EnCana news - archive Oct 2005 - May 2006

[Bob van Wegen]

For the latest information Encana project go to our new thread: http://www.calgaryheritage.org/CHIForum/vi ... ?p=458#458

This thread, with an archive of articles from the fall of 2005 to the spring of 2006, has been locked.


Wed, October 26, 2005

Residents worry for site's future
By PABLO FERNANDEZ, Calgary Sun

Concerned Calgary residents yesterday called on EnCana Corp. to respect historic buildings that currently sit at the site of the company's future mega-office complex development.

A grassroots group assembled after EnCana purchased the York Hotel -- at the corner of Centre St. and 7 Ave. S.W. -- fears the project may swallow up adjacent historic buildings, including the No. 1 Legion and the Regis Plaza Hotel.

The size of the EnCana development, a two-million sq.-ft. downtown office complex more than 60 storeys high, may result in the demolition of the two adjacent buildings, said advocate Alison Robertson.

"Not only is the York Hotel in danger of being demolished, the whole block may go," she said.

EnCana spokeswoman Alnas Kassan would neither confirm nor deny the corporation has its sights set on purchasing the Regis and the Legion but did say the company doesn't need to buy the buildings for the development to go ahead with its plans.

Article at: http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/200 ... 4-sun.html

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Friday, Nov 25, 2005

EnCana eyes massive, two-block Calgary development

Bob Beaty
For mytelus.com
CALGARY - Colossal oil profits may fuel a massive urban renewal project on three full blocks in the heart of Calgary.

If all the pieces fall into place, it could easily be the biggest redevelopment project ever undertaken in Western Canada, if not all of Canada, observers say.

At the heart of this is EnCana Corp., which is currently trying to buy up all, or almost all, of two full city blocks smack in the downtown of this booming city.

While the lead architect hasn't been chosen yet, and negotiations are still going on to secure all the land, early plans call for two towers boasting roughly two million square feet of office space. The project would house all of EnCana's 3,200 employees.

A trigger for revitalization

If the giant oil and natural gas company secures all the territory, it may trigger redevelopment of another city block that the city itself will undertake in order to house some of the tenants EnCana displaces - chief among them the city's police force.

Tidbits of EnCana's stealth-like steps to acquire most of the two-block area broke several weeks ago when the company and Calgary Mayor David Bronconnier confirmed that the oil company had purchased some land in the two blocks. That leaked out of City Hall because EnCana inked a deal with the city to take over the historic York Hotel, which the city bought several years ago to act as affordable housing for hundreds of impoverished people.

Left unstated were the hush-hush negotiations EnCana was involved in with other property owners in that block and another adjacent block.

The two blocks EnCana seeks are bordered on the south by 7th Avenue S.E., on the north by 5th Ave. S.E., on the west by Centre Street and on the east by 1st St. S.E.

Not-so-smooth sailing?

Two City Hall sources said one of the reasons Bronconnier kept a lid on full details of the project when news of the York Hotel broke was because of the potential political time bombs that could go off before all the land deals are done. There are a number of tenants that could raise a ruckus, including war veterans who gather at the Number 1 Legion hall just east of the York Hotel.

There are also the destitute individuals and families who gather at the CUPS Community Health Centre, and police who use the Andrew Davidson building as their headquarters. Both buildings also sit east of the York Hotel.

Then there are the cultural issues that spring up over what will happen to heritage buildings in the blocks, including an old fire hall that Budget Car & Truck Rental occupies and the North-West Travellers building that was just restored by heritage developer Neil Richardson. Plans reportedly include preserving both structures.

Assuming EnCana ties up all the remaining properties it needs, the City has been drafting plans to revamp another city block - possibly to house both the police and CUPS. That block sits just north of old City Hall and two blocks east of the area EnCana has its agents working on, the two city sources said.

It is bounded by 6th Ave. on the north, 7th Ave. south, 3rd Street S.E. to the east and Macleod Trail to the west.

It contains the Central Library, the former police headquarters, a parkade and the provincial court building. Two city hall sources said a new police headquarters may be built on the block, and that it could also contain CUPS and the nearby Bow Valley College.

But some very senior city bureaucrats and the mayor have been toying with moving police to the Victoria Park area, just north of the Calgary Exhibition & Stampede grounds.

City movers and shakers were also looking at a block in East Village, just east of City Hall, to erect a new police headquarters.

Two veteran Aldermen, Dale Hodges and Joe Ceci, declined comment on where all the players may eventually wind up, given that negotiations are in a very early and sensitive stage. But they both confirmed that they too heard the development would take up the vast majority of the two blocks, if not all of it.

"It's a mad plot," Ald. Hodges said jokingly. "There are budgets ricocheting all over the place."

Tax dollars for the city

From a fiscal point of view, both Aldermen said the redevelopment of the two blocks will bring in a lot more city taxes, given that EnCana's use will be all corporate, whereas police and some other current property residents are tax exempt.

It also represents a major stride in tearing down the psychological barrier that Centre Street has always posed to commercial office developers, Ceci said. The vast majority of privately-funded office towers have risen west of Centre Street.

"This should break the curse (of the Centre Street barrier,)" Ceci added.

Both Ceci and Hodges and the two city hall sources said EnCana will almost assuredly save the facades or all of the buildings that have historic importance, so that won't likely be a major issue when it finally unveils final plans.

Veteran real estate broker Tom Dixon said as far as he knows this will be the only commercially-financed development that covers two city blocks in western Canada, or perhaps all of Canada.

"This is certainly unprecedented in Calgary because there is nothing that bridges two fully city blocks," Dixon said.

Calgary's tallest building?


Most Calgarians are familiar with the twin Bankers Hall towers that stand 52 storeys high. But they were built on just one city block.

Some of the early plans Dixon said he has heard about included one EnCana tower more than 60 storeys high – which would make it the tallest office building in Western Canada.

That would eclipse the biggest Petro-Canada tower that, at 56 storeys, still holds highest honours in Calgary.

The other EnCana tower may be between 40 to 50 storeys and the two towers might be connected over 6th Ave., at the fourth or fifth storey level, according to real estate speculation.

"You'd be hard-pressed to find something that has the kind of density EnCana is thinking of on two distinct city block locations anywhere," Dixon said.

EnCana spokeswoman Almas Kassam said no start-up date has been set, but that the target is to have the project completed within five years.

Kassam refused to confirm negotiations are underway to tie up all of the two-block area, saying there is a company policy prohibiting comment on anything that may or may not be pending.

However, she confirmed that the company has just closed bids from a number of prominent architectural firms and that an announcement on who will be "the signature architect" for the development is expected in the next three to five weeks.

Given that the overall design architect has not been chosen, Kassam said it is industry speculation that calls for construction of two office towers. "We may do two or three towers. We may only do one," Kassam said.

Historic structures to be preserved

Neil Richardson, owner of Heritage Property Corporation, is one of the property owners in the two-block area. His company owns the North-West Travellers building that was just recently restored and two other buildings that were formerly occupied by the Salvation Army.


Richardson confirmed he is in negotiations with EnCana's agent about the sale of his properties that sit in the block bounded by 5th Ave to the south, 6th Ave on the north, 1st Street on the east and Centre Street to the west.

He also confirmed it is his desire to have the Travellers building, which is designated a provincial heritage building, preserved in the redevelopment.

Mohammed Ali owns the Budget Car & Rental outlet in the old fire hall that sits at the corner of 6th Ave. and 1st St. S.E., just north of Richardson's Travellers building. The fire hall is owned by the City of Calgary and is on long-term lease to Ali's holding company.

Ali said his discussions revolved around him getting space in the new development, with the fire hall preserved. Another option is to leave things the way they are, with the new EnCana development butting up to the fire hall property.

Despite repeated requests for an interview, CUPS executive director Carlene Donnelly could not be reached for comment.

However, Bryan Fallwell, owner of the Billingsgate Fish Market that sits several blocks east of CUPS, said his real estate agent was approached to see if a deal could be made to buy his fish market to serve as CUPS' new home. But Fallwell said he didn't think the talks panned out.

Fallwell's real estate agent, Tim Sommer, refused comment saying the timing of the story, "wouldn't help the deal."

Where will the police go?

The City also owns the Andrew Davidson building that sits at the corner of 6th Ave. and 1st St. S.E. and it currently acts as the Calgary Police headquarters office.

A telephone interview request made to Deputy Police Chief Jim Hornby resulted in police spokesman Don Stewart replying. Stewart wanted to know what questions would be asked of Hornby.

"I don't know how much information is available at this point because it is just so early in the process," Stewart said, before adding that he would see what he could do about the interview request to Hornby.

Neither Stewart nor Hornby called back.

Ald. Hodges confirmed that talks are under way to move police out of the building to make way for EnCana. He said it's still up in the air where police would be relocated.

"The police building is not coming down very fast because we don't have another place for them right now," Hodges added.

A police source said all downtown sites city staff are exploring run counter to an old internal police study that called for the headquarters to be moved out of the downtown. That study concluded that downtown sites were risky because the main CP Rail line runs through the heart of the downtown and a hazardous materials spill from a train wreck could force closure of the police headquarters.

"We calculated that we would need to be at least as far away as the Jubilee Auditorium if we were to be safe from a major explosion at the CP tracks - and to be upwind," the source said.

When speculation about the Number One Legion being sold to accommodate EnCana came up, Bronconnier vowed it would never be sold. The City owns the building, and the Royal Canadian Legion has a lease on it until 2012.

City Hall sources and Hodges confirmed that the EnCana development could either butt up to the Legion or grow over top of it. Talks are well in the works to have EnCana's project development office rent some unused space in the Legion to act as construction headquarters when the massive project gets underway, Legion spokesperson confirmed.

[newsposter]

Three architectural firms hired for landmark office tower
Calgary's Zeidler project architect


Gina Teel, Calgary Herald
Published: Thursday, December 08, 2005

Encana Corp. has retained three architectural firms, including two based in Calgary, to design and implement its landmark two-million-square-foot office tower complex project.

It's anticipated a design concept for the office complex, which will house EnCana's 3,200 Calgary employees, will be ready in the spring of 2006, now that the architectural team has been retained, EnCana spokeswoman Almas Kassam said Wednesday.

"Work will commence right away to start planning and designing," she said.

EnCana has retained Foster and Partners of the U.K. as its signature architect for its office complex project.

Based in London, the company is responsible for the main design and concept of the project.

Calgary's Zeidler Partnership, formerly known as Zeidler Carruthers Architects, is the project architect.

The company is responsible for implementing the design concept that Foster and Partners create and the bulk of the architectural process.

David Jefferies, managing project architect at Zeidler, said the EnCana project is pivotal in the development of the area east of Centre Street.

EnCana has purchased two parking lots across the street from Petro Canada Centre, the tallest office tower in Western Canada, as well as the 76-year-old York Hotel, for its site.

Jefferies said there's no doubt the complex will be a landmark project.

"This is, in my estimation, the most important commercial office project in Canada today, both for the city of Calgary and for Alberta, and for the country. It's a very significant project and will be viewed that way everywhere," he said.

Longtime Calgarian Jeremy Sturgess of Sturgess, Page + Steele has been retained as the master planner for the site.

Kassam said the firm is going to work with the architects to design a high-quality urban environment as well as the Plus 15 connections and street level development.

Sturgess said the firm will be looking at the significance of the site, the building, and the company in Calgary and focus on the site as a new heart of Calgary's downtown business centre.

"I think it's fair to say that EnCana is interested in creating a real kind of village within the context of that site, so our role will be how to make that work," he said.

Sturgess, who will meet with all the design partners in London Dec. 19 and 20, described the EnCana office complex as the project of a career.

"I've been working in Calgary in developing as an urban designer for 30 years, and when I say developing I mean widening our scope, and this is the opportunity of a lifetime to really have a very significant influence on what's going on in the city and I'm very excited about that," he said.

EnCana isn't divulging the project's cost, but industry insiders have estimated it at $540 million including land.

Speculation within the commercial real estate industry expects the project will feature two towers, one of which will be more than 60 storeys high -- making it the tallest tower in the west.

EnCana is North America's largest producer of natural gas.

gteel@theherald.canwest.com
© The Calgary Herald 2005

[newsposter]

EnCana zeroes in on key downtown Calgary properties

Bob Beaty
For mytelus.com
CALGARY - It's the ultimate Christmas shopping spree - at least if downtown real estate is your thing.

Agents for EnCana Corporation, Canada's biggest natural gas producer, are telling some of the few remaining property owners in a two-block area of this city's downtown core that all land deals with them have to be tied up six days before Christmas.

That's when EnCana Corporation is set to hold the first formal meeting of its three architectural firms for the biggest urban renewal project in Western Canadian history. The three-day meetings, involving two Calgary architectural firms, start Dec. 19th and will be held in London, England, the hometown of EnCana's "signature" architect, Foster and Partners.

According to Neil Richardson, one of the few remaining property owners who hadn't yet agreed to sell, EnCana's agents were pushing hard to sew up the three buildings he owns at the corner of 1st St. S.E. and 5th Ave before those meetings begin.

"It (negotiations) seems to be heating up," Richardson said. "There is no question about that."

In the second block just south of the block Richardson is in, EnCana has yet to purchase the police headquarters, CUPS - a non-profit group that helps the destitute - and an old hotel called the Regis Plaza. Those sales would complete its purchase of over 90 per cent of the properties in the two-block area.

Wayne Krywko, owner of the Regis hotel at 1247-7th Ave. S.E. said he is still involved "in the dance" with EnCana's agents and probably won't know if he has a deal to sell until next week.

Once all the deal making is done, industry sources believe EnCana will spend a minimum $540 million – including land purchases – to develop the two office towers, one of which will surpass 60 stories and thereby claim rights to the highest tower in Calgary.

And given that a new headquarters may have to be built for police and a new home found for CUPS, EnCana's development could speed up demolition of the entire block north of City Hall where the main Library branch, the provincial court, a parkade and the old police headquarters building sit.

Rising from the rubble in the latter block could be a new main library branch, a new home for Bow Valley College, part of the planned University of Calgary downtown campus, possibly a new police headquarters and new home for CUPS, a variety of players said.

The plans have many staggered over the enormity of the EnCana project and other urban renewal developments that it may inspire. Lynn Webster, past president of the Alberta Association of Architects and a partner of the Calgary architectural firm of Cohos Evamy, said it could put Calgary on the international map.

EnCana's choice of world-renowned architect Norman Foster – the designer of Germany's federal Parliament building in Berlin – bodes well for EnCana's hopes of creating a world-class project, she said.


"It's a great civic urban design opportunity that is remarkable in its promise," Webster said, adding it will also move, "the direction of the downtown core towards the east, and the revitalization of that area."

EnCana's land is located east of Centre Street – the north/south dividing line in Calgary – that commercial developers have so far avoided like the plague.

As a result, the two blocks EnCana is still trying to secure have a disproportionate number of surface parking lots and run-down buildings. Richard White, executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association, said it is exciting that EnCana sought such a renowned architect for the project.

"This is iconic in nature," White said, adding that of the roughly 10 office towers either under construction in this booming city or on the planning boards, EnCana's project "is the icing on the cake."

In addition to the 10 or so office towers planned or under construction, White said there are another 20 large condominium towers in the works. "It is unbridled optimism," he said of the building boom here that has resulted in a shortage of labour and some construction materials, such as concrete.

Because Calgary is so dependent on oil and gas, it has suffered a number of jarring economic busts and that had White throwing up a cautionary flag.

"These (booms) can't last forever," he warned. "So the question is, 'Are we booming or are we blooming right now?'"

Two aspects of EnCana's push to purchase most of the remaining properties have caused Mayor David Bronconnier to go uncharacteristically mum - the sale of the city-owned police headquarters building and the search for an alternative location for CUPS that it will accept.

Knowledgable sources said CUPS is in a strong bargaining position because it owns its building, which sits in a corner of one of the two blocks that faces out onto the major downtown park in front of City Hall. EnCana wants an uncluttered view of City Hall and Olympic Park, the sources added.

Early in the negotiations, there were some exploratory talks to move CUPS to the downtown Billingsgate Fish Market that sits east and north of City Hall. There were also discussions held with the University of Calgary to move CUPS into its planned campus, which the university hopes to build east of City Hall, and a relatively smaller portion over to the block just north of City Hall.

Meanwhile, the search continues for a good location on which to build a new police headquarters.

Gillian Lawrence, the manager of strategic services for City Hall's Corporate Properties and Buildings department, said everything is in the "exploratory stage."

"As we are still in the investigations, it will probably be another four months or so before we have anything to confirm," she added.

[newsjunkie2]

[Chris E]

[Bob van Wegen]

[josh white]

I really hope that EnCana's development, which is really positive for the East Side of Downtown ( I have faith that Foster and Partners will come up with something special) takes the significant heritage of this area into account when they design the complex. It would be a travestly to lose the york, travellers building, Legion etc. Or just have their facades incorporated. They have more than enough land to build their required space, and respect the heritage in the area.

[Bob van Wegen]

EnCana buys city hotel
Part of plans for new office tower

Gina Teel, Calgary Herald
Published: Thursday, February 09, 2006

EnCana Corp. said Wednesday it has purchased the St. Regis Hotel for an undisclosed sum and intends to incorporate the 7th Avenue S.E. property into its overall plans for a new office complex.

Built in 1913, the St. Regis wasn't considered in EnCana's original plans to develop a landmark two-million square-foot office tower complex in downtown Calgary, but the company purchased the property anyway to allow for greater flexibility and options in its overall site design, said EnCana spokeswoman Almas Kassam.

"We're still in very preliminary stages of design, and they'll determine how that piece can fit into it, but it's too early to say what exact plans are," she said.

EnCana has said it plans to transform the area into one of Calgary's most attractive places to work.

The EnCana development, which industry insiders have ballparked at $540 million, including land, is being built to house EnCana's 3,200 Calgary employees and contractors as well as retail shops upon its tentative completion in 2009.

EnCana has yet to release a design for its building but Kassam said a design schematic is expected in late spring.

Speculation within the commercial real estate industry expects the project will feature two towers, one of which will be more than 60 storeys high -- making it the tallest tower in the West.

At 52 storeys, Petro-Canada Centre is the tallest office tower in Western Canada.

Kassam said EnCana had its land requirements for the project acquired long before Christmas. The opportunity to purchase the St. Regis arose after EnCana's top-notch design team met with the project's famed signature architectural firm, Foster and Partners, in London last December.

The purchase of the St. Regis was finalized last Thursday.

According to sources, EnCana is negotiating with one and possibly two additional properties in the vicinity.

Kassam declined to comment on this information, saying as a matter of company policy EnCana does not discuss the specifics of potential transactions until they are a matter of public record.

EnCana earlier purchased the 76-year-old York Hotel from the City of Calgary and two parking lots across the street from Petro Canada Centre for its office complex site.

Deanna French, president of the Royal Canadian Legion Calgary Branch #1, said there's been no discussions to sell the two-storey venue, located next door to the St. Regis at 116 7th Ave. S.E.

The branch's lease with the City of Calgary runs until 2018, and Mayor Dave Bronconnier has previously said the property would not be sold, she said.

"In talking with people, the developer and everything, what we've been told is EnCana is going to build around us," French said.

Gillian Lawrence, the City's manager of strategic services, corporate properties and buildings, confirmed the city-owned land is not for sale. The building is owned by the Legion. "We're not in any discussions around the Legion," Lawrence said.

For French, the only surprise about the sale of the St. Regis was how fast the deal was settled.

"The thing is (when they build) they want to make sure that they are able to see above us from their tower, so I knew that eventually the Regis would have to be going because of the fact that they are taller than us," she said.

The St. Regis will continue to operate under its previous owners until September under a leaseback agreement with EnCana.

gteel@theherald.canwest.com

© The Calgary Herald 2006

[newsposter]

Towering hotel sale
Downtown landmark to make way for EnCana complex
By MICHAEL PLATT, CALGARY SUN, February 8, 2006


A second seedy-but-historic downtown hotel has been sold to oil-giant EnCana, to make way for what's being billed as Calgary's largest office complex.

EnCana spokeswoman Almas Kassen confirmed her company has purchased the privately owned St. Regis Hotel near 7 Ave. and Centre St., and the future of the 93-year-old building, along with the 75-year-old York Hotel next door, is still uncertain.

"Neither are provincially designated historic sites, but it's too early in the process to determine if either can be incorporated," said Kassen. "We're looking at various designs."

Built in 1913, the St. Regis catered to businessmen visiting Calgary, and is still a hotel, though in recent years it has become something of a low-rent flop house for transients.

EnCana is looking to build a two-million-sq.-ft. office complex, which industry watchers speculate will become Calgary's tallest tower at 60 storeys. The company bought the York from the city last year.

The purchase and uncertain future of the two hotels has history-loving Calgarians watching nervously, wondering if the old buildings will survive.

Historian Harry Sanders said the loss would cost Calgary a bit more of its character.

"I like old things and it makes it a better city for me," said Sanders.

[newsposter]

Glenbow running out of room, Encana office a possibility
Last updated Mar 10 2006 04:02 PM MST
CBC News

The Glenbow Museum is eyeing the new Encana building downtown as a possible home for its ever expanding collection.

Glenbow officials say the museum, on 9 Ave. S.E., is running out of space to house its archives and artefacts, so it will either need to renovate or move.

"We're working in a building which is approaching the end of its life cycle. Its been opened to the public since 1976 and whilst it does the trade a bit of favour, we can certainly use some new architecture," said Michael Robinson, president of the museum.

Encana's new building, to be built by the famed architectural firm Fosters and Partners, is one of the possibilities that Glenbow is exploring, though a move is still several years down the road.

Robinson said the Glenbow has been researching options for about five years.

Encana's new 60-story headquarters are slated for the east side of Centre Street between 5th and 7th Avenues, making it the biggest office building in Western Canada.

Robinson says there would be ample room to accommodate the Glenbow.

Nigel Dancey, one of the architects who will design the building, says the museum would be a tremendous addition.

"The opportunity to try to mix cultural and retail together and create a genuinely new destination is something we are fascinated about," said Dancey.

Fosters and Partners is world renown for its projects. They include the Reichstag in Germany, the Samuel Beckett Theatre in London and the Smithsonian Institute.

[newsposter]

Design for EnCana complex 'imminent'

Mario Toneguzzi
Calgary Herald

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

A final design for a landmark two-million-square-foot complex by EnCana Corp. in downtown Calgary is "imminent," with officials hoping to present it to the city before the end of this year.

"We want to get into the city with our development permit sometime this year, so by the end of the year we'll have that in hand. So that will allow EnCana to go forward next year and actually tender the construction work and break ground," said Michael Budd, hired by EnCana almost two years ago as a consultant to support long-term real estate planning.

"The executive group has not yet seen a final design . . . once they confirm that, then we'll be into the drawing feverishly stage to get our application in for approval."

On Tuesday morning, Budd was guest speaker at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce in the Commercial Real Estate Speaker Series presented by the Calgary Real Estate Board's Commercial Division.

Budd said the cost of the new building will be more than $330 a square foot. Officials are hoping to begin moving employees into the new complex by early 2010 with the entire move completed by the end of that year.

Speculation within the commercial real estate industry is the project will feature two towers. Budd said Tuesday the complex will feature a tower more than 60 storeys high. At 52 storeys, the Petro-Canada Centre is the tallest office tower in Western Canada.

EnCana has made several land purchases for its office complex, including two parking lots across the street from the Petro-Canada Centre (east of Centre Street between 5th and 6th avenues S.W.) as well as the 76-year-old York Hotel on the corner of Centre Street and 7th Avenue, and the Regis Hotel, built in 1913, which is just east of the York along 7th Avenue.

EnCana currently houses employees in several downtown buildings. When the new complex is complete, it will free up about 1.3 million square feet of office space in the downtown core now used by the company.

Mark St. Pierre, senior vice-president and principal agent of Barclay Street Real Estate Ltd., said the 1.3 million square feet represent about four per cent of the current downtown inventory.

"Even with the 1.3 million square feet and the buildings that are currently being proposed, the vacancy rate probably does not exceed five per cent, even with EnCana's vacancy (in 2010) provided we meet our historic annual demand of about 550,000 square feet," said St. Pierre.

"We're at one per cent vacancy right now (downtown). Even if we brought two million square feet on over the next four years, we need two million square feet to stay at one per cent to meet our annual absorption numbers."

mtoneguzzi@theherald.canwest.com

© The Calgary Herald 2006

[Bob van Wegen]

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

As part of its plans to develop a new downtown headquarters complex, EnCana Corporation is inviting expressions of interest from arts, cultural and scientific organizations for inclusion of their space requirements within the public area of the development. An as yet unspecified portion of the development area may be available for these types of uses.

Organizations with a space requirement in excess of 25,000 square feet are encouraged to submit expressions of interest.
Please include the following information:

Overview of the organization
Proposed use(s) for the space
Impact on the community
Benefit to EnCana
Technical requirements
Funding considerations
Please send proposal to:

Ms. Florence Murphy
Vice President, Public and Community Relations
EnCana Corporation
1800, 855 2nd Street SW
P.O. Box 2850
Calgary, AB T2P 2S5

Deadline for proposals is Thursday, May 18, 2006.

[newsposter]

Letter to the Editor

'Older is Better'

Calgary Herald

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Heritage - EnCana has earned the right to a building of their own. As well, we will see a revitalization of a neglected part of Calgary's downtown core.

Heritage groups and individuals have done a lot of lobbying to help preserve most, but not all, of our character sandstone buildings.

Between that building period, and ending nearly a century ago, there was little enhancement to downtown Calgary's esthetics.

It is questionable whether most structures built, size aside, have followed a positive trend since the Second World War.

One notable exception is the York Hotel, built in 1929 to 1930 in an Edwardian Commercial style, with impressive art deco style motifs, considered quality architecture of the period.

The interior decorating scheme was a blend of Spanish and Egyptian.

The main lobby utilized terrazzo marble. Brass and mahogany added quality and elegance.

The building's facade is beautiful and intriguing. Not to incorporate the exterior and part of the ground floor into the proposed monolith to be built on this site would be a loss of another Calgary heritage structure.

William M. McLennan,

Calgary

William McLennan is a member of the Alberta Historical Preservation & Rebuilding Society.