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The Calgary Tower is pictured near the site of a proposed new 7 Ave SW skyscraper between 1st and Center St. in downtown Calgary. Photo by Azin Ghaffari / Postmedia
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A local company could make Calgary home to the tallest building in Western Canada again, as part of a massive downtown project the city hasn’t seen in years.
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Triovest submitted a building permit on April 21 with schemes for a three-tower mixed complex on Stephen Avenue. The project will eat almost the entire 7th and 8th SW avenues between Center Street S. and 1st Street SW
Architectural drawings provided to the city include a 66-storey residential tower, a 54-storey rental tower and a 24-storey office tower.
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Triovest refused a request for an interview, but issued a statement.
“Our approach to real estate has always been to improve and enhance real estate to reach its full potential,” said Ryan Shot, vice president of marketing and communications. “This approach involves an in-depth study of the potential societal, social and economic benefits.
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No deadline was set for the project.
The building was designed by local firm Gibbs Gage Architects, which declined to comment.
Completed in 2019, the Stantec Tower in Edmonton is the current holder of the title on 66 floors and 251 meters. After graduation, he overtook Brookfield Place East in Calgary (56 floors, 247 meters, completed in 2017) in first place.
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The schemes for the proposed project in Calgary include retail space on the ground floor, an 18-storey hotel and five levels of underground parking.
The application is still under review and a land use redevelopment will be required for the site.
Although Mayor Joti Gondek said she was encouraged by the potential for this level of private investment in the city center, she added that there was still a long way to go.
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“I think that every time we have a big application that comes to us about our center, it is an absolute sign of faith that we are in a recovery regime,” she said. “When we invest in ourselves, as our city has done – we have dedicated a quarter of a billion dollars to rebuilding the city center – the private investment that comes and risks our city is a big deal.
The bloc has long been a source of rumors of revival, with other projects not being implemented. Triovest bought the historic property in 2016. Previous owner Heritage Property Corp. announced a $ 30 million project in 2009 that would restore windows and build an automated garage, but it never materialized.
This project is designed to maintain historic storefronts, but will also not infringe on the property of Central United Church, 131 7th Ave. SW, or on the historic BMO building on 140 8th Ave. SW, where the GoodLife Fitness location is currently located.
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count. Terry Wong, whose District 7 includes the district, said it was important that whatever developed, the history and heritage of Stephen Avenue Walk be maintained.
“This is something I am proud of, it is our history and heritage and we do not want to lose it,” he said. “We have seen a number of realizations where this has been done very effectively, but at the same time many modern modern buildings are being built.”
The complex would bring an infusion of new office space downtown as Calgary struggles with high levels of vacant offices for seven years. There are currently about 14 million square feet of vacant office space, about a third of the total downtown availability.
The key to the project are residential towers that would change the city’s skyline, even potentially blocking the view of the 59-story Telus Sky, which has become a focal point for many. Several current downtown office towers are being transformed – with the help of city, provincial and federal subsidies – into affordable housing, nursing homes and other applications.
Local historian and blogger Richard White has estimated the total size of the project at 1.9 million square feet, including 750,000 square meters of usable office space.
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White also had the north residential tower with 390 units offered, the south tower with 402 units and the hotel with 176 rooms.
The design of the mixed-use building has the potential to attract more people to the center to live, work and play – seen as a critical element in revitalizing the center.
– With files by Stephanie Babic
jaldrich@postmedia.com
Twitter: @ JoshAldrich03
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