This would be the metropolis’s first try at redeveloping a park-and-ride lot into housing — a tenet of the housing technique metropolis council handed final September.
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As a part of its transit-oriented improvement objectives, the Metropolis of Calgary intends to transform one of many park-and-ride heaps on the Franklin LRT station into housing.
The Franklin station straddles Memorial Drive, with park-and-ride heaps on the north and south sides of the station. David Couroux, town’s planning lead for transit-oriented improvement, stated town solely plans to redevelop the southside lot.
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“We’ll be wanting primarily at housing on that web site,” he stated. “If there are different facilities which are possible, maybe retail, there is perhaps a chance for slightly little bit of that…however it’s too early to say if we may make that work or not.”
This would be the metropolis’s first try at redeveloping a park-and-ride lot into housing — a tenet of the housing technique metropolis council handed final September.
As for why the Franklin station was chosen, Couroux stated there are a lot of close by facilities that make it appropriate for housing, comparable to two colleges throughout the road, quick entry to public transit and town’s 5A community, and a plethora of retail choices alongside each seventeenth Avenue S.E., and at Marlborough Mall.
It’s too early to verify what sort of housing types can be included or what number of items the event would come with, Couroux stated, including town continues to be a couple of years from any grime being turned on the venture.
Nevertheless, he stated town envisions residence buildings ranging anyplace from 4 to 12 storeys tall.
“We’re within the strategy of growing an idea for the positioning that we are able to share with the group and get suggestions on what their impressions of our idea work is,” he stated. “That may result in a proper land use and description plan software. We’re searching for that to be in entrance of council earlier than the tip of 2024.”
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The proposed improvement additionally consists of public security enhancements alongside adjoining Radcliffe Drive S.E. and investments to a public park in Albert Park/Radisson Heights.
It’s a city-led venture, however Couroux stated the municipality may find yourself partnering with or promoting parts of the land to personal builders.
Whereas the south car parking zone appeared full on Wednesday morning, Couroux claimed metropolis information present the 2 Franklin LRT park-and-ride heaps have been solely 50 to 60 per cent utilized in 2023.
He stated town intends to depart a number of the parking within the south lot intact, although it’s too early to recommend how a lot.
“We wish to preserve our transit operation there, so as soon as we get into the idea and know the way a lot land we’ve to work with, that would be the time we are able to truly speak concerning the potential variety of items,” he stated. “That places us into spring earlier than we are able to hammer that down.”
‘The group doesn’t need it’
As for a way space residents really feel concerning the metropolis’s proposal, a member of the local people affiliation claims most are towards the event.
“The group doesn’t need it,” stated Les Burton, the vice-president of the Albert Park-Radisson Heights Neighborhood Affiliation.
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He stated many residents are already “up in arms” about one other city-backed housing proposal in Radisson Heights. Final fall, town introduced plans to construct as much as 280 townhomes on the web site of former David D. Oughton Faculty, which was demolished in 2016.
That got here after Albert Park was razed and changed by Albert Park Station, a 271-unit, multi-storey condominium complicated that was completed in 2015.
“It looks as if we’re the dumping grounds,” Burton stated, referring to the variety of new housing initiatives popping up in Radisson Heights. He argued the neighbourhood’s infrastructure is previous, and wasn’t constructed to accommodate greater density.
“I’m not saying something is unhealthy about all of this — I’m simply saying we’re tapped out.”
He additionally claimed the 2 colleges throughout from the Franklin LRT station — Radisson Park Faculty and Sir Wilfrid Laurier Faculty — are each working at close to capability enrolment, that means they probably couldn’t accommodate an inflow of scholars.
“I perceive there’s a housing crunch within the metropolis, however our metropolis is huge,” he stated. “That crunch needs to be unfold across the metropolis.”
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‘Higher late than by no means’
The group’s consultant on metropolis council, Gian-Carlo Carra, stated he’s enthusiastic concerning the metropolis’s plans, noting he even recognized the Franklin LRT station park-and-ride as a possible transit-oriented improvement in his grasp’s thesis again in 2005.
“Higher late than by no means,” the Ward 9 councillor advised reporters Tuesday. “The very best time to plant a tree is 20 years in the past, the second greatest time is now, so I’m delighted we’re rolling on it. The town goes to have to determine methods to scale this up and get it transferring shortly.”
Whereas he acknowledged the proposal will include its share of critics, Carra argued the conversion of under-utilized parking heaps close to transit stations into mixed-use, high-density developments is the “gold commonplace” for addressing Calgary’s housing disaster.
“Franklin goes to the primary of dozens the place we begin to do that work,” he stated.
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