Calgary Heritage Initiative forums

[Bob van Wegen]

The moderne style 1946 Greyhound bus garage at 222 Riverfront Avenue, east of Eau Claire market, is up for redevelopment.

The building is noted in the Calgary Modern Photographic Survey prepared by the Calgary Civic Trust. A searchable database of the survey photos is at http://caa.ucalgary.ca/CCT.html -- just search for "Greyhound". (The complete survey is located at www.calgarycivictrust.ca)

Note that the newest information is on the bottom of the thread...











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David Parker
Calgary Herald
October 12, 2005

Signatures have been committed to paper and the former Greyhound garage site on Riverfront Avenue, just to the east of Eau Claire Market, has been acquired by Anthem Properties, a real estate development, investment and management firm based in Vancouver.

The $16-million transaction was handled through John Cardiff of Royal LePage Commercial.

Anthem has been working for some time with the city through BKDI Architects to plan the best use of the 2.2-hectare site along the Bow River pathway system. Lead architectural firm Foad Dafi, in association with BKDI, is working on preliminary sketches that would see a diversity of residential segments, including a low rise at riverside, highrise condominium towers, live/work units and possibly a seniors component and hotel.

In total, the land could bring between 900 and 1,000 units to market.

Anthem is very keen on making it a great place to live, with a sense of community, and is planning retail for unique shops and coffee houses and maybe a restaurant that would well serve the people who live there.

[newsposter]

A land use proposal was submitted December 7 for the Greyhound site
LOC2005-0127 Address: 222 RIVERFRONT AV SW (Chinatown)

Change the land use from CM-1 to RM-7/DC. B K D I ARCHITECTS

Concerns or comments to:

Ward alderman Druh Farrell druh.farrell@calgary.ca
File Manager Tita Matthias. 268-5393 or email matthias.tita@calgary.ca

[newsposter]

Calgary ready for 'take off'
Vancouver developer planning project

Kathy McCormick
Calgary Herald

Saturday, March 11, 2006

With Calgary's booming housing industry, it's no surprise that top-notch people are moving to the city to take advantage of the hot market.

Jason Craik is one of them. The 34-year-old partner (with Cameron McNeill) in MAC Real Estate Marketing Solutions in Vancouver has opened a marketing centre in Calgary.

His first project will be the redevelopment of the Greyhound bus terminal site in Eau Claire, which is owned by Anthem Properties, also a Vancouver-based company.

"Calgary is one of my favourite cities," says Craik.

"It's one of the fastest growing cities in Canada and it's developing a vibrant urban centre. We believe it's ready to take off."

With $438 million in sales last year, Craik set the record in Canada for real estate and he was Canada's top-selling realtor for 2005, says Greater Vancouver's Medallion Club.

"We specialize in becoming an integral part of the development team and we want to bring a product here that's attractive, accessible and wanted in Calgary," says Craik.

The one-million-square-foot project is currently in the conceptual stages and will be fine-tuned after focus groups are held to determine the best product to reach the right market, he says.

"We need to know what the potential buyers will look like -- and we need to know land and construction costs, and what it will take to make the project viable," says Craik. "It has to be the right size and the right affordability for the groups targeted."

A likely scenario is to create multi-use towers offering a mix of residential and commercial development.

While nothing is solidified at this point, everything from a high-end hotel to as many as 1,000 residential units has been rumoured.

"We're quite confident we can roll out something by late spring or early fall," says Craik.

The project is to be east of Eau Claire Market on the Bow River pathway -- an ideal spot, he says. "We believe it's the best development site in Calgary, bar none."

MAC Real Estate Marketing Solutions is also expanding to Kelowna and Toronto.

© The Calgary Herald 2006

[josh white]

Here is the crude rendering of the Greyhound/Anthem Properties development.


Claeren, you are right Rafii does some simple and understated designs, but really good in terms of urban design, relation to the street level and quality. I really, really like the layout of the greyhound development with the low and midrise perimeter blocks with retail, and townhouses with point towers on top. Fantastic! Should be a great development. That area is going to be very busy with that, Livingston, Eau Claire Market (with two towers) and City Centre.

Description:

222 Riverfront Avenue will be a multi-phased condominium/mixed-use development consisting of 27-storey, 20-storey, 16-storey and 14-storey towers with interconnecting 4 and 6-storey low rise units and 2 1/2 storey townhouses.

A two and three level underground parkade will cover the entire site. Extensive landscaping and streetscaping will be provided. Total construction cost is anticipated to be in excess of $150.0 million.

Phase 1 will include a 27-storey tower and parkade which will be constructed after demolition of the former Greyhound Maintenance Shop and extensive remediation of the site. The construction cost for Phase 1 is expected to be $45.0 to $50.0 million.

[Chris E]

Photos added.

[Bob van Wegen]

Unfortunately the word is that the new development may only incorporate (?) the Greyhound 'frieze' over the door.

NEW Here is a link to the project proposal as it went to Calgary Planning Commission May 18, 2006. Going to City Council June 19, 2006.
http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/BU/planning/pdf/cpc_agendas/2006_may_18/loc2005_0127.pdf

[newsposter]

The Greyhound buildings are being demolished. Here is a photo from May 11, 2006, courtesy 'Canterra' at www.skyscraperpage.com