Historic 100 block 7th Avenue SW

[Admin]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion/Ar ... story.html




By Paula Arab June 13, 2012


Stephen Avenue’s Little Sister is a project whose time has come — several years ago, actually. We’ve been hearing for years how the city wants to save its heritage buildings, fix the mess it made of 7th Avenue S.W. in a much earlier planning decision to turn the once-vibrant street into a transit corridor, and create more arts and culture space.

The Little Sister urban revitalization project does all three. But it’s not without controversy because it also calls for an exemption to be made to the city’s ridiculous parking policy that artificially restricts the downtown supply, leading to Calgary’s dishonourable title of having the second-highest parking rates in North America.

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Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Arab+Back+ ... z1xpFN7tre

[Admin]

This project goes before CPC (Calgary Planning Commission) on Thursday:
http://www.calgaryheritage.org/CHIForum/vi ... =3571#3571

[newsposter]

Mixed news for the Neil Richardson's 100 Block project that went to CPC yesterday. With Administration recommending a refusal, CPC instead sent it back to staff for some adjustment, but judging by this article the frustration of long delays is wearing on the proponent. The decision on this will ultimately have to be made at City Council...

City planner opposes downtown revitalization project
Above-ground parkade would violate policy
By Jason Markusoff, Calgary Herald December 21, 2012 6:24 AM

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/City+plann ... z2FhtlFIJz

[newsposter]

The project for the 100 block of 7th Avenue SW is back at planning commission today, and it seems that some progress has been made. The recommendation is for a further referral, however, to continue that work...

http://www.calgary.ca/PDA/DBA/Documents ... 0052-a.pdf

[newsposter]

The 7th Avenue Autopark project is scheduled to return to Calgary Planning Commission in June. Meanwhile, it is referenced by chief planner Rollin Stanley in this story about his back alley Jane's Walk, May 5 2013.

http://globalnews.ca/news/537432/city-m ... ck-alleys/

[newsposter]

The proposal for the 100 block passed at CPC on June 6. To a future public hearing of Council (expected July 22). Above ground parkade seems a pretty good idea post flood eh?

Here is a link to the agenda (item 1)
http://www.calgary.ca/PDA/DBA/Pages/Pub ... une-6.aspx

And the minutes:
http://www.calgary.ca/PDA/DBA/Documents ... -june6.pdf

[newsposter]

The 7th Avenue Autopark project, which would preserve a streetscape of historic buildings on 7th Avenue SW finally goes to a Public Hearing of City Council on September 9. Link below. A public hearing means that the public can attend and speak to the item.

6.4 LAND USE REDESIGNATION (DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL CORE) BYLAW 67D2013, CPC2013-076

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

[greenwood714]

Great news!

http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/ne ... 377dd00f46

Jason Markusoff, Calgary Herald
Published: Tuesday, September 10, 2013

"Council has given its blessing to Calgary's first mechanized parkade, wedged between the downtown transit-only avenue and its pedestrianonly avenue.

Even aldermen who support the plan agree it's an awkward fit that will add 388 cars daily through a crowded laneway with limited access.

But the parkade would let the developer save a strip of small century-old storefronts that have long made the 100 block of 7th Avenue S.W. perhaps the sketchiest in the city's downtown.

"It's messy. It's not simple. It will require work and it will take a bit to get it right," downtown Ald. Druh Farrell said.

"I can live with this. And the alternative really worries me because I think we'll lose these buildings."

She had success in urging colleagues not to have a "slavish adherence" to Calgary's parking policy that discourages new stand-alone private parkades in the core.

The proposal passed 10-5. At robo-parkades such as this, a driver leaves a car on a lift, which mechanically finds a space where the car can be stacked. The robot lift later fetches the car when its driver returns.

They're common in European cities where parking space is scarce, as well as Manhattan, Boston and Vancouver.

The parkade is the money-maker that developer Neil Richardson said will subsidize refurbishing the shabby storefronts that face 7th Avenue, letting the buildings attract retailers other than the current pawnshop and restaurant on that block.

"We're really in the clunker stage - do you restore it or do you demolish it and build something new?" said Richardson, president of Heritage Property Corp.

The 15-storey structure, which could be built by late 2015, would include restaurants and office space in a revitalized laneway between 7th and Stephen avenues.

The proposal also features a large video billboard that will face the 7th Avenue LRT platform, showing a mixture of advertisements and arts event promotions.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi likes the potential of the video screen to bring a "Times Square feel" to downtown Calgary. He also supported the project because it would help replace parking that will be lost across the street from the downtown Bay when a new office tower goes up in place of a 1,038-car parking garage."

[newsposter]

For anyone who is interested, the Council discussion of this item is now available online at the link below.

http://agendaminutes.calgary.ca/sirepub ... pe=MINUTES

6.4 LAND USE REDESIGNATION (DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL CORE) BYLAW 67D2013, CPC2013-076