Below are comments to City Council from Mike Giammarco, Victoria Park businessman and heritage advocate, on the Stampede Expansion land use, January 23, 2006. Mr. Giammarco has restored two designated heritage sites in Victoria, Dafoe Terrace and Fairey Terrace. For the the main Stampede heritage news, go here: (add link)
Your Worship Mayor Bronconnier, members of Council, members of City Administration. Good morning and a belated Happy New Year to you all.
I’m Mike Giammarco, past president of the Victoria Community Association, Past President of the East Victoria Park Property Owners Association, and Current vice-chair of the Victoria Crossing BRZ.
I come before you today to congratulate you on your wisdom and the foresight that you have shown in dealing with the whole inner east-end of Calgary. You have seen this part of our city from a bird-eye view and are now taking the necessary steps to implement all the different plans that were and are being refined to re-vitalize and re-develop these lands. Yes, it has been a long time coming. Today’s decision to approve the land use re-designation of the Calgary Exhibition & Stampede Direct Control will be another step closer to achieving a new mixed-use destination area that will transform East Victoria Park into a 365 day entertainment and cultural centre.
With your affirmative decision, the dark cloud of uncertainty that has hung over East Victoria Park for five decades will disappear and what will remain will be a new jewel in our City’s crown of accomplishments.
After the disappointment of the World Fair 1997 bid rejection in Monaco, we that were there for that decision faced an emotional moment that brought tears to our eyes. (Dave Watson) It was tough to face the set back given to our City, and especially for the East Victoria Park area.
It was during this tear jerking moment that Mayor Duerr announced to all that were present, that all the visioning, all the planning charettes, and all the consensus building that occurred among all the various stakeholders involved with this process would not go for nought. He declared upon his return to Calgary he would meet with the City Administration and the Stampede Board and make them aware that this temporary defeat would not hold us back from re-developing and rejuvenating the City’s east end.
As a result from these meetings and with the participation of Alderman Lord, the Victoria Park Redevelopment Committee was formed:
The Members were:
The Mayor’s office,
Alderman Lord office, (continued by Alderman King)
Alderman Ceci’s office
The Victoria Community Association (2)
The Calgary Exhibition & Stampede (2)
The East Victoria Park Property Owners Association
The Victoria Crossing BRZ (2) and their consultant Mr. Glenn Lyons (chair)
The Ramsey Community Association (Chris Coulthard)
The River Valley Committee (Mr. Bill Milne)
Community at large representative Mr. Ron Nichols (World Fair Committee)
City of Calgary Planning Department (Roy Wright –Ian Fawcett)
City of Calgary Corporate Properties (Kathleen Young)
Calgary Flames
Remington Developments (representing joint interest with CPR)
Invited guests
Inglewood Community Association
Fort Calgary
By Law Enforcements (Bill Bruce)
Pastor Don Delaney / Victory Outreach Church
Terry Roberts –Homeless Foundation
Norm Harburn –Parks and Community Neighbourhood Services
Developers –SASSO, IBM, TORODE,
It was imperative right from the start, that everybody that had a stake in the area be involved. Only by doing so, it would assure a fair process with input from all in formulating a new plan that would meet everybody’s needs and wants.
Our committee proceeded to meet often, long hours and on the weekends, hundreds of volunteer hours were spent in identifying, visioning, and planning our objectives.
Those objectives were:
- A defined stampede expansion area (south of 12 Ave.)
- A viable residential mass (north of 12 Ave.) Torode School Site.
- a river environment that would do us all proud
- a focus on historical preservation (the warehouse district)
- a new north-south route to unlock East Victoria park (Olympic Way underpass)
- relocation of the bus barns, re-develop to high-rise residential
- CPR to participate (Remington Developments was involved)
- A new area redevelopment plan (Beltline ARP)
The Victoria Park Redevelopment Committee has done their work, they have presented a vision to you, and you, City Council have expanded it to include, East Village, Fort Calgary, The Zoo, The Bow and Elbow Rivers district inative.
Today, you, City Council, by approving the re-designation of the Stampede lands to Direct Control are starting to put together the pieces that will take us to the redevelopment and rejuvenation of Calgary’s second oldest community and its surrounding areas. We will be the envy of all major cities in North America because through your wisdom and foresight “you are doing it right.”
Thank you for your time.
Dafoe Terrace link: http://www.space4lease.com/main/results ... =undefined
Fairey Terrace:
http://www.viewcalgary.com/panorama/vVicParkP010C4.html