A significant change could soon be coming to the heart of Marda Loop after Calgary city council approved the zoning for a proposed tower development in the area.
Truman Homes partnered with Calgary Co-op on the proposal, which seeks develop a two-acre site on the corner of 33 Avenue and 20 Street S.W. with a pair of 19-storey towers, an 11-storey building and a shorter six-storey building.
The height of the smaller towers changed from original proposal of eight-storey buildings, according to the developer, to shift building mass away from 33 Avenue S.W. to reduce impacts to sunlight.
The development, entitled Marc and Mada Block, after the owners of a former theatre that used to be in the neighbourhood, is set to include 441 residential units, a 600-stall parkade, a grocery store, and other commercial space.
Seventeen affordable housing units are also included in the proposal, less than the 34 originally proposed.
“I think what we continue to see right now is a belief in Calgary,” said Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott.
“This is a belief in Calgary that we are the city that is going to build.”
According to Walcott, the proposal development may set a precedent for the rest of the city but not for Marda Loop due to the size of the property.
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“This site was so unique and specific, there’s nothing like this in the rest of Marda Loop so it’s not going to happen anywhere else,” Walcott said. “But there are sites like this across the city.”
Several residents came to city hall Tuesday afternoon to speak at a public hearing on the zoning change.
“Aren’t we changing the image of Marda Loop forever? It’s not going to be the same,” Bruce Miller told city council. “It’s going to be more of the downtown placed in Marda Loop.”
The height of the towers was a sticking point for some nearby residents, as the proposal exceeds the city-imposed height limits of 23 metres or six storeys in effect for the Marda Loop area.
“Everything else, I think we’re on board. Let’s go build something, but not over the existing height restriction,” said Brendan Murphy, who said the towers “looming” over the neighbourhood would impact aesthetics of the area.
Marda Loop has been the epicentre of a multi-year construction project aimed at redesigning the streetscape around Marda Loop and the proposed tower complex, which is the subject of a $75 million lawsuit filed by area businesses against the City of Calgary.
With that in mind, some speakers had concerns about the developer’s ability to mitigate impacts if a development permit is approved for the tower project.
“They can’t prevent the impact from this kind of construction,” said Michael Bruni.
“It is incredibly devastating.”
According to a presentation from the developer’s representative CivicWorks, there will be a dedicated project team and community liaison assigned to proactively manage construction, which will include a website with real-time schedule and activity updates for area residents and businesses.
“This is a community that’s experienced a lot of growth and change,” said CivicWorks principal David White. “Truman and Calgary Co-op are committed to a proactive and really thoughtful plan to make sure construction is thoughtfully managed and minimize any impacts.”
After some debate, city council voted 13-1 in favour of approving the re-zoning for the Marda Loop site with Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean the sole vote opposed.
“This will ultimately enhance the community but we’ve got to make sure that we’re doing it in a way that’s respectful of the folks who live and work there already,” Mayor Jyoti Gondek told reporters following the vote.
A development permit for the project is currently under review at the City of Calgary.
If it’s approved, the project’s website said shovels could be in the ground sometime next year.
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