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A7 FREE apr 15 to apr 21 2016 issue 06-14 editorial 403-781-1324 advertising 403-263-4940 crebnow@creb.ca
real estate news from industry experts
WHAT’S NEXT? Soil contamination a major hurdle for any West Village development CODY STUART
managing editor
T
he Calgary Flames’ season may be over, but that doesn’t mean hockey talk in the city has come to a close. In addition to fans’ usual examination of how things could have gone differently, the question of where the team is going to play its home games in the not-too-distant future remains.
Part of that answer will come to light April 25 when Calgary Municipal Land Corp. (CMLC) reports findings to city council from its six-month environmental assessment of land in West Village where Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp. (owner of the Flames, Calgary Stampeders and Calgary Roughnecks) is proposing to build the much- debated CalgaryNEXT project. The report by CMLC – a wholly owned subsidiary of the City of Calgary that is currently behind the East Village revival and would oversee development of the West Village site – analyzed the scale of creosote contamination and options to remediate the land. Noting a similar, albeit smallerscale, clean-up having taken place in the East Village, CMLC senior vicepresident of strategy and business development Susan Veres said the work needed to move the West Village forward will require a lot more work than many are expecting.
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Health risks range from respiratory irritation from breathing in the vapour, skin damage from long-term skin or air contact and long-term exposure resulting in some cancers. In the early 1990s, environmental monitoring determined that contaminants from the site had migrated under the Bow River and into the community of West Hillhurst. Starting last November, Worley Parsons initiated a site/assessment and field program of West Village around the site. This program will form part of the CMLC’s report being produced City Hall.
CALGARYNEXT A3
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1588 763
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MAR14 APR14 MAY14 JUN14 JUL14 AUG14 SEP14 OCT14 NOV14 DEC14 JAN15 FEB15 MAR15 APR15 MAY15 JUN15 JUL15 AUG15 SEP15 OCT15 NOV15 DEC15 JAN16 FEB16 MAR16 Christie Park Estate
OPEN HOUSE
SAT 11-1 PM 53 CHRISTIE GD SW
Immaculate bungalow villa in the coveted area of Christie Park Estate. 2 bedroom, 2 full bathrooms and double attached garage. MLS®C4043266
$159,900
Mission
Cozy 1 bedroom apartment in the heart of MISSION. This top floor end unit is well laid out and very comfortable, shows 10/10. MLS®C4048253
$189,900
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CREB® STAFF ousing starts in the Calgary region fell by nearly 75 per cent last month to 411 from 1,639, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC). So far in 2016, starts in the census metropolitan area (CMA) have plummeted by nearly 51 per cent to 1,567 units, compared to 3,177 during the same period last year. Year-overyear declines have been recorded in all housing types, especially among apartments, where starts declined to 907 from 1,988 in 2015.
*All statistics based on monthly data compiled by CREB® via MLS® activity. Includes detached, attached and apartment.
$449,900
CalgaryNEXT would include a 19,000 seat arena/event centre and a 30,000 seat ‘multi-sport fieldhouse stadium’.
Secondary suites
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sort of development that has transformed the East Village from a blighted community to a master-planned neighbourhood. Currently home to an assortment of car dealerships, the Greyhound bus station and a handful of empty lots, the 56-hectare West Village is bordered on the north by Bow Trail westbound and the Bow River, on the east by 11th Street S.W. and sits alongside the recently opened Sunalta LRT. It was once home to Canada Creosote (later known as Domtar), which ceased operation in 1962. Creosote is a compound of about 200 organic chemicals that was used to preserve wood products such as railway ties and power poles. Made up of a variety of chemical compounds that mostly do not dissolve in water, a small portion of the compounds is lighter than water and sits on top of the water table. A larger portion of the compounds is denser than water and settles and moves along the bedrock by gravity.
CALGARY CONTENTS HOUSING STARTS NEWS BRIEFS DOWN IN MARCH FIVE THINGS
MLS® TOTAL SALES* MAR ‘14 – MAR ‘16
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CITY OF CALGARY
“Let’s not be naïve. The contamination issue in the West Village is far, far greater than East Village and would require a lot of support from a lot of groups,” she said in advance of the report’s release. “Aside from market assessment and whether the market is there or not, I think you have to have a really long view for West Village because the work that would need to be done to get the land to a state where it could accommodate anything is an enormous undertaking.” Last August, Calgary Sports and Entertainment unveiled its plans for CalgaryNEXT in West Village that would include the construction of a 19,000-seat “arena events centre” along with a 30,000-seat “Multisport Fieldhouse Stadium” with a covered roof and retractable seats to accommodate a 400-metre track. The proposal also includes plans for residential housing in the form of condominiums, as well as hotels and commercial space – similar to the
Penbrooke Meadows
OPEN HOUSE
SAT 2-4 PM #302 5404 10 AVE SE
Fully renovated 2 bedroom PLUS den w/a window in one of the best townhouse complexes in the area. Shows like a NEW HOME! MLS®C4050628
$420,000
Temple
OPEN HOUSE
CONSTRUCTION A3
$339,900
Real estate satisfaction
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Silverado
OPEN HOUSE
SUN 9-12 PM 172 TEMPLEMONT CI NE
SUN 1-4 PM #1901 155 SILVERADO SKIES LI SW
Well maintained spacious 3 bdrm bungalow on a good sized corner lot in a quiet area. Great layout w/family rm at one end of the house and LR at other. MLS®C4052253
3 bedroom 2 and half bath, corner unit with 9’ ceilings, beautiful upgraded Colonial Birch natural hdwd flrs, a kitchen with a huge island and a SS appl package. MLS®C4056840
Sylvia Binner 403.903.2455
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