Stadium Update – Development Permit Submitted January 28, 2016

The Development Permit for the Stadium Shopping Centre (SSC) redevelopment was submitted to the City of Calgary by Western Securities on January 28, 2016.   The surrounding community associations received a copy of the plans a few days ago and a small group was quickly assembled to review and determine next steps.

We understand that the SSC redevelopment is intended to conform with the Area Redevelopment Plan. The timeframe for response and comment on the Development Permit is short. While comments were originally required by February 15th, the University Heights Community Association (UHCA) sought and received an extension to March 15.  The Community Association will be making its preliminary comments after Tuesday February 16th and asks that you forward any comments you wish included in our first submission by then. We strongly encourage residents who wish to comment independently to do so as soon as possible as the city review process is proceeding regardless.  (See note below for city contact info) The earlier comments are received by the planning department of the City of Calgary, the easier it will be to have comments incorporated in their recommendations for amendments to the Development Permit. Please forward any comments you make directly to the city or that you wish included in the UHCA submission to Development@UHCACalgary.org so we can do our best to incorporate them into our comments prior to the March 15 deadline.

In conjunction with St. Andrews Heights, we have had several conversations with both Mike Brescia at Western Securities and Neil MacDonald, Senior Planner and File Manager of the City of Calgary requesting clarifications with respect to the process. UHCA will host an open house on Tuesday February 23rd at 7:30PM at the Foothills Mennonite Church.  Representatives from Western Securities and the City of Calgary will be available for discussion of the SCC redevelopment.

The following documents have been extracted from the package submitted with the Development Permit Application and are provided here to help understand the scope and some high level details of the SCC redevelopment. The UHCA understands from the City of Calgary that infrastructure investments, including the 16th Ave pedestrian overpass and redesign of the 16th Ave and Uxbridge/29th St. interchange are all planned to proceed.  The tender process for the interchange project will be commencing in about a month with construction possibly commencing as early as this summer.  In addition, the 16th Ave bus rapid transit is moving forward with a stop at the Stadium Shopping Centre.  (North Crosstown Bus Rapid Transit (BRT))

Once the Western Securities Development Permit Application is approved, Western Securities will commence demolition of all the shopping plaza buildings, excavation for and construction of a two level underground parkade followed by the first phase of building construction. Initial concerns identified by the UHCA, for which we will be requesting clarification, include the following:

  • traffic circulation in and around the development, particularly the parking ingress and egress, Unwin Road extension and usage of the lane between the Church and the school;
  • Management of construction activities including construction traffic and construction shack placement
  • Coordination of utility upgrades with the reconstruction of the 16th Avenue interchange;
  • Confirmation that the MR lands purchased by Western Securities have indeed been added to the open space;
  • And the significant concern on mitigating cut through traffic and parking in University Heights.

 

Please do not hesitate to contact Matt Law (Development@UHCACalgary.org) or Dave Yadav (VicePresident@UHCACalgary.org) if you have any questions and the UHCA will continue to communicate through the website on all developments.

Stadium Shopping Centre ARP:

 

Stadium Shopping Centre Master Plan NOTE: this document was drafted over a year ago so details and timing have changed.  ONLY THE PLANS HAVE LEGAL EFFECT

 

Stadium Shopping Centre Development Permit Plans Excerpts:

 

City Contact Information for Comments:

Neil MacDonald, Senior Planner
Ph: 403.268.5687
Email: Neil.MacDonald@calgary.ca


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