Downtown Calgary office tower being converted into affordable housing
An empty office tower in downtown Calgary has become the latest effort by the city to tackle one of its age-old issues.
The 10-storey Sierra Place office tower at 706 - Seventh Ave. S.W. is the former home of Dome Petroleum but, thanks to a partnership between HomeSpace Calgary and Inn from the Cold, it will enjoy a new life.
The 95,000 square foot vacant building will be converted into six floors of affordable housing, comprising 82 units and four floors of shelter and transitional support services.
“Sierra Place marks the first time a vacant office tower in Calgary has been converted into affordable housing,” says Bernadette Majdell, HomeSpace CEO. “There's a lot of services in the downtown, especially families that are experiencing homelessness or needing affordable housing. There's a lot of support services in the downtown. right across the street, (from Sierrea Place) we have a great green space that we're working with the province on. In this building, we're going to be offering child daycare centre. There'll be a lot of support services offered by Inn from the Cold. Families are everywhere in our city and the downtown's a great place for them.”
The building is Calgary’s first downtown office tower to be converted to affordable housing.
“This building represents hope. I think there's far too many families in Calgary, who are struggling to make ends meet. The thought of paying their mortgage or paying the rent each month is a difficult one” says Heather Morley, executive director, Inn from the Cold. “Being able to add affordable housing units, being able to add shelter and transitional housing units, that full continuum of support that can meet families who are in crisis, wherever they are, I think will be transformational. For so many it will change lives.”
Calgary’s downtown office tower vacancies exceed 30 per cent. That’s not “COVID work from home’ vacant – but buildings stripped of occupancy by the city’s battered economy.
It’s siphoned off $16 billion in value from the downtown core and forced Calgarians, and businesses outside downtown to pay an extra quarter billion in taxes. Calgary's Mayor Nenshi says filling buildings up, even if it’s not with corporations, will help ease that pain.
“It helps us with the office vacancy problem, and as we fill up the downtown, it means we have much less upward pressure on residential taxes and taxes on businesses outside of the downtown,” he said, adding moving families into the city centre will also revitalize the core.
“These are the sorts of things that we're doing to really help us rethink our downtown from a place that works between nine and five Monday to Friday, to a 24-hour, seven-day centre of the city.”
The $28.5 million project is getting support by different levels of government, including $5.5 million from the City of Calgary. Homespace Society and Inn from the Cold will be announcing a fundraiser this summer to help fully fund the conversion project.
When it’s finished in the fall of 2022, the building will feature affordable housing with a variety of one, two, and three-bedroom units. It’s expected to house approximately 180 people.
As work progresses. project updates will be available online at both HomeSpace.org and innfromthecold.org.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Ford to recall some pickup trucks in Canada over tail light failure
Ford is set to recall some pickup trucks in Canada due to potential tail light failure.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.