King Edward School news

[Lyall]

The Calgary Board of Education is hoping third time's a charm as it tries to sell the nearly century-old King Edward School in the city's southwest.
The Calgary Board of Education is hoping third time's a charm as it tries to sell one of its oldest properties - the nearly century-old King Edward School in the city's southwest.

The board has twice tried unsuccessfully to sell the historic sandstone building at 1720 30th Ave. S.W., which was completed in 1912.

In 2007, the board reached a $14 million deal with a developer that would have seen the vacant school become part of a condo development with an athletic club.

But that agreement fell apart a year later. Another attempt to sell the building in 2009 also failed.

This time the board has dropped its minimum bid requirement, hoping that with a weaker economy someone will make a reasonable offer for the site.

"I'm sure that's going to certainly be something that is going to cause people to really study how to proceed if they're actually going to give us a bid," said board spokesman Ted Flitton. He said the school has an assessed value of $8.5 million.

The board is still asking potential buyers for an assurance that the sandstone structure will be preserved, Flitton said.

The property is surrounded by 1.2 hectares of land, which makes it awkward to subdivide, said Heritage Property Corporation president Neil Richardson, a previous bidder who has renovated other historic properties such as the Lorraine Block on 12th Avenue S.W.

"It's not sort of off in a corner where you can sell the land and keep the school. It really becomes a bit of a challenge with the location," said Richardson, who will not be making another bid for the school.

The deadline for bidding is August 19.

[newsposter]

Saving the other King Eddy
South Calgary school requires a different vision of preservation

Published August 19, 2010 by Deeter Schurig in Viewpoint

Once a hub of activity in the neighbourhood of South Calgary, the King Edward School now stands dormant atop its prominent outlook, on sale by the cash-strapped Calgary Board of Education. Classes ceased several years ago, the school’s doors are locked, and despite being an integral public institution for nearly 100 years, the future of this iconic sandstone structure is uncertain.

Full story:
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/news- ... eddy-6164/

[newsposter]

King Edward School Announcement – finally!

The Calgary Foundation and Calgary Arts Development have signed a conditional purchase/sale agreement with the Calgary Board of Education for King Edward School. The intended use of the school is as an “arts incubator” defined as a multi-tenant art space to provide a supportive environment for professional artists and non-profit art organizations. Reid Henry of Calgary Arts Development, one of the leads on this project, has considerable experience doing this kind of work in Toronto before coming to Calgary. Two of the projects he worked on in Toronto include the Distillery District and the Wychwood Art Barns in Toronto

Of course, you may be wondering about the green space surrounding the school. The Calgary Foundation and Calgary Arts Development have until the end of June to explore opportunities with the school and its site to determine if the arts incubator concept is financially achievable and sustainable. Nothing has been set in stone but obviously the green space will be re-developed in some manner. Two advisory committees have been set up including a South Calgary Community Advisory Committee... and an Arts Committee.

A Public Information Session has been scheduled for Wed. March 9, 2011 7:00-9:00pm at:

Richmond Elementary School
2701 22nd Street SW
Main gym

Hope to see you there!

Robin McLeod, CFA
Director, Civic Affairs
South Calgary Community Association

[newsposter]

CBC radio story
King Edward school will become "arts incubator"
There's a tentative deal for the historic King Edward School in South Calgary. Jim finds out what the potential purchasers have in mind for the 1912 sandstone building.

http://www.cbc.ca/eyeopener/episode/201 ... incubator/

Blurb in Swerve, March 18 2011, about Calgary Arts Development Authority (CADA) and their plans for King Edward School

http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainm ... story.html

[newsposter]

Website for this interesting project to turn old King Edward School into an "arts incubator"

www.transformkingedward.com

[newsposter]

King Edward School Community Open House

King Edward School Site Master Plan
Community Open House
Wednesday, May 18, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Calgary Community Reform Church, 1638 30th Ave. SW

Calgary Arts Development and The Calgary Foundation are pleased to invite local area residents and the arts community to the second King Edward School Community Open House.

Doors will open at 6:30pm to provide community members an opportunity for comment on preliminary opportunities and constraints for the master plan. A formal presentation at 7:00pm will describe the vision for the transformation of the historic school as an arts hub and incubator, followed by a facilitated master planning session from 7:30pm until 9:00pm. Small-group discussion will give local residents, artists and not-for-profit representatives an opportunity to share ideas and consider strategies for how the broader site can be appropriately redeveloped with mixed uses and public spaces.

The Open House will be held at the Calgary Community Reform Church, located across from King Edward School at 1638 30th Ave. SW.

For more information, please visit TransformKingEdward.com

[newsposter]

**King Edward School Site Master Plan**
**Community Open House #3**
**Wednesday, June 15th, 6:30pm - 9:00pm**
**Calgary Community Reform Church, 1638 30th Ave. SW**

Calgary Arts Development and The Calgary Foundation invite local residents, artists, and not-for-profit representatives to provide input and ideas on various master plan options for the King Edward School site. We look forward to engagement in various discussion opportunities that consider how King Edward School and its site can be envisioned as a sustainable and vital arts contribution for the community.

* 6:30pm - Doors Open
* 7:00pm - Formal Presentation
* 7:30pm - Informal Discussion - Site Plan Options
* 8:30pm - Open Q&A
* 8:50pm - Closing Remarks

The Calgary Community Reform Church is located across from King Edward School at: 1638 30 Avenue Southwest, Calgary, AB T2T 1P4

For more information, please visit www.transformkingedward.com

[newsposter]

Potential home for the arts
By Lea Storry, Calgary Herald June 18, 2011

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Potential+ ... z1Qh7upCLm

Strike one, strike two, home run?
Organizations hope to win a bid for a future arts centre
Published June 23, 2011 by Krista Sylvester in Urban Living
FFWD Weekly

http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/life- ... -run-7669/


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The King Edward School Arts Incubator Project goes to City Council's Community and Protective Services committee on Wednesday June 29. This is a public hearing. It is item 4.5 on the agenda linked below.

http://agendaminutes.calgary.ca/sirepub ... ype=AGENDA

From the Transform King Edward Team (transformkingedward.com):

Standing Policy Committee Presentation on June 29, 2011
Submitted by Deeter Schurig on Mon, 06/27/2011 - 10:52

CADA (Calgary Arts Development) and TCF (The Calgary Foundation) will make a presentation on King Edward School to the Standing Policy Committee (SPC) on Community and Protective Services to be held on June 29th, 2011 at 9:30am in the Engineering Traditions Committee Room.

For the municipal contribution to the overall project budget, we are seeking an allocation of $5 million through the Cultural Municipal Sustainability Initiative. The King Edward School project was recommended for this investment by an arms-length assessment committee through the Cultural Spaces Investment Process concluded earlier this year.

As members of the local and arts community, it would be immensely valuable for you to be present at the CPS meeting to express support for the King Edward School project. Calgary Arts Development, The Calgary Foundation and the South Calgary Community Association will be presenting directly to the committee on the merits, community impact and engagement process.

... we will update our website and via twitter @cadaspaces when we have a better sense when our presentation will occur. Please join us on Wednesday to communicate your passion and perspective to Council members...

[newsposter]

City backs plan to transform old King Edward school into arts and culture centre

Global Calgary: Thursday, June 30, 2011

Text and video:
http://www.globaltvcalgary.com/Contact+ ... story.html

Plan backed to convert school to arts centre
By Lea Storry, Calgary Herald July 2, 2011

CALGARY - A city council committee is supporting plans to buy a 100-year-old Calgary school and transform it into an arts centre after being asked for a multimillion-dollar contribution...

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Plan+ ... z1R3paBWhf

[alfred123]

Responding to a call for proposals in 2010 from the Calgary Board
of Education, a unique partnership between The Calgary Foundation
and Calgary Arts Development has been formed to advance a vision
for the historic King Edward School as an innovative arts incubator.
As part of the due diligence being undertaken by the project partnership
before completing the purchase of the site, Calgary Arts Development
and The Calgary Foundation have prepared this Request
for Expressions of Interest (REOI) to identify potential future tenants
as well as programming and development partners. Calgarybased
artists from all disciplines and non-profit organizations active
in the cultural and community sector are encouraged to respond to
this unique opportunity.

[newsposter]

Here is the REOI referenced above. Looks like this is old news from the Spring: http://transformkingedward.ca/sites/tra ... ubator.pdf

[newsposter]

King Edward School Site Master Plan
Community Open House #4
Wednesday, October 26th, 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Calgary Community Reform Church, 1638 30th Ave. SW

Calgary Arts Development and The Calgary Foundation invite local residents, the arts community and not-for-profit representatives to see the most current site plan options for the development of the King Edward School site. We look forward to discussion opportunities that consider how King Edward School and its site can be envisioned as a sustainable and vital arts hub for the community. Your support and engagement is valued as we move towards finalizing the purchase of King Edward School.

6:30pm - Doors Open

7:00pm - Formal Presentation

7:45pm - Open Q&A

8:45pm - Closing Remarks

The Calgary Community Reform Church is located across from King Edward School at:

1638 30 Avenue Southwest, Calgary, AB T2T 1P4

[newsposter]

There is some great information online about this project, including a "flythrough". Check out the latest blog posting here, reporting on the last open house in October:

http://transformkingedward.ca/blog

Direct to flythrough: http://vimeo.com/32464482

[newsposter]

News release

February 16, 2012

New Story for an Old School
100-year old school to become a 21st century model for cultivating leadership, collaboration and creativity in Calgary

Calgary Arts Development and The Calgary Foundation today formally announced the purchase of the King Edward School site from the Calgary Board of Education.

King Edward School is a distinctive heritage building located on a three-acre site in South Calgary at 1720 – 30 Avenue SW. Built as one of nineteen sandstone schools between 1894 and 1914, the School is centrally located in the community of South Calgary.

The King Edward School site is the first of a future portfolio of spaces for cSPACE Projects. After five years of research, advocacy and planning, cSPACE Projects has been founded as a non-profit real estate enterprise dedicated to developing a network of multi-disciplinary creative workspaces across the city.

Responding to a call for proposals in 2010 to purchase the surplus school from the Calgary Board of Education, a unique partnership between The Calgary Foundation and Calgary Arts Development formed to advance a vision for the historic school and site as an innovative arts hub and incubator. As funders working across Calgary to build capacity and vibrancy in the arts and culture sector, Calgary Arts Development and The Calgary Foundation have mobilized to address a critical deficit of stable, affordable and compelling workspaces to create, rehearse, produce and collaborate in Calgary.

The vision for the King Edward School site is a sustainable, mixed-use hub that provides a dynamic and collaborative environment focused on the incubation and advancement of professional arts practice, social enterprise and community development in Calgary. The King Edward School project is intended to connect and enable nonprofit cultural organizations, the next generation of artists, social entrepreneurs and the neighborhood of South Calgary.

The property was formally transferred from the Calgary Board of Education to cSPACE Projects on December 2, 2011 for the amount of $8.027 million. The land purchase was supported by an $8 million loan from The Calgary Foundation, along with a $5 million grant from the City of Calgary’s Municipal Sustainability Initiative, which will contribute to the loan repayment. The Foundation also granted $3 million in multi-year funding toward the development of the project.

Current estimates for the adaptive reuse of the heritage school and additional new-build spaces related to the hub and incubator range between $19-21 million. While a major milestone has been achieved in the purchase of the site, a project of this magnitude is a complex, multi-year process. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2013.

An open house will be held in March 2012 to celebrate the purchase of the site, thank the community and allow a sneak peek of the heritage school before redevelopment.

A proposal call for hub tenants and incubator program partners will be circulated in the spring to identify and assess potential non- profit organizations, artists and social entrepreneurs to anchor the redevelopment.

Read more:
Partner Statements http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/699e99e ... 7682585024
Project Backgrounder http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/d76274b ... 7682585024

Hashtag: #transformKES

For more information, visit CalgaryArtsDevelopment.com

©2012 Calgary Arts Development | L12, 100 7th Avenue SW, Calgary AB T2P 0W4

[newsposter]

August 8, 2012

[Request for Proposals: cSPACE King Edward Anchor Tenants]

http://transformkingedward.com/content/ ... ing-edward