Calgary announces new mixed-use fire hall for Inglewood

Calgary has announced plans to build mixed-use fire station in Inglewood. (City of Calgary)

The City of Calgary has announced plans to build a new fire hall in the community of Inglewood.

The mixed-use fire station will be built on 11th Avenue S.E. between 12th Street and 11th Street S.E., across the street from Cold Garden and Ol' Beautiful Brewing.

The site, currently home to a parking lot and a park with a basketball court, was originally bought by The City of Calgary in 1986.

The creation of the hall comes after council directed city administration in 2015 to begin building multi-service facilities in an effort to use city-owned land more efficiently.

A year later, the Calgary Fire Department (CFD) began working with an external consultant to create a long-term plan for the future growth and development of response stations in Calgary’s downtown.

"The number 1 recommendation was to build two smaller, two-bay stations, one in the Bridgeland zone and one in the Inglewood zone to replace existing Station #1," said the city in a news release. "This decentralized approach provides excellent coverage and works well with the CFD’s current operational model with sites secured within the downtown core with suitable response times."

Money to construct and operate the site was allocated to the Calgary Fire Department in the city's 2019-22 budget cycle.

Developer RNDSQR will be leading the build.

"RNDSQR has considerable experience in delivering inner-city developments ranging from affordable and family-oriented row homes that meet a growing demand for walkable urban living; to mid-rise, mixed-use developments that offer a range of housing and employment options," said a Monday news release.

Both the City of Calgary and RNDSQR are working with a team of local planning, design and engineering groups.

The building is scheduled to begin construction in 2023 and open in 2024.

The city says there will be opportunities for stakeholders to learn more about the project and provide their input.