Sunnyside block of century homes to be possibly demolished

[Blair]

There is a development permit application to build a 115 unit apartment on this site that is so very distinctive of Sunnyside. 11 houses will be demolished. The original occupants were carpenters and stone masons according to Henderson Directories of 1912.

The high density zoning proceeded in city council in January 2013 even though this street is currently a 300 meter cup-de-sac that is isolated bordered by the bluff and the high LRT track wall and has only a narrow entrance right against the bluff.

This photo is from 1917 from the Glenbow Archives. I've highlighted in red the 5th Ave NW 800 block of 11 houses to be demolished in 2 to 3 months if the development permit is given. Photo was taken from area of the current SAIT parking lot towards downtown-southeast.


This postcard with a similar view of 5th Ave NW 800 block is dated from 1912 but is likely 1911. It is taken slight more from the east of the other photo. It is also taken from the bluff towards downtown to the southeast


Here is the 800 block of 5th Street NW street today looking west


Looking east


Middle of the street

[Blair]

The new condo will be larger than the St John's on Tenth condos a few blocks away. At 100,000 sq. ft. this will be 100 times larger than the houses.

I don't see this proposed massive TOD size apartment building fitting into this character area (photo of smaller sized St John's on Tenth condo nearby)



Doesn't scale with this street - the east end of the 5th Ave NW 800 block

[Blair]

The development permit is not yet approved.

[newsposter]

One of the houses to be demolished was featured in by a presentation at the Calgary Public Library last year, "Ancestors and Their Attics: Century Homes edition" during Historic Calgary Week. CPL has a postcard of one of the houses:
http://cdm16114.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ ... 3329/rec/1

These houses are to be featured in the "Wreck City" art project before their demolition. There's more information on Wreck City here: http://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/projects/17829

[Blair]

This looking east from where the LRT tracts are now. circa end of the 1970s.