Midtown Station Outline Plan
Engagement Reports and Landscape Draft Plan are now posted for download!
Q: What would be the impact of additional traffic created by the development?
A: A Transportation Impact Assessment has been prepared by Bunt & Associates and submitted to the City for review. Midtown Station is envisioned as a Transit-Oriented Development community, with high anticipated transit usage and active transportation mobility options. The rail crossing is to be at the end of Flint Place, which is accessed off flint Road. Flint Road is a quasi-commercial/industrial roadway that connects from the industrial portion of Fairmont Drive to the north, to Heritage Drive at the south end of the district. There are no single family or attached homes along this entire road. There is a four storey walk-up apartment building fronting Heritage Drive on the east side of Flint Road, and it is well set back from the street.
As a comprehensively-designed community, Midtown Station will provide wider opportunities to residents to live, work, play and heal within the community, thus encouraging lower mobility needs in the area and there should be no traffic routed through the residential portions of the surrounding communities.
Q: Some concerns have been raised surrounding crime in the area with the proposal of a new C-Train station as well as the additional parks and an increase in population. What are your plans to ensure safety and security in the area?
A: In terms of the safety of the proposed LRT Station, it is to be constructed as part and parcel of an actual building as it is now planned. This will be security-monitored, and the entire development will have its own security personnel – much like many other larger projects. This facility is to be developed as ceremonial and secured gateway to the LRT station with developer-funded police/security facility (Fairview Gate facilitated by developer purchase of 7203 Flint Place).
There are many effective ways in which to control loitering and objectionable transient persons without impinging on their rights. A development of this scale needs 24-hour surveillance and protection – and it will be supplied as necessary. Other LRT Stations cited for lack of safety do not have the scale of development proposed for Midtown Station, and there is no real sense of ownership for their surroundings.
The proposed development will also be guided by holistic healthy planning principles and crime prevention through environmental design to create a vibrant community that provides connectivity to the adjacent communities. Increased activity in the area will bring more eyes on the street and foster a safer urban context.
Q: What public funds will be needed to pay for this project?
A: This is a developer-led project and the developer has committed to pay for construction of the LRT station as an integral part of the overall project. This privately-funded public infrastructure will not only be an asset to the development itself, but also for surrounding residential communities by increasing the proximity to public transit and a vast array of additional amenities and services.
Midtown Station is designed to be a vibrant development and will have a positive impact on the surrounding communities. As we see communities age, we want to look for ways to retain that established neighbourhood feel, while rejuvenating communities and continuing to make room for the next generations. Brentwood has been ranked the number one community in Calgary for the second year in a row by Avenue Magazine, largely due to its vibrant feel and the presence of amenities. It has an extremely high walkability score, both in terms of parks and pathways, as well as easy access to grocery stores, restaurants, and other shops. There are malls in close proximity, C-Train stations in a central location, and a mix of housing densities. It is also bounded by two major roads, allowing convenient access to the rest of the city. Midtown Station has taken all of these factors into account and aims to be a district that rivals the best in Calgary.
Q: How does the proposed development align with the City’s Municipal Development Plan and other policy framework? What is the reasoning for an additional LRT station between Chinook and Heritage station?
A: According to the City of Calgary’s Municipal Development Plan (MDP), "Major Activity Centres (MACs) are areas of high job and population growth located in strategic areas central to larger residential catchment areas and linked city-wide by the Primary Transit Network." The MDP further indicates that minimum thresholds of 200 people or jobs per gross developable hectare should be achieved within walking distance of the transit stop or station, noting that MACs could be balanced, job focused, or population focused. The stated intent is that, "MACs will have the highest density and building heights outside of Centre City, with the broadest range of land uses." The MDP is not a static document and, as indicated in the existing policy framework defined by it, other MACs can be located and defined through an amendment to the MDP. Although in its current built form the existing intensity on the site is 73 jobs/hectare, already meeting the minimum target of 60 people and jobs per hectare as a job-focused threshold baseline for a Major Activity Center (MAC), the new community of Midtown Station will increase the number of jobs and add significant residential intensity in a compact, master-planned setting, providing a model for intensification and efficient use of land, thus leading to a balanced MAC. The developer has agreed to pay for the proposed LRT station which will be equidistant from the Chinook and Heritage stations, thus providing the foundation for a transit-oriented development (TOD) community and meeting the City’s intended growth model and targets expressed in the Municipal Development Plan.
Q: Are the Canada Post lands included in this project?
A: Canada Post currently exists on a 0.809 ha (2.00 ac) site located in the Northern Western boundary and is not part of this application.
Q: What will happen to the existing businesses?
A: The subject site is an economically active and fiscally productive property, with 481,000 ft2 of commercial and industrial areas currently under single ownership/management, generating income and producing fiscal revenue to the City. The property will remain as an income-generating asset during the gradual realization of the proposed development, as it will be phased in according to market absorption capacity. The developer has approached current businesses and shared the vision for the site, facilitating an informed discussion that is ongoing.
Q: What is the appropriate density for the site?
A: The density proposed for Midtown Station (4.84 FAR based on gross site area) aligns with density already approved in the Chinook Station area (ranging between 5.1 to 7.0 FAR) and balances the consolidation of the development node with the proposed developer-funded infrastructure investments (new LRT station and road/mobility improvements) to enhance connectivity with adjacent communities. The primary consideration is to provide a sufficient level of intensification of employment and residential uses to support the proposed public transit initiative. The design philosophy is guided to realize a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) community, meeting the City’s intended growth model and targets expressed in the Municipal Development Plan.
Q: Is the proposed building height adequate for the site?
A: Adequate built form is a key component of Transit Oriented Development communities. As defined by the City: "Transit oriented development (TOD) is a walkable, mixed-use form of area development typically focused within a 600m radius of a primary transit station – a Light Rail Transit (LRT) station or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stop. Higher density development is concentrated near the station to make transit convenient for more people and encourage ridership. This form of development uses existing infrastructure, optimizes use of the transit network and creates mobility options for transit riders and the local community. A successful TOD provides a mix of land uses and densities that create a convenient, interesting and vibrant community for local residents and visitors alike". The site is envisioned as a vibrant, 24/7 urban village, featuring an array of iconic, high-density residential towers, mid-rise apartments and stately townhomes; modern office buildings in a campus-like setting; and convenience and specialty retail, hotels, restaurants and bistros. A central spine weaves together the public realm of the Midtown community, facilitating mobility to and from the new LRT station and through high-quality placemaking design to foster social integration and vibrant urban streetscape supported by retail. The project height steps down from the north end to the central core and from the Macleod Trail gateway to the central core. A 2 - 6 storey street wall is created along central spine, stepping up to 12 storeys, and with the highest towers confined to the exterior portions of the site. The towers have been placed to maximize views and minimize shadowing of the adjacent Fairview community.
Q: What public amenities will be provided?
A: The development is characterized by active street fronts along Fisher Street and 71st Avenue SE where retail uses will occupy the ground floor with office and residential above. 71st Avenue is envisioned as the community High Street, terminating in a generous public plaza fronting the LRT station which is proposed to be incorporated into the adjacent buildings. A restaurant is proposed within the plaza, spilling out to enliven the public space. In the central portion of the site, terminating axes have been created along the open space spine between the hotel/conference complex in the north and the community recreational facility in the south. The public open space spine is enhanced with gardens, bosques of trees and a meandering water feature.
Q: How will the proposed development contribute to enhanced pedestrian and cycling safety?
A: A key component of the development is the construction of a new LRT platform in the vicinity of 71st Avenue SE, providing a stop equidistant between the existing Chinook and Heritage stations. The concept plan also envisions a pedestrian connection to the LRT from the Fairview community immediately to the east. It is anticipated that the proposed overpass to the LRT station from Flint Place SE will enable residents of Fairview to utilize the various transit and related services on the site, thus enhancing connectivity for residents of Fairview to the west. The project also considers proposed new bicycle infrastructure to connect the future station to the existing bicycle lanes. A review of the sidewalk and bicycle route connectivity will also be undertaken as part of the work completed for the Midtown Station development in order to provide opportunities to tie the site into the surrounding community. The proposed multi-functional bikeway and pedestrian network enhances internal and external linkages to the surrounding communities. Aspirational to the scheme is the realization of a series of +15 pedestrian overpasses designed to further improve the Public Realm, crossing Macleod and Glenmore Trail and linking to Chinook Centre. The proposed new 73rd Avenue alignment will feature an integrated multi-modal Complete Street to serve as the new all-access gateway into the Midtown Station development while improving the overall transportation network for the entire Fairview Industrial Community via improved connectivity to the Macleod Trail corridor.
Q: What is the likely construction timeline?
A: Midtown Station envisions a mid-to-long term development timeline through a phased approach that will retain existing economic activities on site, gradually transitioning to the proposed new community. The intended start of the development is 2023 and is expected to extend to 2047.
Q: Who is the developer / landowner and what other projects have they completed?
A: Midtown Station is controlled by a single owner, Cantana Investments Limited, thereby facilitating the development initiative being guided by a unified vision and having ready flexibility to promptly respond to emerging opportunities in the market. The developer behind Midtown Station has a longstanding presence in the Calgary market with multiple successful developments in its record. Beyond a thorough understanding of local market dynamics, Cantana Investments Limited is ready to make significant commitments (i.e. assume funding for the proposed LRT station) to realize a unique development vision that aligns with the City’s MDP.
Q: What urban design / pedestrian-scale features are proposed?
A: Midtown Station is designed as a compact, master-planned community, providing a model for intensification and efficient use of land. Some of the public realm highlights envisioned for the new community include:
Q: Is this a Transit Oriented Development Site (TOD)?
A: Yes, Midtown Station will kickstart the City’s program for comprehensively-designed TOD communities in the South sector, along with eventual redevelopment of Chinook Station Area Plan and development of the Chinook and Heritage TODs. The key differentiating factor of the proposed Midtown Station development, versus the Chinook Centre plan, is land ownership. Midtown Station is controlled by a single owner, Cantana Investments Limited, therefore facilitating the development initiative being guided by a unified vision and having ready flexibility to promptly respond to emerging opportunities in the market. Midtown Station will provide the catalyst for the transition of the Macleod Trail corridor from an extended, car-centric, monolithic, retail strip to a fully integrated, vibrant, and pedestrian-friendly urban environment.