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There was some earlier discussion on this topic in another thread back when it was just a rumour. For that discussion (now locked) click the link:
http://www.calgaryheritage.org/CHIForum/vi ... ?p=932#932
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Brookfield Properties Corp. is in the pre-development stage of a land use amendment which would ultimately clear the site of the old Herald building, which although clad in 1960's granite? cladding used to be a smaller version of the beautiful adjacent Southam building which was demolished in the early 1970s.
There has been much speculation if some of the original facade still exists under the currently cladding.
Resources indicate that gargoyles which one adorned the building were removed before remodelling, however the rest may indeed still be intact.
From the Calgary Sun:
Proposal goes to city planning commission
Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald
Published: Thursday, September 04, 2008
One of North America's leading commercial real estate companies has plans to potentially build an office tower up to about 50 storeys in the city's downtown on the old Calgary Herald block.
Brookfield Properties Corp. is in the pre-development stage of the project, which it describes as a "66,000-square-foot development site with 1.2 million square feet of buildable density."
A road closure and land-use redesignation goes before the Calgary planning commission today as the first part of the proposal, which would allow for a comprehensive redevelopment of the block.
"We're just moving forward with the stuff necessary to ready that site for potential future development," Tom Farley, the company's president and chief operating officer of Canadian operations, told the Herald.
Contingent on the successful approval of the road closure and land-use redesignation application, Brookfield would then go to a development permit application, which could take eight to 10 months.
"Our view is that to the extent there's adequate pre-leasing, then we would consider moving forward with the development at some point down the road, but we don't have any plans to announce proceeding at this point," said Farley.
The potential would be for 1.2 million square feet of development, which would mean a 48-plus storey building.
The tower would be located on the northeast portion of the block, at 6th Avenue S.W. and 1st Street.
The old Herald building at the corner of 7th Avenue and 1st Street, which was originally built in 1912, would be demolished, as would several other small buildings on the block, once Brookfield decides to proceed with the Herald Square project.
A landscaped plaza is being proposed for the south portion of the block. The proposed development would also include a two-storey retail block. The west portion of the block would have two existing parkades.
Considering the current economic conditions and rising office vacancy rates, the future development on the Herald block shows a "landlord who is very bullish on the future of Calgary," said Dan Harmsen, associate broker and principal of Barclay Street Real Estate Ltd.
"Brookfield's confidence in the future of our economy is clear," said Richard Pootmans, business development manager of real estate for Calgary Economic Development.
"Among other benefits, this project would invigorate the Plus-15 system in the downtown core."
Maggie Schofield, executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association, said the organization would certainly be interested to see what the plans would be for that block.
"Obviously, our first line of attack is how does it integrates with the street and what does it bring to the rest of Calgary," she said. "There is a market obviously for office space. So that's fine, but what other amenities are coming with that to make the downtown a better place and what does the streetscape look like? So what sort of vibrancy will it bring to that corner?"
There are about 5.6 million square feet of downtown office space under construction with an inventory of about 32 million square feet.
It is not known how much the proposed tower by Brookfield would cost. The 38-storey Jamieson Place tower with more than 800,000 square feet currently under construction at 4th Avenue and 2nd Street was pegged at $300-million.
mtoneguzzi@theherald.canwest.com
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Calgary Downtown Skyscrapers
Tower Floors
1. Petro-Canada 52
Centre West
150 6th Ave. S.W.
2. Bankers Hall West 47
888 3rd St. S.W.
3. Bankers Hall East 47
855 2nd St. S.W.
4. Canterra 46
400 3rd Ave. S.W.
5. First Canadian Centre 41
350 7th Ave. S.W.
6. Scotia Centre 41
700 2nd St. S.W.
7. Western Canadian 41
Place North
707 8th Ave. S.W.
8. TD Canada Trust 40
421 7th Ave. S.W.
Source: Building Owners and Managers Association of the Greater Calgary Region
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Downtown Herald Building History
- In 1912, the Southam family built two buildings at 1st Street and 7th Avenue S.W., one across from the Bay, the other across from Central United Church. In 1913 the Herald moved into the one across from the church, later known as the Greyhound Building.
- In 1932, the Herald relocated to the other Southam building, a six-storey structure at 206 7th Ave. S.W., remaining until 1981.
- In 1964, the addition of the $2-million mechanical building at the corner of 6th Avenue and 1st Street S.W. provided 85,000 square feet of production floor space as part of a $5-million expansion plan.
- In 2007, Brookfield Properties purchased half a city block, including the old Herald building for $45-million.
Source: Herald Archive
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...1fa8234aac&p=1
Current site plan and potential future site plan:
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There has been quite a buzz regarding the possible salvaging of the Herald block (and the perhaps streetscape deadening open plaza of the new development) since the Herald ran the article above. Should you wish to get involved with saving the Herald building, and perhaps returning it to it's past greatness, you can do the following:
Call (or (e)mail one and CC the rest):
-Alderman John Mar
john.mar@calgary.ca
Telephone (403) 268-2430
Fax (403) 268-3823
-Alderman Druh Farrell
druh.farrell@calgary.ca
Phone No.: 403-268-2475
Fax No.: 403-268-3823
-City of Calgary Heritage Planning Dept
Phone: 403-268-5833 Brenda Etherington
Fax: 403-268-3542
E-mail: brenda.etherington@calgary.ca
-Calgary Downtown Association
Executive Director Maggie Schofield
(403) 215-1565
Fax: (403) 265-1932
info@downtowncalgary.com
As the LUA has already gone through CPC (yesterday) and is being recommended for approval, comments to CPC are likely no longer useful at this point.
NOTE: if you could also CC us at info@calgaryheritage.org that would be appreciated as well so we can keep track of how well the word is getting out.