Mike Giammarco's comments on Stampede Expansion to Council

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Mike Giammarco's comments on Stampede Expansion to Council

Postby Bob van Wegen » Wed May 31, 2006 8:48 am

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
Bob van Wegen
 
Posts: 148
Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 12:02 pm

Postby Bob van Wegen » Wed May 31, 2006 8:51 am

Expansion to start in May

Eva Ferguson
Calgary Herald

Thursday, April 06, 2006


CREDIT: Mikael Kjellstrom, Calgary Herald
An old condominium complex in Victoria Park is torn down on Wednesday.

Stampede officials will break ground on expansion in Victoria Park by early May, hoping to start construction on a multimillion-dollar casino as their first project.

Bulldozers are spending the next few weeks pulling down an old condominium development in the northwest corner of the Stampede expansion area, at the corner of 12th Avenue and Macleod Trail S.E., making room for the new casino, which could be open in two years.

"It'll be part of a terrific trade and entertainment complex," said Stampede spokesman Lindsay Galloway, adding officials are now finalizing a groundbreaking date for early May.

"It's a very big deal for our organization. We're finally moving from planning to actually building. We're finally able to do some serious community-building," he said.

Eileen Stan, spokeswoman for the Victoria Park Crossing Business Revitalization Zone, is happy with the casino proposal, saying it will help make the community more people-friendly.

"It's a project that creates a strong interface to the street, a high-quality pedestrian experience . . . making people feel safe and welcome."

Stan said the Stampede is expected to build high-quality lighting, sidewalks and landscaping along the casino streetscape.

More than 1,000 residential units are already under construction throughout the area.

The Sasso and Vetro developments will build up to 500 condos just west of the Macleod Trail overpass, the Sky tower will add 218 units while the Arriva condo towers will add up to 600 units at 3rd Street S.E. between 11th and 12th avenues, most of which are already sold.

The trade and entertainment complex will be the first in a series of projects totalling $200 million over the next several years.

After the casino construction begins, Galloway said, work will start on expansion of the Roundup Centre next spring.

And once traffic increases in the area, construction of a hotel should start on the same site soon after.

The latter part of the $200 million in projects will also include a new agricultural pavilion and reclamation of the green space along the Elbow River, where up to 12 hectares will be converted back into parkland.

Retail development along Olympic Way, including restaurants and western clothing outlets, could start as soon as 2007.

The Stampede will also look to maintain several heritage sites in the community, some of which are more than 100 years old, and incorporate them into the expansion, including the Giammarco Building and the Rundle Ruins.

The casino is expected to be open by the spring of 2008.

eferguson@theherald.canwest.com

© The Calgary Herald 2006
Bob van Wegen
 
Posts: 148
Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 12:02 pm


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