City council has approved a land-use change to transform one of the busiest corners in the city.
Local developer, Arlington Street Investment has now been granted permission to build on 17th Avenue and 14th Street S.W, as part of a plan to boost density in the area.
Council unanimously approved the request Tuesday from B&A Planning Group, to re-designate the site and allow for a mixed-use development.
Arlington Street Investments owns the busy corner, along with more than 40 other properties along 17th Avenue. The developer is proposing to build a 28-storey residential tower.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi likes the idea. He hopes the proposal will improve the area he says has deteriorated over time.
“Quite frankly that corner is not so special right now, so as long as the developer gets this right, and I think they will, we’ll have the opportunity to create a real signature element for Calgary.”
The building, called Seventeen, has yet to be approved, but preliminary plans include 600 condos with retail shops and a grocery store on the first two floors.
The structure would take up nearly 5,800 square metres and span three quarters of the block, possibly with underground parking. As part of the proposal, a traffic study recommended that a full traffic light be installed at 17th Avenue and 15th Street to support the development.
Building the high rise would also mean a demolition of the blue-roofed, mid-century Condon building on the northwest corner of the intersection.
As a result, Arlington Street Investments has agreed to pay $635,000 to the Sunalta Community Investment Fund or the Heritage Incentive Reserve Fund in recognition of the site’s historical significance.
(With files from Mark Villani)
