Calgary Heritage Initiative forums

[newsposter]

Updated Fall 2012...

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The project described by David Parker below would presumably result in the loss of the 1912 Union Building (Lido Cafe), and the 'plus size' version of the project being considered could also include buildings on 9A Street and 2nd Street, including the stucco apartment building on the SW corner of 2nd Avenue and 9A Street that is a local landmark.

A rendering of a version of the project from www.skyscraperpage.com:



10th Street project promises attractive real estate mix

David Parker
Calgary Herald


Tuesday, July 25, 2006


There's great news for shoppers and merchants of the Kensington area of 10th Street N.W. as an exciting development is being planned that will provide a good deal more parking. During the rush-hour periods street parking is not allowed on the busy north/south commuter road, but about a year ago the Calgary Parking Authority bought a surface lot at the corner of 2nd Avenue and the former Ant Hill Fabric store next door with the idea of building an underground parkade with retail and residential above.

It seemed to have stalled but the time has been taken to negotiate with developers to enter into a joint venture agreement where more properties have been purchased to make the project bigger and provide more parking.

Ritchie and Vincent Fung who have owned and run the Lido Cafe for many years are investors along with the Dobbin Group and Atlas Development, businesses with a lot of experience and understanding of the area, who are in discussion with the CPA to extend the parking further south under their site. The authority would manage the parking while the new partnership will build retail and office floors topped by a condominium tower.

The initial design will go ahead but the developers are currently seeking arrangements with other property owners in the block to join with them in developing a much larger project.

They would like to see three levels of underground parking -- more than doubling the initial proposal -- stretching from 10th Street to 9A Street using the back alley as a widened pedestrian walkway flanked by two levels of retail. Another two floors of office space would be built on both sides and then spanned with an archway supporting eight floors of residential condo units terraced back from 2nd Avenue.

It's a great location within easy walking or cycling distance of downtown and just a couple of short blocks away from the Sunnyside LRT Station.

The concept is an attractive one that will change the face of 10th Street providing not only much needed parking but a good mixed use of more retail, office and residential that will add a lot of life to the area.

Chris Dobbin of the Dobbin Group and Michael Evans of Atlas Development have a real heart for Kensington. We got into a discussion of potential improvements for the wider Hillhurst/Sunnyside area and spent some time doodling with an idea to convert the red brick former fire station on the north side of the Louise Bridge into a fine restaurant with a large wooden dock over the Bow River that might harbour a boat to take people over to Prince's Island Park. Why not?

[Chris E]

Photos:

Westside:



Eastside:


House:

[entheos_fog]

Why is it that whenever there is a building that is architectually or culturally significant in terms of heritage or 'different' in a city that is so lacking in these areas, that it has to be torn down??? ANd made 'modern'.
Ie: Penny Lane, the Lido Block (and the Lido, of course) and that cool apartment that looks like a castle, and many others like the Mount Royal Block, the Huntley, etc etc...

Of course the block isn't designated and neither is Penny Lane, but that shouldn't matter! The fact that these structures and insititutions (a diner that's been around since the '30s) are still surviving in Calgary needs to be celebrated, not torn down!

Just my two cents

[Chris E]

Simple. Cool, interesting areas of attractive urban design draw people to them, which in turn draws in developers who want to fulfill the wish of people to be able to live in said cool area, sometimes with the result of tearing out much of the coolness. It's sad, but oh so predictable.

[newsposter]

The apartment and the house next to it on 9A Street (see above) were purchased by the City for Calgary Parking Authority purposes on November 20, 2006 (the decision to purchase was passed by City Council). Presumably the City will be participating in a redevelopment of this site, including public parking for the Kensington area.

LAS2006-158 FILE NO: 241 9A ST NW & 1037 2 AV NW (GS)

[Chris E]

Some brief news:

There is still at least one tenant in the Apt block, so I'm guessing evictions haven't taken effect assuming any have been issued.

And the Lido Cafe building has been repainted and is for lease:

[newsposter]

It's been a long time since we've had an update on this project. The Calgary Parking Authority-owned land on 10th Street in Kensington. There is a lot of character and history on this block. Whereas previous incarnations of this proposal were to include include the Lido Cafe and the buildings across the alley on 9A Street (see above) it looks like this sale only deals with the Ant Hill fabric building (1941) and the parking lot on the corner.

Herald story October 30, 2009
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Parking+property+sale/2161726/story.html

City Council item LAS 2009-88 on the November 2 2009 Council Agenda. Browse or search at www.calgary.ca > Council Agendas and Minutes

[newsposter]

A proposal is going to Calgary Planning Commission on April 13 that would replace several properties on 9A Street south of 2nd Avenue SW, including a very interesting circa 1939 apartment on the corner that is on the heritage inventory (Pictured above and below - at 1037 2nd Avenue NW). Here is a link to the CPC item: http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/BU/dba/calgary_planning_commission/agenda/2010/loc2009_0109.pdf

Here is an excerpt from the text of the report:
Heritage Considerations The land use redesignation application was submitted on 2009 December 14. The building located at 1037 - 9A Street NW was added to the Calgary's Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources on 2009 December 11. In fairness to the owner, City protocol is to treat the site as if it is not on the Inventory, if the owner has not received notification prior to submitting an application. The Calgary Heritage Strategy (2008) encourages "owners and developers to incorporate historic interpretation as a component of all historic preservation projects or any new development where appropriate". City Heritage staff have been working with the Applicant who has agreed to provide a detailed recording of the historic resources on the site. The Applicant has also agreed to continue to work with Heritage staff to incorporate a significant historic interpretive element in the new development. Details will be required at the time of a Development Permit submission.



Significance Summary from the City website.
This site is significant because:
- The building is a vernacular and pragmatic composition with a variety of stylistic influences including modest Art Deco elements. (Style Value - Community Significance)
- It is a landmark within the community of Sunnyside due to its prominent location and corner lot situation. (Landmark Value - Community Significance)
- It reflects the working-class character that defined the community of Sunnyside at the time of its development and for many years (Symbolic Value - Community Significance)

For more, search for the site address at Discover Historic Calgary:
(search for the address at http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_0_771_203_0_43/http%3B/content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall/Business+Units/Development+and+Building+Approvals+and+Land+Use+Planning+and+Policy/Land+Use+Planning/Heritage+Planning/Discover+Historic+Calgary/Discover+Historic+Calgary.htm

[newsposter]

This proposal goes to City Council on July 5 2010 ^

[newsposter]

This development is still a source of controversy. See from the Sept 23 2010 FFWD:

Hillhurst-Sunnyside residents riled about highrise condo
Community consultation lacking; developers profiting, say opponents
Published September 23, 2010 by Trevor Scott Howell in News

Hazel Holm fears the character of her idyllic northwest neighbourhood of Sunnyside, and the community as she knows it, is nearing its end. As the 78-year-old stands outside of a developer-hosted open house at the Hillhurst-Sunnyside community hall, inside, Battistella Developments is showcasing its proposed eight-storey condominium that will knock down several of her neighbours’ homes — and this is just the beginning...

Full story:
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/news-views/news/hillhurst-sunnyside-residents-riled-about-highrise-condo-6314/

[newsposter]

More recent news on the proposal noted in the very first posting in this thread for 10th Street that would take out Anthill Fabrics, etc. This is separate from the recently approved Battistella project on 9A Street also listed here thread.

FFWD Weekly, Nov. 18 2010
It’s big, it’s pink, and for the last six years it has been pretty much vacant in one of Calgary’s trendiest areas. It’s also a hot-button political issue, typically not publicly discussed — not by the area’s alderman, nor by the Kensington Business Revitalization Zone’s executive director.
“It” is the Ant Hill building, nestled on the southeast corner of 10th Street and Second Avenue N.W. It once housed a local fabric shop, and before that a small Safeway. But since the Calgary Parking Authority bought the property in 2004 for $1.6 million — almost double the $864,000 city assessment value of that same year — it has mostly been a shell, except for an occasional art market...

Full story, FFWD Weekly, Nov. 18 2008
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/news-views/news/pave-over-paradise-put-up-a-parking-lot-6651/

Here is a link to information about the original scheme, higher up in the thread, that seems dead for now. ( oops, make that revived. see below)
http://calgaryheritage.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=548#548

[newsposter]

FFWD on Dec 23 reported that the proposed project for the Ant Hill site includes not only Ant Hill but the Lido Cafe property, and the same players as the original proposal from 2006 at the top of this thread.

Development deal for Ant Hill site sole-sourced
Parking authority says taxpayers getting good deal

Published December 23, 2010 by Trevor Scott Howell in News
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/news-views/news/development-deal-for-ant-hill-site-sole-sourced-6783/

[newsposter]

A proposal went to Calgary Planning Commission on July 7 2011 that would replace a 1939 apartment on the heritage inventory, and several houses. Here is a link to the item: http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/BU/dba/calgary_planning_commission/agenda/2011/dp2010_4492.pdf

Excerpt:

Heritage Commemoration/Interpretive Feature:
With direction from Heritage Planning, the applicant will be providing several historic features in commemoration of the existing building located at 1037 – 2 Avenue NW. The features will include 2 bronze medallions and two commemorative wall mounted plaques. The bronze medallions will be located within the public sidewalk at the corner of 2 Avenue NW and 9A Street NW, the other adjacent to the lane within the small plaza seating area. Both commemorative plaques will be located on site, one near the northeast corner of the building, the other behind the bench seating at the northwest corner of the site.

Second time round for this application, here is a link to the previous attempt in April 2011: http://www.calgaryheritage.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=2085#2085

[jtworow]

Just walked by today, there is a development meeting for Monday April 30th (that's this Monday! Two days from now)

To demolish the old Ant Hill building, plus the building that houses GNC and Lido Cafe... I talked to one person inside the Ant Hill building (now being used by Good Life Bikes), he told me that they only signed a nine month lease, and it sounds like the demolition and development might come quickly now

I'm concerned about the building plus the history of the Lido Cafe itself, it adds great character to the neighbourhood and is very popular, plus the building itself has history to preserve anyway on top of that... And now that Good Life Bikes has moved into the Ant Hill building, there is good use being made of that site, it would be a shame to lose that building, with it's connection to successful Market Collective and now Good Life...

Here's a photo of the poster: