Learn how Sunnyside’s 9A St has changed
Recently, I had an opportunity to tour the “Hive in Sunnyside,” the latest project by JEMM Properties, located at 233 – 9A St. NW. This nine storey, purpose-built rental, like its sister project Bridge in Bridgeland/Riverside, is designed for those who love urban living. Its Walk Score must be close to 100 with Safeway and Sunnyside grocery stores and Sunnyside LRT station just down the block. And Kensington Village’s 250 shops are just around the corner including the Plaza Theatre and Pages bookstore. Bonus: Downtown is just a hop skip and jump over the Bow River via either the Louise or Peace Bridge. As a result, there are only 50 residential parking stalls for the 140 apartments.
The Hive has a spectacular roof top patio.
I was surprised to learn the seven 405 square foot studio apartments were snapped up first. Perhaps because the rents are below market which was part of the conditions of the CMHC financing, or maybe it was because they are all on the south side of the building with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a million dollar view of downtown and the Bow River.
The strong demand for upscale rental homes of all sizes in Calgary’s city centre is evidenced by the fact Hive was 50% leased within 50 days of occupancy. And yes, there will be a beehive on the roof-top patio (which has a billion dollar view of the city and the mountains) plus a pollinator garden at street-level.
As I was walking home, I was reminded how much 9A Street NW has evolved since the 1980s when the City announced it wanted to build an LRT line from downtown through Sunnyside to SAIT, ACA (now Alberta University of the Arts), University of Calgary and to the northwest suburbs - much to the chagrin of Sunnyside residents. The locals protested the LRT saying it would destroy their community; this resulted in the construction of NW leg of the LRT being delayed and the NE leg getting built instead.
Fast forward 40+ years and Sunnyside is currently one of the most desirable communities in the city and the property values of the old homes have skyrocketed, in part due to easy access to LRT. This might be a lesson for those currently protesting increased housing density believing it will hurt their property values and the character of their community, when in fact it may increase the value enhance the character.
The Sunnyside LRT station in modest in scale, allowing it to easily fit in amongst the new multi-family developments and the heritage cottage homes.
New Mid-Rise Homes
While there are still a few of the old homes and small apartment blocks along 9A Street, over the past 10+ years the streetscape has become home to several large mid-rise (under 12 storeys) residential buildings. First came “Pixel” by Battistella which opened in 2013, followed by “Annex” by Minto Communities in 2021 and next up will be another project by Jemm called “Kit at Kensington” across from the Safeway, where the Lunenburg building now stands at 1001 3rd Ave NW.
Backstory: The Lunenburg Arts and Craft-style row houses were built in 1911 and originally called the Wellington Terrace. It is one of the few residential buildings in the Kensington area that dates to the pre-WW 1 era. Ironically, they look a lot like the new corner conversion row houses currently being built in inner city communities across the city in scale and form. FYI: I has now been torn down.
Last Word
The success of Hive in Sunnyside and other residential projects in Calgary’s city centre is evidence our city centre is an attractive place to live, which is a sign of a healthy city. It also evidence Calgary’s established communities can benefit from increased density, contrary to what some believe. While urban living isn’t for everyone, it is for more and more Calgarians.