3 days ago
Developer aiming to resurrect residential highrise project on vacant Eau Claire parking lots
The last two surface parking lots in Eau Claire are slated for the development of a cluster of highrise condo towers in the heart of the downtown community.
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QuadReal Property Group, the company behind the proposal, envisions eight condo towers complemented by commercial uses, such as restaurants, cafes and convenience retail.
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The proposed towers would take up two blocks, bordered between 4th and 6th Streets S.W. and Eau Claire Avenue and 2nd Avenue S.W.
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The 6.3-acre parcel is currently occupied by two public parking lots for Prince's Island Park, a short walk north of the site. The lots are separated by 5th Street S.W.
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The Calgary planning commission unanimously approved an area redevelopment plan amendment and a rezoning application Thursday for the project. A development permit has not been submitted. Their endorsement comes a decade after a similar 'urban village' concept was considered for the site in 2014, only to be cancelled due to worsening economic conditions.
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While the application does not mention suggested building heights or unit totals, the developer intends to build a 'high-density, primarily residential development.' The amended Eau Claire ARP would increase the maximum amount of developable space than what is currently allowed.
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'The development is envisioned to attract residents whose lifestyle will lend to Eau Claire's proximity to amenities,' it states.
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Commission members voted 9-0 in support of the land-use redesignation, stating a residential development would provide more economic value than surface parking lots.
The commission's vice-chair, Thom Mahler, joked that the land has served as parking for so long that he's surprised it hasn't been designated a historic parking lot by the city.
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On a more serious note, he said the proposal allows for flexibility when it reaches the development permit stage, and called the parcel a 'unique area' to add more housing.
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'I think this is a really good new starting point for this site, and fingers crossed that something happens really soon,' he said.
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The development would revive a previous proposal from 2014, which envisioned six residential towers ranging from 19 to 33 storeys, 30 two-storey ground-oriented townhomes, a 350-room hotel and 65,000 square feet of retail space — including a grocery store, a public plaza and pedestrian walkway.
