Moving vs. renos Calgarians look close to home for inspiration
‘GRAIN’ DEBATE
EYE CANDY
City and country learning to get along
Creating that focal point in your yard
RURAL A7
DONNA BALZER A8
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FREE nov 13 to nov 19 2015 issue 05-44 editorial 403-781-1324 advertising 403-263-4940 crebnow@creb.ca
real estate news from industry experts
DROPPING ANCHOR Will mega-project CalgaryNEXT be the anchor institution that breathes new life into the local landscape? JOEL SCHLESINGER for creb®now
U
rban planning enthusiasts call them anchor institutions – those landmark buildings in which cities are built around. In Calgary, they dot our landscape: from the University of Calgary and Foothills Medical Centre in the northwest to Stampede Park and the Calgary Tower in the southwest — even the upand-coming Seton mixed-use district in the southeast. Calgary would be a very different — even lesser — place without them, says
possibility of another major addition to the local landscape. CalgaryNEXT will be more than just a sports facility, contends Ken King, president and CEO of the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp., which owns the three professional sporting teams. In an interview with CREB®Now, he posits it will also be a complete community complemented by commercial and residential developments. “In terms of a gathering place, facilities like these will be very significant to Calgary — particularly downtown,” he said, noting the facility would also include a field house available to community associations. King also suggests CalgaryNEXT is a natural evolution for the city – that sporting venues like it are becoming more than just another entertainment option for Calgarians. “Because of the iconic nature of the brands, the Roughnecks, the Hitmen, the Stampeders and the Flames are integral to our community,” he said.
Colin Jackson, member of the senate at the University of Calgary and also chair of several arts and culture initiatives. “A good way to think of them as anchor institutions is that they set the tone or give a feel to a neighbourhood,” said Jackson, who has spoken on the subject in the past. Could the CalgaryNEXT mega-project be next? Despite being called “not even halfbaked,” by Mayor Naheed Nenshi, the proposed $890-million future home of the Calgary Flames, Hitmen, Roughnecks and Stampeders on the west end of downtown has captured the imagination of Calgarians as to the
CITY OF CALGARY
PHOTO BY WIL ANDRUSCHAK/FOR CREB®NOW
MLS® BENCHMARK PRICE* OCT ‘13 – OCT ‘15
Colin Jackson, a member of the senate at the University of Calgary, says anchor institutions such as the upcoming National Music Centre help create the communities in which they reside.
Jackson, however, is not sold. He contends that large sporting facilities — no matter how large their physical footprint — are not set up to be successful anchor institutions. “They may bring people to town from the suburbs and beyond to experience a game, and these people may go out for dinner too before, but that’s a different thing from what a university offers which is living and working 24/7 in the community,” he said. “It’s a living part of the neighbourhood as opposed to an episodic attraction.” Jackson also noted that while both the Scotiabank Saddledome and McMahon Stadium, for example, are successful facilities in that they have stood for decades, fulfilling their role well when in use, these facilities often
sit empty once the final buzzer has gone. Urban planner Beth Sanders agrees with Jackson. While facilities such as CalgaryNEXT might generate significant economic activity in the nearby community, anchor institutions are much more that, she says. “There’s something about the heft of an institution that not only pulls a lot of people to it for an afternoon or evening; it really is in the best meaning of the term: ‘institutional,’” said Sanders, who works with the Edmonton-based firm POPULUS Community Planning. “That’s why Calgary Stampede grounds fit into that category because it shapes the identity of the city.”
ANCHORS A3
CALGARY CONTENTS HOUSING STARTS NEWS BRIEFS UP IN OCTOBER FIVE THINGS
$453,100
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$419,000
Green Line
*All statistics based on monthly data compiled by CREB® via MLS® activity. Includes detached, attached and apartment.
ELEGANT COUNTRY
LIVING $1,479,000 MLS®C4018345
Lee Edwards 403-540-0540
CREB® STAFF
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MUNICIPAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Hamptons Golf Club
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slight jump in single-detached and multi-family construction in Calgary last month fueled a monthover-month increase in housing starts, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC). Housing starts in the city were trending at 13,780 units in October compared to 13,050 in September. The trend is a six month moving average of the monthly seasonally adjusted annual rates (SAAR) of total housing starts.
CONSTRUCTION A3
MUNICIPAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 Parking stalls as bargaining chips
WEEKLY FEED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 EVENT LISTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 OPEN HOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 MORTGAGE RATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A8 MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1 @crebnow
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COME AND DISCOVER A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE COUNTRY.
OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14TH & SUNDAY NOVEMBER 15TH
1 - 5 PM 11 GRANDVIEW GV, Springbank Heights
CANYON CREEK
A well-designed and beautifully finished home on a 2 acre lot in the prestigious area of Grandview. A long, curving driveway leads to the oversized triple garage with a separate storage/workshop area and the covered front entry. Gleaming hardwood floors, open spaces, and the rich textures of custom wood cabinetry are the first impressions as you step into the foyer, flanked on one side by the den and on the other by the formal dining room. The spacious family room at the back of the home is centered around a marble-faced fireplace. Double French doors lead out to the rear deck from the breakfast nook. A dream kitchen includes a central island, granite countertops, a gas stove, and large pantry. Upstairs, the bonus room adds lot of flexible space, while the 3 bedrooms each have a walk-in closet and en suite bath. The fully developed walk-out level includes a huge rec room with another fireplace, a media room, and a fourth bedroom. Come and discover a better quality of life in the country. Roofing is high-end architectural shingles. Siding is acrylic stucco. Driveway is exposed aggregate, with a stone tile border. There are 2 beverage coolers, 3 garage door openers each with a remote. The pool table with all existing accessories is included.
lee@braggcreekrealestate.com