Calgary 2021: A Good Year For City Centre Residential Development
Recently, I met up with architect, Bruce McKenzie, Vice President, Business Development, NORR’s Western Canada office in Calgary to get his take on how this year has been for multi-family residential development - and what it looks like for 2022.
I like chatting with architects about future development as they are the first ones to have their projects cancelled in hard times, but also the first ones to be engaged to create designs for new buildings when the future begins to look more rosy. FYI: NORR’s Western Canadian office (in Calgary), has designed more condos and multi-family residential buildings than any other architectural firm in the city.
He surprised me by saying “We are as busy as we have ever been and it looks like it will continue into 2022.” I then asked, “How busy?” He replied, “Let me check.”
A few days later I got an email with the numbers. “2021 has indeed been a very busy year in Calgary for us with 12 inner city multi-family projects (1,200 new homes) and 120 suburban projects (8,500 new homes predominately condominiums) at various stages of development, construction or completion in Calgary. This does not include the Elbow River Cidex site which is another 1,350 units.” I had to read this twice - the numbers shocked me. And of course, not all of these projects will happen in 2022.
I was not surprised by the inner-city numbers as residential development in the City Centre has continued to thrive, even as the downtown core has struggled. One of the keys of a healthy City Centre is the construction of new housing that meets the diversity of needs and desires of today’s families, young professionals and empty nesters.
Here is a summary of the diversity of recent multi-family development in Calgary’s City Centre today and what is coming soon.
The Hat Elbow River includes three residential towers with a total of 1,350 homes near the Stampede LRT station, within walking distance to downtown, Mission’s Main Street (aka 4th Street), Stampede Park and Repsol Sports Centre.
Completed Projects In 2021
The largest project and most unique architecturally to be completed in 2021 were the two West Village Towers in Downtown West (corner of 9th Ave and 11th St SW). This Cidex Group project, designed by NORR, adds 554 new homes to the City Centre, with a third tower yet to come.
Nearby Home Space completed Legacy, offering 108 new affordable homes (7th Ave and 5th St SW). You would never know this is affordable housing building as the design and façade elements make an attractive modern architecture statement.
Over in East Village, the first tower of Arris by Bosa (on top of the Real Canadian Superstore) was completed and residents started moving in this year. And even better news is construction has commenced on the second tower. Together, these two towers will create about 500 new homes in East Village.
Across the river in Bridgeland/Riverside, the first of the twin Bucci Development’s mid-rise buildings, The Dominion (just north of the LRT Station) was completed and people began moving in this past summer. The second tower will be completed in 2022.
In Kensington, the very attractive Victoria on Fifth (5th Avenue, near 10th Street), by Casola Koppe Architects and Hive Developments) opened its doors to 90+ new residents and Annex by Minto Communities (on 9AthStreet near the LRT Station) welcomed 104+ more to The Village.
In the Beltline, ONE Properties’ huge Curtis Block development was rebranded as BLVD and began welcoming residents to its 958 homes in two towers near Stampede LRT station (which is getting a $90M makeover.)
Also in 2021 in Beltline, Hines’ Park Central opened its doors to 462 new residents to live across the street from Memorial Park, with easy access to downtown, as well as 4th Street SW and 17th Ave SW amenities. Construction also commenced this year on its second tower.
Coming Soon!
Construction continues in Bridgeland on Jemm Properties’ The Bridge a new 256 home project, close to the Bridgeland/Riverside LRT station and across the street from Murdoch Park.
The Oliver on 10th Ave SW.
In the Beltline, Centron’s Oliver residential complex continues to rise up on the 500 block of 10th Ave SW. The first tower will offer 459 new homes, with a second tower adding 403 more in the future.
Further west, at 11th Ave and 11th Street, Intergulf’s appropriately named ELEVEN is an elegant white 44-storey tower nearing completion and soon to offer 369 new homes.
As well, two new residential developments were started in 2021 at the corner of 14th St and 10th Ave SW. Cidex Group’s The Hat on 14th on the southeast corner (yes this is a sister tower to both The Hat on 7th and The Hat in East Village) will add 239 new homes, while Housing One’s Sunalta Heights, a two-tower on the northwest corner will add 150 new homes in Phase one and another 182 in Phase two.
In Mission (north of the Safeway), Verve’s Riverwalk is quickly taking shape. This retirement residence will create 141 new homes offering everything from independent living, personalized supportive care, assisted living and memory care.
In the downtown core, Home Space and Inn From The Cold have teamed up to start construction on converting the 10-storey Sierra Place office building into 82 affordable homes along with shelter, transition and support services. This is part of the City of Calgary’s program to subsidize the conversion of empty office buildings into residential and other uses.
In Kensington, across from the Safeway, Graywood Developments’, The Theodore a triangular-shaped condo is beginning to take shape - it will welcome approximately 150 new residents in 2022.
And in Inglewood, StreetSide Developments is constructing Konekt, a three-storey, 104-home project next to Pearce Estate Park within walking distance to the community’s main street (aka 9th Ave SE).
In addition to these multi-family developments in the City Centre, hundreds of smaller infill homes were added to Calgary older inner-city neighbourhoods - single family, side-by-sides and small townhomes – this past year.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the downtown core in 2022, with the City having committed $100M to subsidize the conversion of older office buildings into residential and other uses. It would also be nice to see the redevelopment of the old CBC and Legion sites in Hillhurst and West Hillhurst respectively, commence in 2022.
Eleven residential development at the corner of 11th St and 11th Ave SW.
Riverwalk Retirement Residence by Verve Senior Living in Mission.
The Hat on 14th
The Bridge development near the Bridgeland/Riverside LRT Station.
Sierra Place affordable housing will be located in the downtown core on the 7th Avenue Transit Corridor.
Konekt in Inglewood
Last Word
Indeed, 2021 has been a busy year for Calgary’s residential developers, creating attractive new homes for Calgarians or all ages and backgrounds across the city. Let’s hope 2022 is as good as or better than 2021 when it comes to inner-city residential development as a healthy city needs a healthy inner-city – neighbourhoods where a diversity of people want to live.
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