Latest news with #2501Richmond
CBC
09-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Council OK's housing project on site of former Viscount Bennett School
Calgary city council has agreed to move forward with plans to build eight residential buildings on the site of the former Viscount Bennett School, after a lengthy public hearing on Tuesday. The developer, Minto Group, applied to rezone the space to accommodate 1,231 to 1,509 housing units across eight buildings. The plan includes three 16-storey towers. Council voted 9-5 in favour of the land use redesignation application for the 4.6-hectare lot along Richmond Road and Crowchild Trail S.W. "This is exactly the place that we need to put this, in terms of meshing with other core city priorities and the way that our system is built to operate," said Ward 12 Coun. Evan Spencer, who voted to support the project. The site is "steps" away from a bus rapid transit stop on Crowchild Trail and a primary bike pathway, the Minto Group says. Some residents say development plans are too dense At the city council meeting, more than a dozen Calgarians spoke out against the project, dubbed "2501 Richmond." "The Viscount Bennett site offers an opportunity for smart, sustainable growth. But the Minto proposal is not it," said Richmond resident Marnie Evans. "The density is too high, the green space too low, infrastructure analysis incomplete and the community has not been heard. This is not the way we should be building Calgary's future." Speakers also expressed concern over the potential traffic impacts of the redevelopment project. The Richmond Knobhill Community Association published its own redevelopment plan in January, based on community feedback gathered at an open house. It recommended building a maximum of around 400 units on the site. The proposal also called for maintaining four acres of green space. Meanwhile, Minto Group said it went above and beyond with community outreach. "What we did is we went beyond meeting the typical expectations for private developments and land use applications in terms of the depth of transparency, in terms of information sharing," said Martha McClary, who worked with Minto Group on the project. Coun. Andre Chabot was among those who voted in opposition, citing some of the concerns raised by residents. "There will be a greater and greater demand for green space, and trying to buy it in the future will be impossible," said the Ward 10 representative. The development company has significantly scaled back from its original plans for 2501 Richmond. In 2023, it proposed building more than 2,500 units on the site and buildings up to 30 storeys tall. According to a written statement from Minto, it made those changes "based on community feedback" and evaluated the proposal against multiple existing city policies. Minto purchased the land from the Calgary Board of Education in 2023. The school building was shuttered by the CBE in 2018.
CBC
24-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Residents say scaled back redevelopment proposal for Viscount Bennett site is still too big
In preparation for a public hearing at city hall, residents of southwest community Richmond Knob Hill are reigniting their concerns over the proposed redevelopment of the site of the former Viscount Bennett School. But as Calgary grapples with an ongoing housing crisis, one city councillor wants both residents and the developers to be open minded when they hear each other's cases next month. On a 4.6-hectare lot off of Crowchild Trail, developer Minto Group is proposing to build between 1,231 to 1,509 housing units across eight buildings — up to 16 storeys high — for its project, 2501 Richmond. Minto's land use redesignation application, which would allow for low- and medium-rise residential buildings, goes to city council on April 8. Kevin Widenmaier, president of the Richmond Knob Hill Community Association, said residents want council to vote against the application. "What's been proposed by the developer in the last two years is really excessive and too dense for the area. Frankly, what's come across is multiple towers and high density buildings that are probably more appropriate for a Beltline or downtown area and not a medium-density, inner-city neighbourhood," said Widenmaier. He said residents are also concerned about a lack of green space, insufficient transportation planning and a lack of community engagement from the developers. Considering how many people would move into the units, he said they're also concerned about aging infrastructure. Development plans scaled back Minto purchased the land from the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) in 2023. The Viscount Bennett Centre — once home to the CBE's Chinook Learning Services and Viscount Bennett High School — is currently being demolished. Over time, Minto has scaled back its plans for the development significantly. Its initial concept from November 2023 included more than 2,500 units and up to 30 storeys. Its latest concept, from this January, slashes the number of anticipated units and storeys roughly in half. According to a written statement from Minto, it made those changes "based on community feedback" and evaluated the proposal against multiple existing city policies. "Minto is committed to responsible development that is well supported by City infrastructure capacity. As with all projects of this scale, transportation and utility planning will continue in coordination with the City of Calgary to support current and future residents," the company said in a statement. But the community isn't interested in what was originally proposed, according to Widenmaier, who said the project is still too big and would be better suited for a location like downtown. After holding an open house, the community association created its own redevelopment proposal for the site. Its options include a maximum of 400 units and four acres of park space instead of the one acre Minto is planning. Still, last month, Minto's latest plan received unanimous approval from the Calgary Planning Commission, with 33 conditions. 'Come in with open minds' Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong, vice-chair of the city's community development committee, said he recognizes the community's concerns. "It's like saying if I've held on to my cherished car for many, many years and somebody said, 'I'm going to replace it with something 21st century.' There is an adjustment as to, what am I giving up? What am I getting?" said Wong. He said ultimately it comes down to developers initiating meaningful engagement that will build trust among residents. He said the public hearing on April 8 — when both sides are in the same room — is an opportunity to take a step toward that. "What I will encourage both the developer … and the community [to do] is to come in with open minds and open hearts and see collectively what you can build." If the application is approved by council, Wong said everyone involved can discuss other sticking points, including what infrastructure improvements need to be made and who's responsible for them.
