what other people are saying.”
Alberta is still in an enviable position compared with other provinces. This year’s budget projects royalties will pump $10.3 billion into provincial coffers, an amount larger than the entire budgets of Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.
There’s also the question of whether the province is underestimating its energy wealth, a chronic issue during the Klein era.
Budget estimates are based on oil averaging $58 US a barrel in 2007-08, falling to $52.50 two years later.
Although gas prices are expected to rise to $6.75 Cdn per gigajoule from $5.95 this year, they’re forecast to drop to $6.25 by decade’s end.
The forecasts are based on an average of multiple industry sources. But the province’s numbers are significantly lower than figures oil companies use to base their own spending.
Calgary-based FirstEnergy Capital Corp. sees oil averaging $66 in 2007 before falling to $62 in 2009. Likewise, FirstEnergy’s natural gas forecast is higher, averaging $8.40 Cdn. this year, before climbing to $8.65 in 2008.
Commodities analyst Martin King agreed the numbers are among the most bullish in the industry, but justified in light of market fundamentals.
Even so, King said the province is right to take a more conservative view based on volatile markets. “It’s damn near impossible to forecast price,” he said.
Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier argued the province is deliberately underestimating revenues, depriving municipalities of muchneeded funds.
“Is there a bit of a slowing down? Yes. Is it going to be dramatic in the fact that it’s going to stop? Absolutely not,” Bronconnier told reporters Friday. “Alberta will still lead the country in terms of economic growth.”
The big money-gusher for Albertans is natural gas, which accounts for about two-thirds of the province’s non-renewable resource revenue — or more than conventional oil and oilsands royalties combined.
Every 10-cent increase in gas prices adds $98 million to provincial coffers, while a $1 change in oil prices is worth $139 million to Albertans.
Frank Atkins, an energy economist at the University of Calgary, said the bottom line doesn’t add up.
Based on futures markets, he’s expecting oil to top out over $60 for the foreseeable future and suggested natural gas is will rebound back above $8.
Low-ball revenue estimates are “kind of suspicious to me,” he said.
“It all looks like very poor planning, or there’s a political element we don’t understand.”


Broken budget promise stalls LRT plans: mayor
COLETTE DERWORIZ
CALGARY HERALD
Mayor Dave Bronconnier launched another attack on the province Friday, suggesting Calgary won’t be able to build the $520-million west leg of the LRT because the budget didn’t fully deliver on a promise made by Premier Ed Stelmach.
At a news conference, Bronconnier said Stelmach failed to live up to his pledge and return the equivalent of the education portion of the property tax to municipalities.
“Yesterday’s budget did not meet that commitment,” he told reporters Friday.
“Yesterday’s budget constitutes a half-kept promise. Today, I am urging Premier Stelmach, on behalf of Calgarians, to deliver on all of his promises.”
When asked in Edmonton about the comments, Stelmach said he had a good working relationship with Bronconnier.
“He was just bringing forward some points,” he said
Stelmach said Alberta looks after municipalities better than any other province, with a “six-fold increase” in funding in the past few years.
“So I think there may be a few details to work out, but we’re committed to the new $1.4 billion and we’re continuing to work toward that,” he said. “At least municipalities can plan, because the funding is stable and predictable.”
But Bronconnier said it’ll be difficult to pay for major infrastructure projects without a full commitment.
“Municipalities can’t go out to finance money to build major legs or extensions of the LRT, major public works, on one-year commitments,” he said, suggesting the city won’t be able to build the west leg of the LRT system and a number of key road projects.
Earlier this year, when the city was hosting open houses on the west leg of the LRT, Bronconnier was confident much of the $520 million would come from the promised funding, allowing the project to be complete by 2011.
The provincial funding for municipalities will be phased in, beginning with $400 million in 2007-08, $500 million in 2008-09, $600 million in 200910 and $1.4 billion in 2010-11.
Bronconnier acknowledged the $400 million in 2007 was part of the premier’s promise to municipalities.
“But there is a catch: there’s strings, and a lot of them,” he said. “Half of the money, while labelled municipal, is actually to deal with areas of provincial responsibility. Half.”
About $200 million of the funding in 2007 is targeted at core infrastructure, such as roads, transit and sewer.
But the government also said $100 million for affordable housing will come out of the municipal funding and another $100 million will be used for water and shared capital projects involving multiple municipalities.
Bronconnier said that means municipalities are left to share $200 million in 2007, with about a third — or $60 million — likely to come to Calgary.
“Well, $60 million and $125 million are two different numbers,” he said.
However, Finance Minister Lyle Oberg said there’s another $600 million in municipal infrastructure funding across the province that is untargeted, in addition to the $400 million for municipalities,
“We have to ensure our infrastructure is looked after, as well. We require a partnership,” he said.
Transit union makes last-ditch offer
Mayor worries strike may be ‘in the cards’
COLETTE DERWORIZ
CALGARY HERALD
In a last-ditch effort to avoid a transit strike, city council will consider the union’s latest offer Monday during a closed-door meeting.
Talks between the Amalgamated Transit Union and the city broke off Thursday night after city officials declined to negotiate a counterproposal by the union.
Mayor Dave Bronconnier said he’ll take the union’s last offer to city council Monday, though he’s unsure whether politicians can avoid a strike.
“I believe that city council wants to make sure that transit service is on the road,” he said, “but they don’t want to break the piggy bank in order to get there.
“We’ve tried to avoid (a strike) and we’ve tried to have a really positive relationship with the transit union . . . but if a union leader is convinced that he is going out on strike, regardless of how much money is really on the table, maybe that’s what’s in the cards.”
Union president Mike Mahar said he’d rather not have a transit strike.
“If they can address our key issues that are outstanding, I can prevent even having to have a strike vote,” he said.
Mahar, who said he believes city council could address some of those issues, said he’s scheduled a special meeting with the union’s 2,400 members Tuesday to discuss the union’s options, including whether to hold a strike vote.
The earliest a strike vote could be held is May 1.
Mediated talks broke off last week, and the union applied Tuesday to the labour board to hold a strike vote, triggering a two-week cooling-off period.
Should the membership approve going on strike, the union must give 72 hours’ notice before members walk off the job.
The labour dispute between the city and its transit workers heated up about a month ago when the union declared its members wouldn’t work overtime or take additional shifts after 10 months of failed negotiations with the city.
Wages are one of the main issues. The union is looking for 15 per cent over 30 months, while the city initially proposed 10 per cent over 36 months. The city’s latest offer was 10.5 per cent over 36 months, according to the union.
Other issues include concerns about using bigger buses on shuttle routes and working conditions.
The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 583, which represents 1,600 drivers and train operators, as well as mechanics, clerks and other staff, has been without a contract since June 2006.

Hefty house prices ripple beyond Calgary
Market red-hot in surrounding
centres
MARIO TONEGUZZI
CALGARY HERALD
Potential homebuyers in Calgary looking for some relief in escalating average house prices are in for a rude awakening if they think houses are much cheaper in smaller centres just outside the city.
In places like Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, and the Municipal Districts of Foothills and Rocky View, the average sale prices of residential properties in the the first quarter of the year continue to balloon.
For example, 118 properties sold in Rocky View in the first three months of this year for an average of $955,920 and 88 sold in Foothills for $677,304.
In Cochrane, the average sale price is $451,144 followed by Okotoks ($413,016) and Airdrie ($360,204). Chestermere has also seen prices skyrocket to an average of $484,509.
What is happening outside the city mirrors a provincewide trend as demand for housing continues to push average house prices upwards.
“They’re going up throughout Alberta, really,” said Lai Sing Louie, senior market analyst for the Prairies and Territories region for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. in Calgary. “If I could show you the average housing prices throughout all the centres in Alberta, you would see that they’re all going up.
“As much as it is a Calgary story, it’s an Alberta story too in that a lot of people have come to Alberta. Employment opportunities are good here. Wages are rising and that creates a demand for housing and as that happens with people buying houses, they start pushing prices up. That’s something we’ve felt right throughout the entire province.”
Louie said some areas outside the city are less expensive than in Calgary and if people don’t mind commuting they offer another alternative for homeowners.
“You can get a little more house out there than if you paid the same amount and stayed in the city,” he said.
In recent years, the bedroom community of Okotoks has been a perfect example of rising average house prices. The average residential sale price in the town has climbed from $239,968 in the first quarter of 2005 to $413,016 in the first quarter of this year.
Roberta Gullacher, a realtor with Re/ Max in Okotoks, said the resale market remains good in the community just south of Calgary.
“We’re steady out here. We’re growing like a weed. Growing. Growing,” said Gullacher.
“They say about 50 per cent of our population commutes but I would say it’s higher. . . . A lot of people are commuting. A lot of people are coming from Calgary. I find a lot of people coming from say a Sherwood Park or somewhere outside of Toronto (that have moved out here to work) they tend to look at the outlying areas because they’re used to commuting into the city already and they’re used to the small town atmosphere.”
Ron Stanners, president of the Calgary Real Estate Board, said in some places outside the city average sale prices for homes are lower than in the city “but they’re still going up.”
“Even some smaller communities like Irricana, prices have gone up dramatically,” said Stanners.
In the first three months of this year, for example, in Irricana 10 residential properties sold for an average of $242,500. Last year in the first quarter, the average was $175,326 and in 2005 it was $121,393

[atlas_inc]

City tries to take building for downtown fire hall
JOEL KOM CALGARY HERALD Monday, April 23, 2003

The city is trying to take over a small apartment building on a busy corner downtown for a fire hall, but the building’s owner and some area residents say the move is really being done to satisfy a developer. The move to expropriate the building at the corner of 4th Avenue and 8th Street S.W. began last week, when the city served public notice it wanted to take control of the property. That would give the city ownership of a chunk of land in Eau Claire, where it wants to build a new fire hall — and an 88-unit affordable housing project. The latter project was suggested by La Caille Group, a developer with several downtown properties.

James Robertson, the city’s manager of land servicing and housing, said the city “is in negotiations” with the building’s owner, Dr. Leo Wong, and intends to reach a settlement for the land despite the expropriation bid. But Wong said the only talks he’s had with the city came in the form of a letter sent to him in November proposing a $530,000 buyout. That figure is below the last market-value assessment, he said, which put it around $570,000. The only reason he knew about the potential expropriation was from reading the newspaper, he said. “I read that the city’s negotiating with us, but my only contact with the city was a woman phoning me warning me about an article in the Herald (two months ago),” he said Friday.

Wong, however, said he was willing to sell. “Under the circumstances, I don’t think we have any choice, do we?” he said. “To be honest with you, I don’t know why the city is acquiring land for La Caille, which is what this is. The city’s using the fire hall as an excuse to expropriate the land.” The plan was launched after La Caille pitched the affordable housing project to the city about six months ago. The project would be built with both private and public cash, and would be publicly owned. The deal could also involve La Caille acquiring part of the 4th Avenue property and land on 1st Avenue S.W., where 72 units of affordable housing now sit. Robertson said those units need significant and costly renovations. As for using the fire hall as an excuse, he said that location had already been explored for exactly that purpose. La Caille management couldn’t be reached for comment.

Greg Wilkes, the fire department’s manager of infrastructure services, said the downtown needs two new halls to alleviate the pressure of almost 7,000 calls annually handled by the two existing stations in the core. Some area residents are scratching their heads over the hall’s proposed location, saying the downtown traffic and one-way street maze would stall any fire response. “They obviously haven’t driven down 4th Avenue around 5:30 p.m. because you can’t,” said Eau Claire resident Doug Crapo. “It’s gridlock.” Wilkes said the city would actually turn the section of 8th Street between 4th and 5th Avenues from a one-way street into a two-way. What’s more, he added, the traffic lights can be controlled by the fire department to let outgoing trucks get to an emergency.

Ald. Madeleine King, whose ward includes the building, said she didn’t know enough about the project to comment on the city’s intentions. But she noted La Caille was the only developer she knew of that responded to Bronconnier’s challenge for the private sector to build affordable housing.

C Calgary Herald 2007

[atlas_inc]

Canmore developer to head East Village project
KATHY McCORMICK CALGARY HERALD Saturday, May 5, 2007

Chris Ollenberger has resigned as president of Three Sisters Mountain Village in Canmore to head up the reconstruction of the new The Rivers neighbourhood near City Hall. Ollenberger will be the founding president of the Calgary Municipal Land Corp., a newlyformed private company owned by the city with the mandate to look after the social, cultural, economic and environmental development of the inner-city location that includes East Village.“It’s the chance of a lifetime and a wicked opportunity for me,” says Ollenberger, who starts in his new position June 1.

The Rivers, as the whole area will be known, includes East Village — the land that’s bounded by the Bow River on the north, the Elbow River and Fort Calgary on the east, railway tracks and 9th Avenue S.E. on the south, and City Hall to the west. It will also include part of Victoria Park to 1st Street S.E. and Stampede Park. Aborrowing bylaw of $135 million was recently passed by city council, paving the way for the redevelopment of the lands, which Ollenberger says will be his first priority. “I’ll be working on the infrastructure needs for the area, getting estimates and reviewing engineer’s drawings, and the like,” he says. “Our mandate is to make the area attractive for development to come in, and we want to be in the ground this fall with infrastructure.”

The area has been virtually untouched for some three decades while remediation of the lands was reviewed and a previous plan for the area fell through. Parts of the East Village lands need to be raised above the flood plain, while other infrastructure either needs to be upgraded, replaced, or built to allow for more intensification. The city website describes the formation of the CMLCas a necessary step. “The city decided local infrastructure limitations were so significant that substantial public intervention was necessary to prepare the lands for both public redevelopment and private redevelopment,” it says.

As much as 4.3 million square feet of land is available for redevelopment in The Rivers, with about one-third of The Rivers consisting of land within East Village. Of that, the city owns about half. The area will include a multitude of multi-family sites as well as a new police headquarters, a new public library, an urban campus and parks. “The Calgary Municipal Land Corp. is a private company owned by the city, with a board of eight people at the top,” says Ollenberger.

He is one of the board members, as is Mayor Dave Bronconnier, the only elected official on it. “My experience with sustainable development that I headed up in Three Sisters Mountain Village, and my enthusiasm, will help with the new position,” says Ollenberger. Three Sisters has won many awards and accolades over the time Ollenberger has been involved, including innovative green building practices and unique initiatives in environmental stewardship.

The latest accolade — an environmental achievement award — was given to Stewart Creek Golf and Country Club superintendent Sean Kjemhus recently by the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association for wildlife habitat protection and water management in Three Sisters. Three Sisters Mountain Village has not yet announced a successor to Ollenberger, who will continue at the company until May 25.

[atlas_inc]

We say we don’t want sprawl, but...
Roads are primary force behind problem
JIM DEWALD and BEV SANDALACK FOR THE CALGARY HERALD
Saturday, May 5, 2007

In March, Canada West Foundation released a survey of citizens living in major cities west of, and including Toronto. What they found was that Calgarians are more concerned about urban sprawl than the citizens of all other cities surveyed (74 per cent of Calgarians versus 66 per cent of Torontonians and 63 per cent of Vancouverites). Interesting. One month later, Canada West Foundation shared further survey results, asking respondents what they would see as the top priorities for their city.

Again, there was a distinct difference between the views of Calgarians and Canada’s larger municipalities. Seventy-six per cent of Calgarians felt that building and maintaining a road system was a very high or high priority, making it number two on Calgary’s overall list of priorities, again far outstripping the responses from Toronto and Vancouver. Large metropolitan regions like Vancouver and Toronto are far more concerned about social and environmental issues, while the responses from Calgarians were more similar to smaller centres like Saskatoon, who worry most about how far and fast they can drive.

Calgarians seem to want to be a big city with the urbanity and qualities that go along with it, but the mindset is obviously still more like a small centre, and one that serves and promotes sprawl. Why do we still not understand that roads are the primary driver of sprawl? Simply put, extending road networks as the framework for urban development is a guaranteed path to sprawl. The relationship is direct and significant, and this is not a chickens and eggs paradox — roads create sprawl, period. Unfortunately, to many, roads look like a quick fix for our traffic problems.

In reality, research has found that extending road networks does little more than promote more travel. The key measure here is vehicle trips travelled per capita, which increases every time a travel lane is added, an interchange is built, or a freeway is extended. Over the medium to long term, congestion always goes up with road improvements, not the other way around. This truth has been realized in both Toronto and Vancouver.

Toronto’s big experiment was the 407 Expressway. The logic seemed sound — make commuters pay a toll to travel faster, and they will take trips away from the swelling 401. The results: after less than a decade in operation, the 407 is operating at full capacity with 360,000 daily trips (three times what we see on most of the Deerfoot), and the 401 has required two major upgrades and lane additions to cope with additional traffic.

Roads induce travel — this fact that has been proven consistently. In Vancouver, city officials made a conscious decision years ago to stop building new roads into the downtown area. The result has been an explosion of residential development near downtown, and dispersion of employment to suburban regions. While perhaps not completely intuitive, this has resulted in fewer and shorter trips. Even with their relatively under-developed public transit system, Vancouver is the only major city in Canada where average daily commute time has gone down, not up, between 1992 and 2005 (see graph). A similar response has happened in Calgary. The City of Calgary’s 2005 transportation plan update reported that even though no new roads have been built into our downtown for decades, employment growth and downtown building have continued, supported by increased use of transit, walking, biking, or relocating (i.e. people moving to downtown housing).

This is a healthier and far more sustainable way to grow a city than just continuing to build out with low density suburbs. Roads do not solve traffic problems, they create them. The evidence is irrefutable. Calgary, it is time to get out of our small town thinking and realize that great cities have a different infrastructure framework than small and medium sized cities.

What is the legacy we want to leave for our children and for future Calgarians, and how can we create the best possible example given our relative wealth and privilege? Ironically, while our political cycle of triannual elections causes elected officials to focus on short-term objectives, developers have a longer term, albeit frustrated, outlook. In April, city council’s priorities included tossing homeless people out to the snowy streets so that the Trans-Canada Highway improvements could be finished ahead of the next election. Meanwhile, the Urban Land Institute (the developer lobby group in the U.S.), released a report calling for North American cities to abandon the single-use, low density sprawl patterns of growth in favour of higher density, mixed use patterns.

[atlas_inc]

This sounds similar to what some Calgary developers pulled on purchasers here (Union Square, Gateway Midtown).

Vancouver developer hit with cease marketing order

(CBC) - The Vancouver developer being sued for cancelling pre-sale agreements at the Riverbend housing development in Coquitlam has been ordered to stop selling units at the project. The province's Superintendent of Real Estate issued a cease marketing order Monday against CB Developments, under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act. In his decision, W. Alan Clark said there is a "substantial likelihood" the company planned to remarket the properties to new potential purchaser "without providing accurate disclosure."

Clark said the fact that lawsuits have been filed against CB could affect the value and price of the units, and could influence the decision of would-be purchasers. Even if the developer did re-sell the units to new buyers, they would likely end up tied up in litigation and might not receive title, Clark said, so he has suspended the company's right to sell them.

The company has returned deposits to more than 30 would-be buyers, and told them their purchase agreements have been cancelled. Some of them had put their money down up to two years ago. CB said rising construction costs and increased land values meant it had to resell the units at a higher price, and so it was breaking their contracts. Several of the buyers are taking the company to court. B.C. Finance Minister Carole Taylor said the superintendent's action Monday should give the buyers some relief. "They will at least know that there will be no reselling of their home until various issues under the act are followed, so it gives everyone breathing room, a chance to see exactly what the situation is, exactly what the contracts say," she said

[atlas_inc]

Kahanoff Centre expansion benefits non-profit groups
David ParkerCalgary Herald Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Once upon a time, non-profits could work through board members and other supporters to find free office space. I still get the odd call asking if I know of any landlords or larger tenants who might have some extra space -- forget it. Real estate is so tight that it seems every square inch of the downtown core is used up. Thank goodness The Kahanoff Foundation bought the 11-storey building on the corner of 12th Avenue and Centre Street in 2003 and made its 100,000 square feet available as a great resource for organizations. But the market has certainly shifted since then, and tonight Kahanoff vice-president Cynthia Moore will share plans with the non-profit community for an exciting expansion that will add another 200,000 square feet of office and meeting space at below market rates. Currently 20 different organizations make use of the Kahanoff Centre including Calgary United Way, its biggest tenant that occupies three floors.

The Kahanoff Foundation has purchased the remainder of the block apart from the Esso station on 1st Street S.E. and intends to initially develop the 12th Avenue portion that includes the Flagworks building, which has the potential to become a performing arts space. Jim Ebbles and his team at Kasian Architecture have designed a proposed 17-storey tower with lots of underground parking and 11,500- square-foot floor plates that will be joined to the Centre with a dramatic eight-storey glass atrium. It will provide service retail on the ground floor along with a large, flexible gathering space for special events with doors pivoting out into a big plaza area that will carry through to 13th Avenue -- designated as a 'green' street in the area plan.

The new building will also have many 'green' features including green roofs on all flat surfaces and the wide use of indigenous plants over ample area of landscaping. The two buildings are to be bridged at the second floor level allowing for an expansion of conference facilities that will be available for all non-profits. They will be equipped with the most modern of audio-visual equipment, a servery and spacious pre-function areas. The primarily glass-faced new tower will raise the level of non-profit accommodation in the city and help this area of Victoria Park to be a livelier and safer area. For the new tenants, it offers affordable rents in a location close to downtown and many of their board members and supporters, and the opportunity to reside in an environment with a high level of synergy that can only help productivity.

It should also help non-profits give their employees a better working space with all of the bells and whistles of a high-class downtown office tower. I admire these staffers who may work for less money than they could earn elsewhere for the satisfaction of helping worthy causes, so being in a new building a few blocks from shopping, restaurants and the LRT is well deserved. Moore says Kahanoff is also looking into the possibility of including day care and fitness facilities in the new space. Armelle Kilpatrick, general manager of Westcorp Properties, handles the leasing of the Kahanoff Centre, a model created in Calgary that is drawing attention from many other cities. It provides an unprecedented opportunity for interaction and collaboration on all aspects of non-profit operation, training, development, value and growth. And affordable rents that are so hard to find in this city.

David Parker appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. He can be reached at 830-4622 or e-mail info@davidparker.ca

[atlas_inc]

Yesterday & Today
Architects ask where the Beltline area -- and downtown -- is going
Kathy McCormickCalgary Herald Saturday, June 02, 2007


CREDIT: Dean Bicknell, Calgary Herald
Rob Taylor, president of the Beltline Communities of Connaught and Victoria, near the Vintage Chophouse.

The key to good design in older Calgary neighbourhoods is creating architecture that will speak of today, yet complement the heritage buildings of yesterday, said architects at the Beltline Urban Forum. Unfortunately, Calgary may not be doing all that it should to ensure that is happening, they said. "Calgary is so dynamic and so much is going on that it makes me dizzy," said award-winning Toronto architect Bruce Kuwabara. "On a tour of the Beltline, three out of four corners of one intersection were under construction, but where is it all going? You can't build a city out of just two-storey townhouses and 28-storey towers."

The Beltline encompasses the historic inner-city communities of Connaught and Victoria Park. As part of the forum, Kuwabara joined experts like Eben Smith, vice-president with Smith and Smith Associates in Chicago, and Robert Lemon of Robert Lemon Architecture, who is also chairman of the Vancouver Heritage Foundation, in discussing the area. The impetus behind the forum -- the first public event of this kind for the Beltline --was the controversy over the former Mount Royal Block, said Rob Taylor, president of the Beltline Communities of Victoria and Connaught. The block was located on the south side of the 800 block of 17th Avenue S.W. The initial proposal in 2005 called for the removal of some 93-year-old buildings to make way for a modern, glass structure that would include Shoppers Drug Mart.

But heated opposition resulted in Tonko Realty Advisors revising the plans to create an Edwardian-style building instead. "We tried to find the most publicly accessible, hot-button issue to discuss, and the experience with the Mount Royal Block was it," said Taylor. "The brick facade was a kickoff for the discussion on the alternatives. We wanted to show other things that would work. "We've also observed that higher density doesn't need to be just highrises. There are other alternatives such as zero-lot-line cube buildings with interior courtyards. "We want integrated eclecticism. We have 11 decades of history and we want to open up and encourage those kinds of alternatives for the future."

The Beltline Urban Forum was critical of the area's propensity for tower developments that are trying to be all things -- with heritage-style bases and modern, glass towers above them. "It appears as if the base of all the new condos is brick," said Smith. "It's almost like it's being forced on new buildings to give it an historic nature, but it's not the right way. There are other ways to achieve those goals and some buildings are not that successful." The Beltline is bounded by 17th Avenue on the south, the CP Rail tracks to the north, the Elbow River to the east and 14th Street on the west.

While the city does not have any specific requirements in its bylaws to make developers construct a heritage podium to base new buildings in the inner city, "we are told categorically what direction they would like to see," said Peter Burgener, principal of BKDI Architects. The company is working with many of the condo projects in the Beltline area, with the trend among developers to use brick or stone at street level to mimic the area's heritage buildings. "They don't specifically prescribe brick, but they strongly suggest 'warm' podiums of something like stone," said Taylor. "It encourages replication, but I can see why people in the area like it. It's an easily-accessible way to provide a reasonable standard of streetscape." The key to good design is to complement the historic nature of the area, not imitate it, said Lemon of the Vancouver Heritage Foundation.

By copying the architecture of yesterday, " it may look attractive, but it diminishes the value of the authentic buildings sitting around it," he said.
New buildings "should be products of their own time" in order to create a record of today's architecture for generations to come, said Lemon. But that doesn't mean a stark, modern building needs to sit on its own, dwarfing the historic building next door, said all three architects. "You need a balance," said Lemon. "The buildings should be distinguishable, but compatible with its heritage neighbours. It should not become a beauty contest, but height, scale, rhythm and orientation are all important."
Kuwabara agreed: "Texture matters, materials matter and quality of workmanship matters."

Specific things such as the proportions or outline of the new building make it compatible with older neighbourhoods, but "specific things (also) make it distinguishable, and that still anchors it and creates a focal point," said Lemon. The Gardiner Museum in Toronto, which underwent a massive, $20-million expansion by KPMB Architects, is one example of how to do it right, said Kuwabara, who is part of the firm. The award-winning, modern building "is between two heritage buildings, yet it's the ultimate complement to them," he said. "That pertains to the Beltline." But the Beltline is unique in some respects, said Lemon.

Unlike historic neighbourhoods in other cities where the whole area is vintage, the older architecture in the Beltline is "dispersed" within the community, he said. "The context of the neighbourhood is not driven by the consistency of the buildings and there are a lot of gaps in-between," he said. The area has been the focus of several ambitious proposals, including the Beltline Area Redevelopment Plan, which was approved by city council last year. It is the result of two other visions for the area -- the Beltline Initiative: Rediscovering the Centre, and the Blueprint to the Beltline, which both included input from area residents. The amalgamation of Connaught and Victoria Park into the Beltline, as well as area business revitalization zones, was undertaken with the aim of increasing its density -- a long-time objective for the entire inner city. That, in turn, will "increase opportunities in the area and engender a lot of variety" in the community, said Taylor.

The Beltline Area Development Plan encourages a diversity of building types and styles, as well as a built-form that is an "expression of its time," and "of the highest urban design and architectural quality." The report states the city is looking for "diversity on building sites, massing, heights, materials, setback, site coverage, orientation and overall design that complements and is in context with surrounding development." The streetscape "should be more valuable than any one building, but one building can make the difference," said Kuwabara. He praised the arriVa condo tower now under construction by Torode Residential on the far east side of the Beltline as "striking, with a lot of identity," and a building that "creates a flagship and anchor for the area."

Modern and distinctive, it, too, has "been shackled into the red brick syndrome," he said, noting the western-flavoured base of the tower doesn't fit with the rest of the building. Kuwabara also praised two buildings on the northwest corner of 2nd Street and 11th Avenue S.W. as good examples of melding old with new. The corner building, which is anchored by Vintage Chophouse and Tavern, was originally a four-storey warehouse, but Homburg added four storeys, creating a new look that still worked with the old, then built another building immediately west that has many of the same design elements. "They are simple buildings, but powerful, reflecting on the vintage look and history of the area, and they should have an effect on the whole corridor," he said.

Some of the other condo tower developments now underway or proposed for the Beltline area besides arriVa include: Stella, Nova and Luna towers, Centuria on the Park, Union Square, Colours by Battistella, Nuera, Keynote, Gateway Midtown, Gateway Beltline, Xenex, and Renoir Suites.
Several office buildings and mixed-use and/or commercial buildings are also proposed or currently under construction. Another way to incorporate the historic nature of the neighbourhood is through the public realm, said Smith of Smith and Smith Associates in Chicago. "You can take elements of the history of the area and translate that into the public spaces or as public art," he said. "It's a key anchoring factor. I'm not seeing much public art, and that's something you definitely need to give consideration to."

More than 150 people attended Beltline Urban Forum, which Taylor said will be duplicated in the future. City staff as well as Ald. Madeleine King were in attendance. Kuwabara praised the citizens for their "passion and interest in building the city," comparing their involvement to Denver, Col., and he urged everyone to continue dialogue on design to create the kind of city they want in future. "The buildings in a city are like a family," he said. "They are not all the same, but there must be a synergy, harmony and connectiveness."

© The Calgary Herald 2007

[atlas_inc]

Critical mass
Calgarians say their city too big for its own good

By TODD SAELHOF AND PABLO FERNANDEZ, SUN MEDIA

There are too many Calgarians and the quality of life in the city is suffering, says a survey released today.

And those poll results can be blamed on a lack of funding from the province, says the city's mayor.

Dave Bronconnier said yesterday that traffic tie-ups, lack of schools, rising unemployment and a shortage of housing are the reason the Canada West Foundation reports the majority of Calgarians say there are too many citizens, and many think the quality of life has deteriorated in the last five years.

"It's no surprise to me the frustration Calgarians find themselves in -- I feel it as a commuter, as a motorist, as a parent and as a person who lives here," Bronconnier said.

"This is why we've been pressuring the provincial government to keep its commitment to reinvest back in infrastructure."

The survey, which polled people in Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Toronto, reports 51.1% of Calgarians think there are too many people here.

Calgarians also think their quality of life is worse now than in 2002 and don't expect it to improve anytime soon.

The survey found 45.3% of Calgarians believe there has been a downturn in the quality of life, while 36.1% think things will only get worse -- the highest rate of dissatisfaction in the country.

And although 51.1% of Calgarians also say local government is doing a good job in dealing with the growth, that was the lowest level of satisfaction among all the cities in the Looking West 2007 survey.

Residents happiest with how their local government is dealing with growth live in Regina, where the level of satisfaction was 75.2%.

Although 86.1% of Calgarians rate their quality of life as good or very good, that is the second lowest rating, with Toronto ranking lowest, at 81.1% and Saskatoon ranking highest at 89.2%.

"Whether it's this survey or many other surveys that have come forward in the last little while, Calgarians are saying 'Get after the infrastructure, don't let up, reinvest back to make sure my quality of life and that of my family is not deteriorating," Bronconnier said. "I've heard the message loud and clear -- I just hope the politicians in Edmonton hear the same message."

Ward 9 Ald. Joe Ceci said the numbers come as no surprise.

"We are swelling in population, and it's not necessarily newcomers alone, though, who are driving the need for some projects, for example, new commercial towers," Ceci said.

"Certainly you don't have to go very far down any road in this city to see another project going in the ground.

"All of that has a big impact on ease of travel around the city, but I don't know of any effective measure of putting the unwelcome mat out for people -- it's not practical and it's not neighbourly."

TOPS IN MISERY

Percentage of population who feel local government does a good job of managing growth:

1. Regina -- 75.2 %

2. Saskatoon -- 73.5 %

3. Winnipeg -- 55.2 %

4. Edmonton -- 54 %

5. Toronto -- 52.8 %

6. Vancouver -- 51.6 %

7. Calgary -- 51.1 %

Percentage who agree there are too many people living in the city:

1. Calgary -- 51.1%

2. Toronto -- 46.2%

3. Vancouver -- 43.8%

4. Edmonton -- 38%

5. Saskatoon -- 12.8 %

6. Winnipeg -- 10.6 %

7. Regina -- 7.2 %

Percentage who feel quality of life has deteriorated in the last five years:

1. Calgary -- 45.3 %

2. (tie) Vancouver, Toronto -- 36 %

4. Edmonton -- 28 %

5. Winnipeg -- 19 %

6. Saskatoon -- 14.6 %

7. Regina -- 11.2 %

[atlas_inc]

Really, it's OK to like Calgary
Boosterism eases in city exploring its potential

Todd Babiak, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Tuesday, June 12, 2007

A young man in a white muscle shirt, giant sunglasses and a baseball cap floats silently down the Elbow River. He has a burning cigarette in one hand and a can of Kokanee in the other.

His baby blue dinghy is of the cheap Canadian Tire blow-up variety, with cartoon dolphins. He passes under the bridge and another dinghy appears upriver, this one carrying two young men. One is talking excitedly on a cellular phone, about dinner.

Elbow Drive is already crowded with convertibles, driven by the lucky ones who sneaked away early.
In lovely old neighbourhoods such as Kensington, above, Calgary feels remarkably similar to Edmonton.

Twenty blocks north, in the shiny office towers, the day's last few theoretical millions are being sucked out of Alberta's crust. On the banks of the river, not far from a cluster of hungry geese, three destitute men lie in the grass with their eyes closed, their two overflowing shopping carts parked in the shade of an elm tree.

This must mean something.

For more than 100 years, Edmontonians and Calgarians have become experts in making superficial observations and ridiculous judgments about each other. The rivalry between the cities, as fun as it can be in its sporting incarnation, has become tired and pathetic.

Calgarians see what they want to see in Edmonton, and vice-versa. Usually it's something doleful, which makes everyone feel better about their own hometowns and ultimately prevents them from engaging in a healthy dialogue about the possibility of urban renewal in Alberta. It also prevents them from travelling to each other's cities, just for fun.

For an Edmontonian to admit that Calgary's downtown is more attractive, its restaurants more elegant, that its zoo is amazing and its view of the Rockies enviable, would be an admission of failure.

Why?

The truth is, Edmonton and Calgary are both extraordinary and frustrating boomtowns of one million people, both ugly and pretty, both rich and poor, both redneck and sophisticated, separated by 275 kilometres.

An Edmontonian in Calgary can't help noticing that once you're in the core, in the lovely historic neighbourhoods north and south of downtown, the cities even feel remarkably similar.

Of course, there are fundamental cultural differences. Irony, neurosis and even self-loathing are stitched into the great bosom of Edmonton. Calgary, by contrast, has a marketable cowboy theme and a spanky slogan in Heart of the New West.

Without passing any city ordinances or doping the water supply, it has become perfectly acceptable to claim that Calgary has the best theatre scene, the best wine merchants, the best opera, the best restaurants, the best blue jeans, the best buskers, the best cupcakes and the best-looking people on Earth.

Calgarians point out the new German imports on their streets with a tone of astonished pride, as though every new millionaire were a shared success. It's not possible to get through a day without hearing that building cranes are "the official bird of Calgary."

Bad traffic, horrible service and wacky real estate prices have become folk tales, proof that Calgary is a big city now, even when it all doesn't seem nearly so extreme when you're actually on Memorial Drive or looking at a house in Kensington.

But something new and exciting and distinct is happening in Calgary today.

Aggressive boosterism is on the wane, along with the city's automatic tendency to vote against its interests in a block with rural Alberta. Real Calgarians, the ones who aim to stay after the boom, sense an opportunity that reaches beyond personal wealth. They're testing what they mean by "world class."

Since November, a retired oil executive named David Matthews has been holding informal lunch-hour think-tanks at La Chaumiere, a classic French restaurant on 17th Avenue.

Matthews goes through the newspaper and the phone book, and invites smart and influential people -- politicians and writers and business leaders, academics and architects and planners.

"I do sometimes think: what am I doing in this city?" he says, with a hint of a British accent, during one of his pleasant mini-salons. "Especially after having been to Europe on vacation, say.

"But the place grows on me. The city has so much potential, enormous potential, but we keep screwing it up. We need to get beyond roads and interchanges and potholes and garbage."

Matthews hopes the think-tank will transform into action at the end of June, to help elect a "few visionaries" to city council in October. He says people sometimes accuse him of being insane, as he always pays the bill at the end of the meal. "Calgary's been very good to me, and I'd like to give something back," he says. "I think we can make a very special town of this."

One of Matthew's regular guests is Bob van Wegen, a soft-spoken community activist and board member of the Calgary Heritage Initiative. He laments Calgary's No. 1 challenge, that too many people come to the city hoping to make a pile of dough and leave.

"They aren't necessarily coming here for an urban experience," he says. "They'll arrive from rural places in Saskatchewan or the Maritimes, or from similar cities like Dallas or Houston, and they're happy to buy a ranch house in the 'burbs. And a lot of people, even lifelong Calgarians, are attracted to the natural but not the physical environment.

"Why do you live in Calgary? To be close to the mountains."

This is vexing to a growing number of Calgarians focused on planning and sustainability and architecture and the arts. The constantly expanding fringes of the city suck money and energy from the city, as a reality and as a concept, and prevent Calgarians from engaging in a meaningful way with Calgary.

"Summer weekends in Kensington are the worst time of the year for the locals," says Marcello di Cintio, an award-winning travel writer who grew up in Calgary and remains here. "The tourists from the suburbs are in to see what a real neighbourhood looks like."

Di Cintio is part of a bright new generation of writers and thinkers desperate to rethink and remake Calgary, to discover what they love best about the city -- neighbourhood funk, puppet theatre, a spirit of experimentation, sandstone -- and explode it.

Not that there isn't momentum to go along with the constructive criticism. One of the greatest urban developments in recent Canadian history, Garrison Woods, transformed an abandoned army barracks into a central village of condominiums, brownstone-style townhomes, duplexes and houses.

On June 1, the city unfurled its plans for a brave and transformative 14-block downtown cultural district.

Kensington, Inglewood, Bridgeland and other inner-city neighbourhoods provide dense, colourful, authentic and tree-lined alternatives to freeways, manicured lawns and vinyl siding.

The Bow, a spectacular office tower to be built by EnCana, has sparked a renewed interest in downtown and the ways in which an architectural project can represent the hopes and dreams and shifting identity of a city and its people.

On their dinghys, the young men float through Calgary-Elbow, Ralph Klein's former riding, adjacent to the Mercedes convertibles and the men who live out of shopping carts. Today's byelection in the riding could be a political catalyst in the city's social, cultural and physical transformation. Or not.

Either way, for the first time in a generation, Calgary is fully awake to its potential. Edmontonians must stop skipping the city on their way to Kananaskis and Banff.

Really, it's OK to love Calgary.

tbabiak@thejournal.canwest.com

- - -

Get More

Go to www.edmontonjournal.com for Todd's audio slideshow of Calgary, Calgary Herald columnist Val Fortney's column on Edmonton, and a reader poll.


© The Edmonton Journal 2007






If Calgary's a victim of anything, it's a victim of its own success
Bronconnier's whine about Stelmach convincing as Paris Hilton's rehab

Gary Lamphier, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Tuesday, June 12, 2007

I've never resented Calgary's oil and gas riches. In fact, I've long admired the city's swagger and entrepreneurial smarts.

When it comes to civic boosterism and urban myth-making, there's much that Edmonton -- and its myopic municipal neighbours -- could learn from their supremely confident cousin to the south.

But Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier's self-serving campaign to portray Alberta's wealthiest city as a poor, downtrodden victim of the unfeeling, uncaring Stelmach government is something straight out of a Monty Python flick.

I mean, c'mon. Calgary as victim? You're kidding, right? Are we talking about the same Calgary that effectively ran the premier's office in this province for 28 of the past 36 years, and 13 of the past 14?

Now that's rich. Only a flak for (boo hoo) Paris Hilton could come up with spin like that. Or a southern Alberta Liberal mayor in a province run by a northern Alberta Tory premier on the eve of two provincial by-elections.

Last time I checked, Alberta's biggest city had more newly minted millionaires than any city in Canada. More than a quarter of Canada's 100 best-paid CEOs live in Calgary, home to just three per cent of the nation's population.

Suncor CEO Rick George alone pocketed $15.5 million in 2006, topping the combined incomes of Edmonton's eight best-paid corporate bosses.

As the breathless national press has told us time and again, Calgary is a city where Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maseratis adorn the driveways of million-dollar homes, and where every self-respecting, thirtysomething oilpatch VP owns a half-million-dollar ski pad in Canmore.

A Calgary analyst I know told me last year there were 10,000-plus brokerage house accounts in his city with assets of $1 million or more. That's roughly one for every 100 Calgarians.

Sales of Calgary homes worth $1 million or more soared nearly 40 per cent over the past year, according to a city realtor. Average prices for single-detached homes are now approaching half a million bucks.

Median household incomes and economic growth rates in Calgary have ranked at or among the highest in Canada for years. Unemployment levels are usually the lowest for any major city.

Sales of high-end condos are so hot that one new project located near Calgary Tower -- with units priced from $840,000 to $3.5 million -- recently sold out in a single day.

Calgary's LRT system puts Edmonton's to shame. The city's roadways are a pleasure to drive compared to Edmonton's, which look as if they've been riddled with artillery fire by the U.S. Air Force.

Calgary sprouts shiny new office towers the way Edmonton sprouts ugly graffiti. EnCana vows that its new monument to itself will rank as the tallest, most grandiose office tower in Western Canada.

Edmonton hasn't had a new downtown office tower in, what, 17 years. That's three years before (former Calgary mayor) Ralph Klein became premier.

(Of course, Calgary's favourite son can't be blamed for any of the city's current problems, even if his laissez-faire approach to oilsands development and his hands-off approach to royalties are the two biggest reasons why Calgary is suffering the strains of growth.

Why, Bronconnier even named a city park after King Ralph.)

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah. Calgary, if this is what pain looks like, feel free to spread it around, especially among your neighbours to the north. We could use some of that.

As my colleague Sheila Pratt has noted, despite all evidence to the contrary, Calgarians now seem convinced that dad really does like Edmonton best. As the spin goes, E-town now gets more of everything from Stelmach's Tories, including more dough for city projects.

Forget that the proposed $200-million remake of Edmonton's Royal Alberta Museum has been delayed, or that NAIT's expansion plans got the snub, or that plans for a redesign of Edmonton's legislature precinct were ditched.

And forget the fact that Calgary actually has more cabinet ministers (three) than Edmonton, which has just one. No matter.

Calgary is now a victim. That's the new mantra. The proof? Seems that uncaring, unfeeling Stelmach and his (largely rural, unsophisticated) cronies attached unwanted strings to the $1.4 billion in annual infrastructure funding for Alberta's towns and cities, including Calgary.

It's so wrong. So insensitive to Calgary's special needs. This has to end.

Well, you get the picture. The Calgary tribe, my friends, has spoken. It's clear how this episode of Survivor will end. Ed, your days on this island are numbered.

Todd Hirsch has a new gig. The erudite former chief economist at Canada West Foundation is now a senior economist with Edmonton-based ATB Financial, the province's largest homegrown bank.

In his new role, Hirsch will speak for ATB on provincial and national economic issues. He'll continue to be based in Calgary.

glamphier@thejournal.canwest.com
© The Edmonton Journal 2007




Edmonton and Calgary: Alberta's two solitudes

Edmonton and Calgary: Alberta's two solitudes
After decades of bitter rivalry, more unites than divides the two urban centres

Todd Babiak, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Tuesday, June 12, 2007

The rivalry between Edmonton and Calgary is dead. We're a corridor now, an economic zone -- the second-richest in the world, after Luxembourg, apparently.

Hockey will always be hockey, but old stereotypes have faded: Edmonton has grown in financial power while Calgary has become more of a cultural centre.

Yet we don't know each other. As urban explorers, Edmontonians and Calgarians are bound by a preference for Vancouver, New York or Paris. It's easier to rely on old-fashioned biases than to arrive at an accurate representation of our sister city. As Vladimir Lenin, never a philosophical icon in these parts, said, "A lie told often enough becomes the truth."

The relationship between Edmonton and Calgary, during the post-Lougheed era, was a mess of true lies. Crawling out of a recession into our current state of overheated madness came with plenty of civic character assassination.

Now that we're in a post-post-Lougheed era, with desperate growth issues leading the two cities and their citizens into a political, economic and cultural bloc, a place called Urban Alberta, it's time to peer between the truths and the lies.

"There's a real desire in this community to demonstrate a new look," says Bob McPhee, general director and CEO of the nationally acclaimed Calgary Opera, and a former Edmontonian. "It's more than just cowboys."

After all, the Stampede lasts for only 10 days. The core of Calgary, like the core of Edmonton, is a beautiful and diverse and increasingly cosmopolitan place -- especially in the summertime. And Calgary is moving out of its time of triumphalism into a much more thoughtful, and realistic, phase of physical and cultural growth.

tbabiak@thejournal.canwest.com

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Today, we start a six-part series with the Calgary Herald as writers from both newspapers swap cities for a day.

Edmonton and Calgary have grown in size and sophistication, especially in the past couple of years, and in this joint project we'll give our readers a fresh look at the biggest centres in our booming province.

Today: Columnist Todd Babiak

July 10: City columnist Scott McKeen

Aug. 14: Food writer Judy Schultz

Sept. 11: Sports columnist Dan Barnes

Oct. 9: Culture writer Liz Nicholls

Nov. 13: Business columnist Gary Lamphier


© The Edmonton Journal 2007







Our town as seen by their town
Lesson No. 1: humble Edmontonians shrink from 'world class' status

Val Fortney, Calgary Herald
Published: Tuesday, June 12, 2007

It is a city in the midst of an economic boom, with all the good and bad that entails.

Its population, with a footprint bigger than Toronto or Chicago, has hit the million mark. Jobs are everywhere and people are flocking from all over the country to capitalize on the prosperity. Housing prices are in the stratosphere, homelessness and urban crime are growing problems and a shortage of service workers means you can't get a decent cup of coffee to save your life.

Oh, and everybody's ticked off about all the potholes.

Calgary, you say? Try Edmonton, just 275 kilometres up the QEII.

Ask a random sampling of Calgarians, and they'll variously describe Edmonton as the capital of our province, the city with North America's largest shopping mall and cold winters without the respite of chinooks.

It's a government town, a blue-collar town, a cultural, festival-rich town; and it's a place that some of us in Cowtown love to loathe.

Other than these famed characteristics and a few outmoded stereotypes, how well do we know our urban neighbours to the north? This writer, for one, confesses to a woeful ignorance of the place that once served as a major stopping point on the way to the Klondike Gold Rush.

So I welcomed the opportunity to spend a few days exploring the city's nooks and crannies -- watching a play in the famed Old Strathcona theatre district, enjoying a stroll through the verdant North Saskatchewan River valley, and dining in a handful of its more popular restaurants.

To get to the heart of the Edmontonian character, though, such short-term casual observance must be guided by those who know and love it best, leaders in the community whose work has helped to shape and inform the city's distinct -- albeit hard to uncover -- true character.

So, what's the first lesson you learn when talking to an Edmontonian about what makes the city a great place to live?

Don't dare utter such Calgary-style terms as "world class." Unless, of course, you want to be greeted with a raised eyebrow or a sarcastic chuckle.

"People here aren't really big on boasting," says Holger Peterson as he cuts into a salmon filet at Il Portico, a downtown dining spot that not long ago received a rave review in the New York Times.

"The longtime Edmontonians I know like to keep the city, and its great qualities, a secret."

© The Edmonton Journal 2007






Perfect strangers
Val Fortney, Calgary Herald
Published: Monday, June 11, 2007
Edmonton -

It is a city in the midst of an economic boom, with all the good and bad that entails.

Its population, with a footprint bigger than Toronto or Chicago, has now hit the million mark. Jobs are everywhere and people are flocking from all over the country to capitalize on the prosperity. Housing prices are in the stratosphere, homelessness and urban crime is a growing problem and a shortage of service workers means you can't get a decent cup of coffee to save your life. Oh, and everybody's ticked off about all the potholes.

Ask a random sampling of Calgarians, and they'll variously describe Edmonton as the capital of our province, the city with North America's largest shopping mall and cold winters without the respite of Chinooks. It's a government town, a blue-collar town, a cultural, festival-rich town; and it's a place a few folks in Cowtown love to loathe.

Other than these famed characteristics and a few outmoded stereotypes, how well do we know our urban neighbours to the north? This writer, for one, confesses to a woeful ignorance of the place that once served as a major stopping point on the way to the Klondike Gold Rush.

So I welcomed the opportunity to spend a few days exploring the city's nooks and crannies - watching a play in the famed Old Strathcona theatre district, enjoying a stroll through the verdant North Saskatchewan River valley that bisects the city and dining in a handful of its more popular restaurants.

To get to the heart of the Edmontonian character, though, such short-term casual observance must be aided by those who know and love it best, leaders in the community whose work has helped to shape and inform the city's distinct, albeit hard-to-undercover, true character.

So, what's the first lesson you learn when talking to an Edmontonian about what makes his or her city a great place to live?

Don't dare utter such Calgary-style terms as "world-class." Unless, of course, you want to be greeted with a raised eyebrow or a sarcastic chuckle.

"People here aren't really big on boasting," says Holger Peterson as he cuts into a salmon filet at Il Portico, a downtown dining spot that not long ago received a rave review in the New York Times. Yes, that New York Times.

"The longtime Edmontonians I know like to keep the city, and its great qualities, a secret."

Peterson has lived here since 1958, when he arrived at age eight with his German immigrant parents. He's worked with the radio station CKUA since the 1960s and in 1976 launched his own very successful roots music record label, Stony Plains Records.

The well-travelled Peterson could have based his business anywhere. But he chose Edmonton.

"I just never felt motivated to leave," he says with a shrug of his shoulders.

When prodded, he does eventually begin to articulate what's so special about his city.

"The size works for me, and the river valley is beautiful," says the man who became a Member of the Order of Canada in 2003 for his groundbreaking work on the country's music scene.

"We have cuisine, culture, touring artists - we're not lacking in anything."

Peterson's reticence about waxing euphoric over his city's virtues, I soon discover, is a trait common amongst even the proudest citizens.

Knowing this made interviewing Stewart Lemoine about why he loves this town a much less painful experience than it could have been.

The prolific playwright/director/producer and mainstay of the city's theatre scene sits in a coffee shop looking out on to Whyte Avenue, the funky inner-city strip filled with boutique hotels, chic restaurants and eclectic shops.

"We've been labelled a cultural capital, by someone," says the longtime Edmontonian with a quiet sigh as he refers to his home's designation as Festival City.

"It's nice to have that acknowledged, but no one really knows what that means."

Lemoine, though, is the first to say there's no better place for an artist to live and ply his craft. "It's all about the freedom; I live here because I want to produce plays for myself," he says.

"This city has a great talent pool, and our audience here is incredible."

Lemoine readily admits that Edmonton lacks a clear identity that you can wrap up in a tidy promotional package, but dismisses that as a non-issue.

"People come here and say we're unpretentious because the place is unremarkable," says Lemoine, who in a rare moment of hyperbole likens the river valley to New York's Central Park.

"But we don't worry about our status - we're too busy thinking about other things."

When an Edmontonian does lapse into a brief moment of boastfulness, it's usually about the river valley and the winding North Saskatchewan that weaves its way through the city and its environs.

For Vivian Manasc, it's more than an asset: it's the key symbol of the city's very essence.

"The river valley makes this city so livable," says one of the principals of Manasc-Isaac Architects, a company renowned for its work in sustainable design.

"You can live in the most affluent or the most modest neighbourhood, and still be close to the river valley."

Manasc, a native of Montreal, came to Edmonton in the 1970s and was quickly hooked. "It was boom time, then and now, and so much of what we do is driven by growth," she says.

This isn't to say she doesn't see room for improvement in her city. Like Calgary, she says, Edmonton has an unfortunate history of not respecting its historical buildings; its downtown, she adds, has too many vacant lots and not enough "walkability"; attention to good public architecture hasn't been a priority; and urban sprawl is just as big an issue here as it is in Calgary.

But things are improving. "Urban design in Edmonton has finally got some political backing," she says, noting Mayor Stephen Mandel has put a much-needed focus on this and other urban issues.

Mandel is indeed thinking about a lot of things besides Edmonton's lack of a clear brand. "Throw on a cowboy hat, and that's Calgary," says the city's mayor of three years.

"Edmonton has struggled for years, but we're getting more confident with our identity."

Mandel sees Calgary and Edmonton as being two very different, but complementary, cities. "One of the real dilemmas of this province is that both Calgary and Edmonton have inferiority complexes," he says as he relaxes in his palatial city hall office.

"We're competitive with one another, and that's unhealthy. What we need to do is work together now, to build a great province."

He acknowledges that the two cities share many of the same boom time challenges - public transportation is one of his big concerns - but there are some that are unique to Edmonton. For instance, the population of one million is derived from what's known as the Alberta Capital Region, which consists of Edmonton proper along with 23 surrounding, sometimes warring, municipalities.

"You'll be having the same challenges we're having in this now, in about 10 years, with places like Airdrie and Okotoks," he says of the often-frustrating experience of trying to build consensus.

He's quick to point to Edmonton assets like its wealth of educational institutions in the city's core, its cultural offerings and its leadership in the life sciences field.

"We're a city of the future, with a great cultural scene," says Mandel, in this columnist's first encounter with anything remotely resembling Edmonton-style boosterism.

Rachel Notley is another typical understated Edmontonian, but admits she's been an ambassador for her hometown while living in other major Canadian cities.

"There are low expectations from people outside of Edmonton about our city," says the politician set to replace Raj Pannu as the New Democrat standard-bearer for Edmonton-Strathcona.

"Edmonton is the pleasant surprise."

Along with her city's more diverse political landscape - "if Edmonton were a city state, we would have had three different governments in the last 20 years" - the native Edmontonian loves its down-to-earth collective character.

"I think it's because so many here still have strong rural roots," says the lawyer daughter of the late ND politician Grant Notley over lunch at Caf Select, an Edmonton dining institution. "That brings with it a lack of pretense."

Lack of pretense, indeed. We Calgarians have a lot in common with this other urban Alberta centre. We share many of the same challenges, and, for the most part, we fiercely love our cities.

Just don't expect our northerly neighbours to shout their love from the rooftops.

It's just not the Edmonton way.

vfortney@theherald.canwest.com

[atlas_inc]

EnCana tower contruction underway
Kim Guttormson, Calgary Herald

Published: Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Work is now officially underway on the tallest office tower in Western Canada, with the mayor and other dignitaries attending a ground breaking ceremony for the Bow Wednesday morning.

Crews, already digging on the sites on either side of 6th Avenue, paused for the speeches.
"We're building the largest office building in Western Canada," Calgary Economic Development CEO Bruce Graham said. "It's fitting they'll start by digging the biggest hole south of Fort McMurray."

The Bow - which will house EnCana - includes a six-storey underground parkade that will run from 5th Avenue to 7th Avenue, requiring a 20 metre deep hole.

It will mean the block of 6th Avenue between 1st Street S.E. and Centre Street will be closed completely for up to 11 months, starting shortly after the Stampede parade July 6.

The 58-storey Bow will occupy the block north of 6th Avenue, while on the south site a smaller building will house retail and cultural space. It will be built around the 78-year-old York Hotel, which will be restored.

kguttormson@theherald.canwest.com




© Calgary Herald 2007

[atlas_inc]

New York on the Bow
High-rise condo tower slated for Calgary modelled on NYC
Kathy McCormick, Calgary Herald
Published: Saturday, June 16, 2007
Arcus Developments' first high-rise condominium tower is set to launch later this month in Calgary.

Astoria on 10th is classic, uptown chic -- and it's no accident that it was named after one of the greatest buildings in New York, says the developer.

"We saw a huge opportunity for this product that will make an impact on the skyline of Calgary," says Johannes van Leenen, managing director and owner of Arcus.

We researched architecture all around North America and decided we wanted a New York feel. That's why we named it Astoria. We have a twin tower on 8th Street that we will name the Carlton and there will be a hotel in-between."

The Astoria on 10th is a mixed use tower, with the first floor consisting of retail and the next two floors containing commercial and office space.

"The fourth floor will be an amenity centre for the residents, with a workout area and social area that spills on to a rooftop garden terrace," says Michael Myers, general manager, condo division of Arcus.

"The rest of the 30 storeys will be residential with a total of 229 units."

The Arcus philosophy is simple, says van Leenen. "We're not looking to be the biggest, but we want to build beautiful buildings and communities that Calgary can be proud of."

To do that, "we've researched the best architects with the level of expertise we want, and the best builders, and picked the ones we want to do the job," he says. "There are a good number of firms with expertise in Calgary and by bringing in the best, we are able to take the division where we want it."

A mock show suite has been set up in the new Arcus office at 999 8th St. S.W. At 585 square feet, it's one of the smaller units, and it has a full-width balcony that will provide spectacular city views.

The one-bedroom unit is an efficient model that includes a modern, open floor plan and upscale design.

The large windows make the unit even brighter and more appealing.

Look for high-end specs that are standard with the builder, such as granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and hardwood floors in entry and kitchens. Other features include porcelain tile flooring in bathrooms and the laundry room where the washer and dryer are also standard, and six-inch baseboards.

The bathroom in the show suite has been upgraded with such items as a pedestal sink to show the potential available for purchasers.

Ten different floor plans are available, with sizes starting at 580 square feet for one-bedroom, one-bathroom units, to up to 1,113 square feet for two-bedroom, two-bathroom units.

Two penthouses at 3,300 square feet, and 18 sub-penthouses of 1,033 to 1,123 square feet, are also offered.

Prices start at $284,000 and go to more than $2 million, with the average price in the range of $450,000. The amenity level of the building will consist of a large fitness centre and a full-service social room.

From the fourth floor, the owners will be able to access a rooftop terrace, which will include seating areas, trees, plants, flowers and a large grassed area.

Heated, secured underground parking is provided, with extra storage lockers for each unit.

The public launch of the site is scheduled for June 28. Register at www.AstoriaOn10th.com for an invitation to the launch.

Arcus has another large multi-family development in Edmonton planned for July. Located near Grant MacEwan College in the inner city, the project will have 320 units.

Future plans include a 250-unit site in Cochrane and 1,200 units in south Calgary.

The developer is affiliated with WestView Builders, which is in High River as well as Okotoks and will soon be expanding to other areas.

WestView was a finalist in several categories at the recent SAM (Sales and Marketing) awards by the Calgary Region Home Builders Association.

These included two single-family and two multi-family finalist categories.

The builder is currently constructing or planning projects in both single-family and multi-family housing in High River and Okotoks.

The residential land development side of Arcus also includes land in Cochrane -- Jumping Pound Ridge on the west side just off George Fox Trail -- that will have a sales centre by late summer.

A longer-term piece of land is located in Copperview in the deep southeast of Calgary that will be developed in four to five years.

Arcus International recently held is official launch of its first resort project, Costa Del Sol in Belize. It's a complex with 400 villa-style luxury homes on Amebergris Caye.

In Short

DEVELOPER: Arcus Developments.

PROJECT: Astoria on 10th.

LOCATION: Across the street from the new Arcus offices at 999 8th St. S.W.

PRICES: Average $450,000.

LAUNCH DATE: June 28. Register at www.AstoriaOn10th.com.




© The Calgary Herald 2007

[atlas_inc]

Meadows charts course for luxury
Mall at Deerfoot and Heritage Drive expected to attract luxury retailers
Mario Toneguzzi Calgary Herald Sunday, June 17, 2007

Ken Mariash is turning a piece of 'urban blight' into one of the premier developments in Calgary.It was once an "abandoned, industrial blight" on the Calgary landscape in an absolutely prime location. But once developer Ken Mariash has completed his vision for the choice piece of real estate -- which will cost about $2 billion to build -- it will house some of the most prestigious high-end retailers in the world as well as luxury residential hotel and office structures nearby on the ridge of Blackfoot Trail. The overall Deerfoot Meadows project is a 3.5 million-square-foot, multi-use integrated retail and luxury residential development situated on Alberta's busiest freeway -- the Deerfoot Trail.

Mariash's vision is to create a world-class destination location out of the 145-hectare site where big-box stores such as IKEA, Wal-Mart and the Superstore exist alongside the Meadows Collection, billed as Canada's first luxury centre, with possible big-name international retailers such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Christian Dior, Hermes, Tiffany, Donna Karan, Versace, Coach, Crate and Barrel, and Holt Renfrew. All tied into a nice, enticing package for spend-happy Calgary and Alberta consumers and bordered by Blackfoot Trail, Heritage Drive and Deerfoot Trail. "The synergy appears between all these different tenants of small and big and international in nature and some of the biggest balance sheets in the world sort of comes together with an obvious need for the village (Meadows Collection) to be the centrepiece of the overall retail platform," says Mariash, managing partner of Heritage Partners Limited Partnership.

"What happens when you start to think about the village and the need in Calgary today of luxury components, there's really no place for the global tenants in the higher end to land in Calgary . . . So Calgary is in need of an instant solution -- a need in Calgary for those global tenants . . . They're all going to these prosperous places like Moscow and Dubai and Mumbai."

The retail development on the Deerfoot Meadows site will eventually be up to 3.5 million square feet -- 500,000 of that in the Meadows Collection part. Several luxury car dealerships also exist across Deerfoot Trail. And tying in the retail sector are The Bluffs which would include a number of highrise, high-end residential condominium towers combined with a clubhouse, spa and various other amenities. "We have a mile of frontage on Blackfoot Trail 100 feet above the site, overlooking the mountains and overlooking the river," says Mariash. "So when you start thinking about the village as being a sort of climactic component for the retail and a fairly serious fulfilment for Calgary on the global side, you also start thinking about the synergy of that village with The Bluffs and with a fairly high-end residential highrise product up on The Bluffs."

Mariash says a promenade on the ridge and the residential community is a way to connect them together in a one and a half kilometre walking path, "having some retail conveniences along the way whether it's some small bistros, coffee shops, or whatever. And of course that stroll would end up culminating in the village. We have to figure out how to get everybody up and down the hill," says Mariash, adding a tram system will also start operating once the village opens, circling the site and stopping at storefronts. Richard Pootmans, business development manager of real estate for Calgary Economic Development, says the overall Deerfoot Meadows project is an important part of the dynamic growth of the city. "This project is responding to the opportunities," he says, adding the village concept has attracted interest from retailers from around the world. "You really have to say that Ken has assembled the best creative talents in the world to provide us with a high level of excellence in the Deerfoot Meadows environment." Pootmans says the project is responding to high increases in retail sales per capita, the buoyancy of the economy and continued confidence in the market.

"It wasn't so long ago -- it seems kind of amazing actually -- that this was an abandoned, industrial blight on our landscape and look at what it is today," he says. "It's really an incredible achievement." Grant Kosowan, regional director for Orange National Retail Group Inc., says the Deerfoot Meadows project has a "ton of potential." "It's going to be up to Ken to realize it and it's going to be up to the group to do it," says Kosowan. "But there are few better located sites around. I've got great things to say about the land and the project as a whole. I'd love to see some progress on the village. That would be fantastic and that would be great for Calgary, be great for the project." He says the site's accessibility is "unbeatable" for a huge portion of the market. Once construction on Glenmore Trail is completed, "anybody south of the Bow River should be able to reach that thing in a very short period of time. Accessibility is fantastic," adds Kosowan. "It's tough to beat. Not many retail projects perched on Deerfoot Trail. The corner of Glenmore and Deerfoot, man it's right in the crosshairs."

And the project has received attention in eastern Canada. "Oh yeah, everybody knows about it. There's no doubt about it. Right across the country everybody's familiar with it. Even in some parts of the U.S. I would argue too. No doubt about that," says Kosowan. Mariash and Marvin Traub, president of Marvin Traub Associates and former CEO and chairman of Bloomingdales, who has been hired as a consultant on the Deerfoot Meadows retail project, are speaking Tuesday at a luncheon at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce on Global Retail Trends and the Future of Retailing. Former Ontario Premier Mike Harris is the moderator. Representatives for some high-end international retailers are expected to be in attendance. Mariash says a number of "world-class retirement facility operators" are interested in putting in a high-end, independent living and retirement campus on The Bluffs. "All of these things have now started to come together in a fairly emphatic way. One last item on The Bluffs would be the promenade on the hill and how people walk that ridge and enjoy the view of the river and enjoy the frontage," says Mariash.

© The Calgary Herald 2007

[atlas_inc]

Gifts top $100M
U of C ranks 2nd in nation for fundraising
Deborah Tetley, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, June 22, 2007


Don and Ruth Taylor announced that they will donate $25 million to the University of Calgary to create the new Taylor Family Digital Library on the campus during a press conference Friday December 8.
Ted Rhodes, Calgary Herald

Spurred by a hot Alberta economy, the University of Calgary -- one of the country's youngest undergraduate institutions -- raised a record $101 million in donations last year.

The milestone puts the 41-year-old university at No. 2 in annual post-secondary institution fundraising across the country -- just ahead of the University of Toronto and slightly behind the University of British Columbia.

U of C president Harvey Weingarten pointed to Alberta's booming economy as a contributor to the nearly 350 per cent spike in donations since 2002.

In that year, the university raised $22.7 million.

But the economy isn't the only factor, he said, noting the U of C received more than 12,800 individual gifts, targeting a range of projects, including student scholarships, capital and residences.

"Some of those are $25 and others at $25 million," Weingarten said. "But that is something the Calgary community is great at. They set the bar high, expect innovation and big thinking, and they have confidence we will deliver."

Weingarten said the majority of donations were gifts from Calgary-based individuals, companies and foundations.

Drama student Christopher Duthie has benefitted from two financial awards from the university in the past two years, which he's used to offset the costs of his fine arts degree.

Part of the money was used to finance the fifth-year student's residency program with One Yellow Rabbit.

"The money gives me opportunities to do things I might not have had a chance to, and meet people who have been in the business 25 years," he said. "I know that it has made a difference in me having a great education, and it's nice because the arts doesn't normally get a lot of funding."

Some of the more significant donations received by the university over the past year include $25 million from Calgarians Don and Ruth Taylor for the Taylor Family Digital Library, which is slated to open in the fall of 2009.

There is also the $2-million gift from the late Hong Kong philanthropist Henry Fok Ying Tung toward a new international residence for students and visiting scholars.

The university also reaped $20 million from the sale of a 2002 land donation from Dick and Lois Haskayne, creating an endowment for the Haskayne School of Business and a new wildlife park.

Other donations have gone toward boosting resources directed at improving U of C students' experiences.

For instance, ten scholarships worth $50,000 over three years are awarded to students applying to U of C from outside Calgary. Another 16 awards, worth $30,000 over three years, are awarded to Calgary-area students.

Those funds stem from a $25-million donation in 2005 by Seymour Schulich, who then had the funds matched by the provincial government.

Gary Durbeniuk, vice-president of development, said the university set a goal of raising $80 million last year, on the heels of a record $70.5 million raised 2005-06.

His office will aim for another $100 million next year.

Durbeniuk attributed U of C's success to a different fundraising strategy than ones used by other post secondaries. Rather than setting a firm target each year and reaching for it, the university invests time in relationships, he said.

Fundraising dollars also went toward:

- The $4.6-million Core Facility for Emerging Infectious Diseases
- The $1-million Experimental Lung Suite
- $1-million donation from alumni, Tara and Matt Brister, toward enhancing teaching and learning experiences.
- $2 million to renovate 36 spaces where students can study and lounge.
- Brothers Doc, B.J. and Don Seaman provided $2 million to begin planning neuroArm, the world's first MRI-compatible surgical robot.

dtetley@theherald.canwest.com
=========================================================

City has its eye on school land
Kim Guttormson, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, June 22, 2007

The city wants to use land reserved for schools that will never be built for affordable housing, fire halls or libraries.

Using the sites would require the school boards to declare them surplus and the province changing legislation so the land can be redesignated.

"I think it's really important to use this land for affordable housing and it certainly is a huge opportunity," said Ald. Madeleine King, who is putting a motion before council on Monday. "It's being proactive in saying the amount of land that's been taken for schools does seem to be more than the school boards need to provide in terms of education."

Mayor Dave Bronconnier said it comes down to using public land for a public good.

"This is certainly a direction I've been working on with other members of council to address another critical social need," he said, adding some of the empty sites have been that way for 40 years.

He said there are 75 surplus lots in the city.

As the city grows and the price of a home rises to record levels, more Calgarians are having difficulty buying a place of their own or even finding somewhere with reasonable rent. Last year, a count of the homeless in the city put the number at more than 3,400.

The city will use $63 million allocated by the province in the spring budget to pay for part of two affordable housing projects already approved by council, to cover the cost escalation of two other projects already under construction and a rent subsidy program.

Details of the rent subsidy program are still being worked out, but it would involve up to 1,000 units and the city would work with landlords.

When a new community is developed in the city, sites have to be set aside for both public and Catholic schools and are tagged reserve land. That means the only things it can be used for are schools or a community facility, such as soccer fields or baseball diamonds.

"Currently, the (provincial) act prohibits the putting up of fire halls, libraries, affordable housing, anything of that nature," Bronconnier said.

The school boards do look at the sites available to them and declare some surplus.

Ted Flitton, spokesman for the Calgary Board of Education, said it is investigating six sites. "We evaluate the current role and any other potential future role and figure out what might be best for the community," he said.

However, even if a school board declares a site surplus, the city can't do anything with it unless there are changes to the Municipal Government Act.

Municipal Affairs spokeswoman Tracy Balash said the province has been encouraging cities to find innovative methods of creating more affordable housing units.

"We're looking forward to seeing what it is they're proposing and how we can be of assistance," she said.

kguttormson@theherald.canwest.com
=========================================================

New reservoir proposed for north
Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, June 22, 2007

City Hall - The city is planning to spend nearly $1 million on a parcel of land to build a reservoir, which is needed to supply water to residents in the north.

Officials will ask council Monday for approval to go ahead with the purchase of the land from a private developer. Once it's bought, the city will use the land to build the Big Hill East Reservoir.

Donna Brown, who co-ordinates acquisitions for the city's corporate properties department, said it's an important piece of property.

"What prompts us to go looking for a reservoir site is growth in a particular area," she said, noting the city just bought another one on Old Banff Coach Road to serve the West Springs area.

"Now this is a further one that is required further up in the northwest, given the development up there."

The site, located on the corner of 69th Street and 144th Avenue N.W., is required before the city can give land-use approval for the first stages of the Nolan Hill and Sage Hill developments.

Council will make the final decision Monday.
=========================================================

Alderman urges hike in snow budget
Kim Guttormson, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, June 22, 2007

As Calgarians' thoughts turn to summer, at least one city alderman is thinking about winter, and the inevitable snowfall that accompanies it.

Ald. Bob Hawkesworth says the city should boost its snow removal budget by $2.6 million to better deal with the demand to clear roads after a storm, a report going to council Monday recommends.

"I think it will help," said Hawkesworth, who made the original motion asking city staff to investigate solutions.

"I know it's an additional cost to the city budget, but at the same time, there's a cost to citizens for delays and lost productivity, and the frustration of sitting in gridlock traffic carries a cost with it as well.

"To my way of thinking, it's the kind of service people want us to provide. We are a winter city. We shouldn't have to come to a complete stop because of a snowfall."

In the first few months of this year, 40 per cent more snow fell on the city than usual. Heavy snowfalls led to numerous accidents and complaints from drivers.

A report to council, which the transportation department refused to comment on, said the cost of clearing snow and ice between January and the end of May came in at $13.7 million. The budget had set aside $11.1 million.

The annual snow and ice clearing budget is $18.5 million. If the proposed increase is approved -- and the money would have to be found during the November budget adjustments -- it would sit at $21.1 million.

Hawkesworth said his understanding is that the additional $2.6 million would go toward more equipment to clear the roads.

According to the report, Calgary's budget for snow and ice clearing is less both per capita and per kilometre than in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal.

kguttormson@theherald.canwest.com
=========================================================

Speed bumps urged for playground zones
Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, June 22, 2007

Safety - An alderman wants to slow drivers shortcutting through playground and school zones, suggesting Calgary put speed bumps in some communities.

Ald. Craig Burrows will ask city officials Monday to investigate whether it is possible to install speed bumps in all school and playground zones where there are problems.

"Many in my communities are saying that we have issues in playground and school zones," he said. "The traffic, the intensity of growth in this city -- people just aren't driving safe in those areas."

A pilot project on playground and school speed zones is ongoing, with city officials studying two locations in each of the city's 14 wards based on a new set of national guidelines.

Burrows said his request could be another element of the pilot project.

There are about 1,000 school and playground zones in Calgary.
=========================================================

Megamall deal creates market for sale of water
'This may be a sign of things to come'
Renata D'Aliesio, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, June 22, 2007

Developers are carefully watching how the latest attempt to pipe water to a mammoth entertainment complex rising near Balzac will unfold, says a water irrigation manager.

If the swap for water between the Western Irrigation District and the Municipal District of Rocky View goes ahead, it will be the Calgary region's first foray into Alberta's emerging water market, where water now comes with a price.

"This may be a sign of things to come," Jim Webber, general manager of the Western Irrigation District, said in an interview before a public meeting in Strathmore on Thursday night. "This is the first test for urban growth.

"I think this is more of a reflection of the (water) urgency that more developers are facing."

Worried about the dwindling supply of water in parts of the province, the Alberta government last year closed off nearly every southern Alberta river to new requests for water.

For the M.D. of Rocky View, the closure left it without a source of water for a horse racing track and megamall under construction north of Calgary.

Rocky View instead attempted to draw water from the Red Deer River, but its proposal to Alberta Environment was met with strong opposition from local business and political leaders, who argued Red Deer water shouldn't be used to grow economies in other regions.

While the $15-million agreement for water and pipeline construction with the Western Irrigation District appears promising, it isn't a done deal, Webber told 150 or so people at the public meeting.

Most of the audience were users of the district's water. Thursday was their chance to learn about the deal and express comments.

"We wouldn't waste your time if we didn't think it was a good idea," Webber told the audience. The transfer, he said, will not threaten the water supply of the district's members.

If there is strong opposition to the proposal, the district will hold a plebiscite, Webber said. A final decision could take months still.

The irrigation district's system delivers water to 400 farmers, country residential homeowners and several industrial businesses. It also delivers water to a handful of communities, including Strathmore, Rockyford, Gleichen, Cluny and Standard.

Webber sees the water deal as an example of water co-operation.

rdaliesio@theherald.canwest.com
=========================================================

Cost escalation sinks clinic move
Michelle Lang, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, June 22, 2007


Dr. Rick Ward, with patients Chloe, 4, and her sister Kaiya Reid, 3, says the clinic had hoped to add more doctors in a physician-starved city.
Grant Black, Calgary Herald

A plan to expand a small medical clinic in Calgary that could have provided thousands of patients with a family physician is falling apart after the costs of moving the facility ballooned to $300,000 more than initial estimates.

Doctors at Crowfoot Village Family Practice had hoped to move to a new, bigger location in the northwest in September where they would create four new positions for general practitioners.

The move would have allowed them to take on 3,000 new patients at a time when this city is facing a shortage of doctors.

But physicians at the clinic announced Thursday that the expense of moving had grown to $1 million from original estimates of $700,000.

"We're in a position where it's not economically viable," said Dr. Rick Ward, a long-time family doctor at Crowfoot Village Family Practice.

"The community is really screaming for more family physicians. We thought this was a great opportunity to increase the number of Calgarians who would have access to family doctors."

It isn't clear whether increased building costs are behind the unexpected bill or whether the physicians received a bad quote on the move.

News of the botched deal comes as some Calgary family doctors leave their practices because of the cost of operating an office in the city.

At least 41 physicians in Calgary have closed their offices within the last year. About 250,000 Calgarians are without a regular family physician.

Thursday's announcement also comes after some family physicians recently expressed concern about a new deal between government and the Alberta Medical Association that will boost their fees.

Some physicians say the fee increase of about 11 per cent over two years won't be enough to keep all Calgary family doctors in practice.

Representatives with the Calgary and Area Physicians Association said Thursday the situation facing Crowfoot Village Family Practice isn't as unusual as it sounds.

mlang@theherald.canwest.com
=========================================================

Memorial tree clones planted
Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, June 22, 2007

Calgary soldiers killed during the First World War were remembered Thursday as the city planted clones of the poplars originally planted in their memory in the 1920s along Memorial Drive.

Ald. Druh Farrell and Dave Breckon, the city's director of parks, planted three of 500 replacements cloned from the original trees in a special ceremony.

Farrell, who was joined by veterans and other community members, said it was the perfect way to remember the fallen soldiers.

"It was a re-enactment of the original May 10th in 1922," she said. "It's important we remember the commitment made by these young men and it continues that legacy."

The first tree was planted on Arbour Day 1922 in front of the home of a local midwife known as "Ma" Brown, who lived at 932 Sunnyside Blvd. -- the street that later become Memorial Drive.

A total of 3,278 trees were planted over seven years, but only half of those survived drought, vandals and car wrecks along the road.

The trees only have an 80-year life span, and so most of what were left of the degenerating poplars were removed in the spring of 2003.

"When the trees were removed, the community reacted with grief," said Farrell. But a program to clone the original trees from sample cuttings started shortly before the last cull.

The clones, with a direct genetic link to the original memorial trees, will be planted along the inner-city corridor from the community of Parkdale east at least as far as the Langevin Bridge.

Breckon said there will be a total of 500 trees planted this summer.

cderworiz@theherald.canwest.com
=========================================================

Jack Carter Chevrolet puts prime property up for sale
David Parker, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, June 22, 2007

Jack Carter left his home and business in Swift Current, Sask., in 1962 to move to Calgary after General Motors, recognizing his automotive business savvy, approached him to open a dealership here.

He bought the piece of land on the southwest corner of Glenmore Trail and Macleod Trail South just as its first set of traffic lights were being installed, and although Chinook Centre was being developed and Woodward's department store was his neighbour, the location was on the edge of town and it was predicted by many that he would never last.

Jack Carter Chevrolet Cadillac opened in 1964 and has been there ever since, and that corner has to be one of -- if not the busiest -- crossroads in the city. I can remember the other corner spots as home to the Tradewinds Hotel and a soft drink bottling plant, but they have since long gone in favour of Chinook Station and Sovereign Plaza.

But despite having the dealership remodelled and added to several times, and buying adjacent lands for a used-car lot and new inventory storage, the dealership has run out of space. Add the new traffic patterns at the intersection, which makes it tough for customer access and the time has come to make the big change. On Saturday, the almost two-hectare parcel will be advertised for sale in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.

No doubt it is valuable land that will probably be converted into more prime retail space, but with its closeness to the LRT it could serve as high density residential complex as well.

In anticipation of the need to move Jack Carter purchased 4.6 hectares on the west side of 29th Street S.W. in Douglasdale Business Park some five years ago. Located across from Woody's RV World and enjoying excellent visibility from Deerfoot Trail, the new 45,000-square-foot dealership has been designed by Gibbs Gage Architects to house a 16-vehicle showroom that includes a separate, dedicated area for Cadillac models.

The huge service shop will have 24 bays and six GM Goodwrench quick-service stations built on a separate, but attached pad. The site plan has been designed to provide 360 degree access around the building for as-free-as-possible traffic flow. The mezzanine floor will feature a well-appointed customer lounge and cafe.

Forth of the 550 surface stalls will be dedicated to customers and the intent is to have 300 vehicles on display at all times.

Graham Construction has been awarded the contract to build the new Jack Carter dealership; general manager David Deeth and his staff of 115 are looking forward to moving in within a year.

- - -

Calgary is home to some very talented architectural firms. One of them, Sturgess Architecture, has been recognized with three recent awards.

The First Street LRT Station that was designed in conjunction with Graham Edmunds Cartier won the Architectural Award of Excellence at the Alberta Steel Design Awards. Its design for a house on Bowen Island, B.C., got the Residential Award at the Alberta Wood Works! Awards. Cliff Bungalow Townhouses by Sturgess and its Bridgeland Riverside Community Centre were both recognized at the Alberta Masonry Awards.

After moving to Calgary from Toronto where she served on the board of the local chapter of the Canadian Public Relations Society for four years, Nancy Arab quickly became involved in the Calgary chapter.

She has been on its board for three years and has just taken over the reins as president, succeeding Richard Truscott.

Arab has been with Mercer Human Resource Consulting for the past six years and heads up its Western Canada communications business. She has 25 years experience in media and communications and has also taught media relations in the continuing education program at Ryerson University. Arab is one of the few people accredited with both the CPRS and the International Association of Business Communicators.

- - -

One of this city's most stunning remaining residential development sites has just changed hands. The property at 700 1st Avenue S.W. in the prestigious Eau Claire district, the land immediately to the west of the first Princeton Tower, has been sold for $24.75 million.

It was owned by Denver-based Pauls Corporation that is in the final stages of completing the second highrise tower on the property alongside the Bow River. Concord Pacific, the Vancouver company that has done such a remarkable job in redeveloping the former Expo 86 lands on the north shore of False Creek, contacted Rob McElhoes of Colliers International's Calgary office to act as purchasing agent -- even though it was not for sale at the time.

The deal is now complete and I will be most interested to see what kind of condominium design Concord Pacific presents to city planners for its newly acquired .9 hectare on the Bow River pathway.

- - -

Nonfiction Studio has hired Odette Ries Bustin as its new sales director/new business development. She has had 15 years of successful customer service in client relations and a proven background in marketing and public relations, most recently in public and investor relations with Marketwire -- formerly know as CCN Matthews -- the distributor of corporate news to media.

- - -

David Parker appears Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

He can be reached at 830-4622 or e-mail info@davidparker.ca
=========================================================

You know... I kinda agree with this one.

Call goes out for McCall
Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, June 22, 2007

Airport - Re: "Let airport be named after Fred McCall," June 18.

We agree with the comment that the Calgary airport already has a name, McCall Field.

This honour was bestowed on First World War fighter pilot Fred McCall.

Burlet is correct in suggesting the name simply be modernized to: McCall International Airport. Other airports are name in similar fashion, Pearson International Airport in Toronto for example.

More importantly, the Calgary facility was named to honour Fred McCall. We believe Calgary needs to reaffirm that commitment.

To remove his name is to revoke the honour bestowed upon him and is an insult and embarrassment to his family and friends.

We would urge Calgarians to speak out loudly in support of McCall International.

Doug and Donette Hyslip,
Calgary
=========================================================

My fello citizens, you are all very, very strange...

Kicking back
Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, June 22, 2007

Downtown - Re: "Calgaricity, Mile 0 and the grand urban laboratory," Swerve, June 1.

Why not upholster the entire streetscape of Olympic Plaza in lush, green, living sod for a 24- to 48-hour period? No cars or shoes allowed, and it must occur on weekday when downtown is at its busiest.

This instant lawn would be part outdoor living room, part misplaced suburban backyard, with something unique at every intersection (comfy couches with a plastic paddling pool, a playground for the kids at the W. H. Cushing Workplace School, a bocci court, putting green, art installation, mini-amphitheatre featuring presentations on urban sustainability, whatever).

It would be an oasis for Calgarians, a reprieve from the concrete jungle; an interruption to pause, reflect and feel a little grass between our toes.

Michael Willmott,
Calgary

[atlas_inc]

City’s boom ‘more stable’
Slight cooling might be ‘a good thing’
GEOFFREY SCOTTON
CALGARY HERALD
With the midpoint of 2007 just days away, signs are increasingly clear Calgary’s breakneck economic growth of 2006 has subsided — slightly.


“It’s still booming, but there’s definitely a difference between this year and last year,” says restaurant manager Pritpal Saroya, who immigrated to Calgary in 2004, just in time to see the city’s economy escalate to an estimated seven per cent expansion in 2006.


“It seems a bit more stable now.”


Nonetheless, Calgary’s economy is growing faster than expected, an expansion that should top all Canadian cities for a fifth straight year, according to a report to be released Monday by Calgary Economic Development.


“At midpoint, 2007 looks very similar to 2006, but with a slower, more sustainable pace,” says Adam Legge, CED’s director of research and business information, who prepared the report.


“If 2006 was an economy in fifth gear, 2007 is more like the throw between third and fourth — a very healthy pace, but a slight slowdown,” Legge believes.


Frank Atkins, an economist with the University of Calgary, agreed.


“The pace of growth that we expect in 2007 may be sustainable, and so shifting to a lower growth rate may be a good thing,” Atkins said on Saturday.
“The economy in 2006 was growing too quickly,” Atkins added. “Things were out of hand — wage increases were going very, very quickly, inflation was very high — and that’s going to cool off now.


At the end of 2006, many analysts, including Legge, were expecting Calgary’s expansion to moderate to about four per cent. Increasingly, signs suggest growth will come in between four and five per cent, which would once again lead all Canadian cities.


“Taking stock, it appears our economy has slowed down, but not to the level forecasted,” Legge notes. “It is performing better than forecasted.”


The report, assembled in conjunction with the Calgary Herald, marks the first in a planned semi-annual series of assessments of the Calgary economy to be produced by CED and featured by this paper.


The State of the Economy: Calgary Semi-Annual Economic Review concludes that, in 2007, Calgarians have stopped trying to get everything done at once, an agenda that appeared to drive the frenzied pace of activity last year.


“Driving this difference is largely lower energy prices, which have scaled back the imperative of trying to get everything done at once,” says Legge.


However, sentiment isn’t the only moderating factor. Calgary has, in many respects, bumped forcefully up against the limits of growth in terms of labour force, supplies and pricing of housing along with office, industrial and commercial space; and the ability of businesses and consumers to absorb galloping price increases.


Inflation has accelerated to an average of more than 5.6 per cent in the first five months of 2007 from an average 4.6 per cent in 2007, new house prices and resale house prices continue to skyrocket and labour shortages are widespread and, in some sectors, critical.


“The intense level of demand and hence competition to get things done in 2006 created significant cost increases that are still being borne in a slightly slower economy,” Legge notes. “In 2007, businesses recognize that there are limits to what can be done.”

[atlas_inc]

Stampede jumps ahead
Roundup Centre development starting three years early

Paula Beauchamp and Kim Guttormson, Calgary Herald
Published: Monday, June 25, 2007

The $50-million redevelopment of the Calgary Stampede's Roundup Centre is expected to start this summer, with the city's planning commission to consider a permit application on Thursday.

The early start to the project -- three years ahead of schedule -- will deliver much-needed trade show space to the city.

City officials and tourism operators say Calgary desperately needs bigger, upgraded trade and exhibition facilities to compete as a viable host city for international events.

Warren Connell, the Calgary Stampede's vice-president of development, said extra funding from the province had allowed the development to move ahead sooner than planned.

Some $35 million -- part of the 2005 budget surplus -- was distributed last year, and another $15 million was allocated in this year's budget.

"We originally thought we'd be doing the next phase of the Roundup Centre in three years," Connell said.

The development permit application describes the Roundup Centre expansion as a "critical anchor for the park's transformation into a year-round gathering place."

The three-phase development is comprised of two 50,000-square-foot exhibition halls and a new Plus-15 connection.

The Plus-15 walkway will link the Roundup Centre to the Stampede Casino, new banquet and meeting rooms, and a new internal walkway system.

Stampede officials said work on one of the new exhibit halls would begin after the Stampede ends on July 15.

Ald. Ray Jones said he could not see any reason why the development permit application would be turned down Thursday.

He said it was a priority to get the revenue-producing components of the Stampede redevelopment on stream.

"Other cities in Canada are starting to expand their facilities, and people are bypassing us to go there," Jones said. "We've already lost (entertainers) Tim McGraw and Faith Hill to Edmonton."

Jones said starting the Roundup redevelopment sooner rather than later would save money because of spiralling construction costs.

Heather Lundy, spokeswoman for the Calgary Telus Convention Centre, said the Stampede's expanded exhibition hall capacity could attract big spenders into the city.

"The earlier it happens, the better. It's time," she said.

Lundy said the convention centre could potentially partner with the Stampede and use its expanded trade and exhibition spaces to accommodate larger groups.

"For us to be competitive, we need to expand facilities and keep pace with the economy and the way things are moving in the rest of the country," she said.

"Our biggest competitor is Vancouver, and they have much bigger facilities."

Calgary MLA Cindy Ady said the province is happy with progress on the redevelopment.

"It's ahead of schedule, and we are really happy about that," she said.

"You wish you could build four more (trade) halls. The demand is there and it is huge."

The Stampede's development permit application has the support of both the Victoria Crossing Business Revitalization Zone and the Beltline Community Association.

pbeauchamp@theherald.canwest.com
kguttormson@theherald.canwest.com
=======================================================

Halfway house gets reprieve

Calgary Herald
Published: Monday, June 25, 2007

A halfway house in Victoria Park will be allowed to remain for another year -- after the Calgary Stampede lifted an eviction order.

The John Howard Society, which runs Bedford House at 615 13th Ave. S.E., had been given until June 30 to find an alternative site.

But Calgary Stampede spokesman Doug Fraser has confirmed the group will be allowed to remain for an extra year because it will be at least that long before the Stampede needs the property for its redevelopment plans.

The facility had planned to relocate to Sunalta, but the move could not proceed because of opposition in the southwest neighbourhood.

[atlas_inc]

From www.joconl.com


June 27, 2007
Beltline Heats Up
Permits top $1 billion for Calgary neighbourhood
Suzanne Zwarun
correspondent

A Calgary neighbourhood that has been the pits for decades is now hotter than Brad Pitt.


Active building permits for residential and non-residential construction in the Beltline – the belt of land just south of downtown – has topped one billion dollars for the first time, according to Calgary Economic Development.

With the Beltline’s overall office vacancy rate at 2.2 per cent – the vacancy rate for class A office space is at zero – construction cranes are on every corner. More than 300,000 square feet of new office space is slated to be completed this year, 286,000 square feet next year and 344,000 in 2009.

“That’s almost a million square feet of added inventory in the next two and a half years,” says Dan Harmsen of Barclay Real Estate whose company estimates there could be another 746,000 square feet of new development in 2010 and beyond.

With the Beltline already one of Canada’s densest downtown office areas, residential development also has taken off. There are an estimated 6,000 residential units planned or under construction in the Beltline which now takes in the old communities of Connaught and Victoria Park.

To try to get a handle on the growth, 150 architects, politicians, community and municipal officials recently got together at the Beltline Urban Forum, the first public event of its kind for the Beltline and one now scheduled to be repeated. Toronto architect Bruce Kuwabara, one participant, said so much is going on, it made him dizzy. “On a tour of the Beltline, three out of four corners of one intersection were under construction.”

Kuwabara, who is with KPMB Architects, praised the arriVa condominium tower now under construction on the far east side of the Beltline. That’s just one of several Beltline projects, worth an estimated $2 billion, by John Torode and his Torode Realty Advisors, a major initiator of the massive redevelopment in the Beltline.

Torode, involved in Calgary real estate development since the early 1970s, has been at the forefront of redeveloping the disintegrating neighbourhood of Victoria Park, where hookers oscillating like lawn sprinklers on every corner have been more common than the upscale condos now sprouting in their place.

Besides arriVa, Torode has a huge expansion under way around Hotel Arts on 1st Street and on Centre Street between 12th and 13th Avenues. Construction is about to start on a three storey retail-office complex with expansion and underground parking for the hotel on 1st Street. Construction is scheduled to begin in six to nine months on a 39-storey residential condo with a three storey podium and underground parking on Centre. Torode also has a 10-storey office tower under construction at 8th Avenue and 8th Street and is working on plans for a possible hotel and residential condo a block west of arriVa.

At the west end of the Beltline, Arcus Developments just announced plans to build Astoria on 10th, a 34-storey tower with main floor retail, two levels of office space and 31 of residential units. It is being designed by Kirkor Architects & Planners of Toronto and Tarjan Group of Calgary. Other condos announced for that area include towers on the site of the former Kai Mortensen store on 11th Avenue, towers called Lausanne and Montreaux at 10th Avenue and 14th Street S.W., and another development at the former Bennett Glass property on 11th Avenue.

[atlas_inc]

Victoria rules
Project to revitalize Victoria Park
Marty Hope, Calgary Herald
Published: Saturday, June 23, 2007

Heavy equipment growled and slogged its way across a puddle-strewn, fenced-in construction site to continue the towering changes being made to the Victoria Park skyline.

Ground has been broken on Nuera, a $170-million, twin-tower development by Edmonton-based Cove Properties.

It will claw its way out of the ground directly north of Cove's other two towers, Sasso and Vetro on 1st Street S.E. between 13th and 14th avenues.
From left: Doug Mazurek, John Sparrow and Angelo Mancuso of Cove Properties Ltd. join George Brookman of the Calgary Stampede and David Low of the Victoria Crossing Business Revitalization Zone at the sod-turning ceremonies for Nuera by Cove Properties.View Larger Image View Larger Image
From left: Doug Mazurek, John Sparrow and Angelo Mancuso of Cove Properties Ltd. join George Brookman of the Calgary Stampede and David Low of the Victoria Crossing Business Revitalization Zone at the sod-turning ceremonies for Nuera by Cove Properties.
Leah Hennel, Calgary Herald

The Nuera development, part of the larger Stampede Station project, will consist of a pair of 34-storey buildings holding 231 suites each. It will also have 25,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor and 540 stalls in the four-level underground parking building.

"We've broken ground for the entire parkade and retail podium and we should be done in about 14 months," says Doug Mazurek, Cove's vice-president of construction. "I think we'll likely be starting tower construction next August for completion in 2011."

He expects occupancies in the first tower to begin in the fall of 2010. Suite sizes in both towers will be similar.

Floors two to 27 will feature one-bedroom units measuring 635 to 645 square feet and two-bedroom units ranging from 910 to 985 square feet.

The 28th and 29th floors will feature sub-penthouses from 890 to 1,165 square feet.

Floors 30 to 33 will have two-storey Sky penthouses ranging from 1,300 to 1,500 square feet.

The response to the development has been phenomenal, says John Sparrow, Cove's vice-president of sales and marketing.

"The first phase of Nuera comprised 79 residences and we were thrilled to sell out in one day," he says.

"So, due to the high demand, we decided to release an additional 80 suites as phase two, which also sold very quickly. Currently, we are 95-per-cent sold on units released to date."

Prices for the first two phases averaged between $460 and $500 per square foot.

Sparrow says third-phase reservations are now being taken for the remaining units in the first building, not including the penthouse floors, and 38 suites in the second building.

Prices have not been finalized.

Among the amenities available to residents of Nuera will be a fully-equipped gym with change rooms, showers and steamrooms. There will also be an owners' lounge and boardroom. Nuera is also going to be green, showing off 10,000 square feet of landscaped terrace above the retail podium.

"We've incorporated many LEED elements into the towers, such as a stormwater cistern in the parkade that will allow us to reuse water for irrigation on the property," says Mazurek.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which is a voluntary standard for creating sustainable, high-performance buildings. Other green aspects in Nuera will include high-efficiency plumbing components, energy-efficient air exchange system, low-offgassing paint, programmable thermostats, water-saving dishwashers, the use of recycled materials, and low-E glass. E stands for emissivity, a measure of heat loss.

Cove's four towers are contributing to an overall enhancement of the area south of downtown that Victoria Park officials see as a way of improving the area's appeal. "Nuera is part of the ongoing transformation here," says David Low, executive director of the Victoria Crossing Business Revitalization Zone. "Imagine in another three years the number of people who will be living in the four to six towers being built -- it will be unbelievable."

He isn't concerned that the pace of construction could lead to the area being overbuilt.

But the one problem that could crop up is the availability of land, he says.

Meanwhile, work will continue on several projects -- each combining residential with retail and office uses.
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"With more people using the streets and public spaces more appropriately, the streetscape here will change dramatically," says Low.

More people in the area, who will be watching what is happening, "is likely to reduce criminal activity," he says.

Sparrow describes Nuera buyers as young urban professionals who are looking forward to the numerous amenities in the surrounding area.

"They can live, work and play all right outside their doors," he says. There also continues to be a growing appeal to downtown living from empty-nesters making a change in their lifestyle.

George Brookman, chairman of the board and president of the Calgary Stampede, welcomes the newest additions to the area's development.

The added density is a "positive" for the events planned at Stampede Park, he says.

"All of the development going on, including Nuera, started after the Stampede's master plan was approved," he says. "All the developers have spoken to us and shown us their plans and we fully support everything that is happening."

The relationship between Cove and the Calgary Stampede will prove beneficial to residents, says Sparrow. "Now that the vast offerings of the Stampede grounds are being expanded, residents will be able to do something different every day -- and all within walking distance of your front door.