Heritage Issues

[GTING]

As someone who stands on the 1st street C-Train platform daily, I am very excited about bringing this part of 7th Ave back to life. It hopefully will tie in nicely to Art Central and whatever gets developed in the Bow south block.

[YYCguys]

I hope I'm not spreading a rumour, but I thought I heard recently that the King Edward School in SoCal has finally been sold. Can anyone confirm or deny and provide details?

[DizzyEdge]

I can confirm that there is a rumour

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by GTING

As someone who stands on the 1st street C-Train platform daily, I am very excited about bringing this part of 7th Ave back to life. It hopefully will tie in nicely to Art Central and whatever gets developed in the Bow south block.

Just to respond to this, I was down at Art Central lastnight, and really once the Bow, Bow south block/York, the Regis and rest of that strip, and the 100 block of 7th ave is fixed up, that will completely, *completely* transform the area, and add a large chunk of much needed activity to the downtown.

[Me&You]

Originally Posted by YYCguys

I hope I'm not spreading a rumour, but I thought I heard recently that the King Edward School in SoCal has finally been sold. Can anyone confirm or deny and provide details?

Any word on what the new use would be?

[DizzyEdge]

A non-profit is a potential buyer, they have an option to buy, the idea would be for an "arts incubator", plus community space, some offices, and potentially construction of artist residences. All very preliminary though. Also was noted that while the 50's additions are in rough shape, the original sandstone portions are in really good shape.

[Me&You]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

A non-profit is a potential buyer, they have an option to buy, the idea would be for an "arts incubator", plus community space, some offices, and potentially construction of artist residences. All very preliminary though. Also was noted that while the 50's additions are in rough shape, the original sandstone portions are in really good shape.

Interesting, thanks.

The term "non-profit" should cause a lot of resident uproar

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by Me&You

Interesting, thanks.

The term "non-profit" should cause a lot of resident uproar

You can mention that you heard a rumour that BP was planning on doing some drilling there, then later say it's actually a non-profit, then they'll be happy.

[1ajs]

why a hate on for none profit?

[MalcolmTucker]

I think the implication is the neighborhood doesn't want anything that could be seen as bringing in 'lower class people'. Not that I think that is true - people just are scared of change. With the last proposal they didn't want a new Glencoe there generating traffic. I have no doubt similar opposition will come from this proposal if it materializes.

[Me&You]

Originally Posted by Sir.Humphrey.Appleby

I think the implication is the neighborhood doesn't want anything that could be seen as bringing in 'lower class people'. Not that I think that is true - people just are scared of change. With the last proposal they didn't want a new Glencoe there generating traffic. I have no doubt similar opposition will come from this proposal if it materializes.

That's exactly what I meant. People will always find a reason to complain about change, but opposition seems particularly strong whenever that "new thing" involves a "non-profit" which is often associated with being lower class.

I live close by and look forward to the building being utilized. Though, I would prefer if it were again turned into a school... We can't keep dreaming of livable and diverse inner-city neighborhoods if they don't have the amenities needed to attract families.

[YYCguys]

A use that brings the community together would be an ideal use, and hopefully that what Dizzy is saying will come to fruition.

Me&You, where are the nearest schools for students in SoCal? Still within walking distance?

[Bigtime]

Calgary's heritage buildings at risk of 'demolition by neglect'
City forging strategy to repair sites

By Richard Cuthbertson, Calgary HeraldDecember 8, 2010 6:36

Built in 1888 by a French-Canadian doctor who settled in Calgary, it has survived more than a century and should be a sterling reminder of this city's early history.

Today, after narrowly avoiding demolition several years ago, Rouleau House sits abandoned on a plot of land just south of the Beltline. On the outside, it is boarded up, and inside is no better: according to a recent assessment, the interior is damaged beyond repair.

Rouleau House may be a more extreme example, but it is not the only historic structure in Calgary with problems.

A new report has found most city-owned heritage buildings are only in fair or poor condition, with a handful in critical shape. Just four of 21 recently assessed properties rank as good or excellent in some categories.

Not only that, but the city report notes the integrity and longevity of these buildings are at increased risk because Calgary does not have a management plan, capital budget or life-cycle funding program to care for them.

"The concerns are obvious," Scott Jolliffe, chairman of the Calgary Heritage Authority, said in an interview Tuesday. "These assets deserve to outlive us, and in order to do that, they need appropriate maintenance.

"We're thinking that a lot of these buildings now are in deferred maintenance condition. It's just time to start catching up on that."

Funding options include selling some of the assets with strict conditions, lease arrangements that involve upgrade and maintenance requirements, establishing reserve funds and finding grants from other levels of government and philanthropists.

Read more at http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/to...681/story.html

[DizzyEdge]

So now both the ex CBE hq and the Workers comp building across the street are under threat of demolition. No love for brutalist.

[YYCguys]

I'd like to see someone come in and redevelop the former CBE building as retail/offices in the existing building and a residential tower built on top of it! Now that would be really cool!

[DizzyEdge]

To give a visual, both of these buildings are now in danger of demolition.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...p=12,4,,0,5.59

quoting Zilla:

"I note from newspaper ads that the old Catholic school board headquarters, most recently the Workers Compensation Board immediately east of the CBE HQ is for sale. (as an "immediate development opportunity" by Colliers for 15.6 million)

It is on the [heritage] inventory. There is an obelisk covered in plaques, as are parts of the building, that were made by catholic school students for the city centennial in 1975 (including me!)."

[monocle]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

So now both the ex CBE hq and the Workers comp building across the street are under threat of demolition. No love for brutalist.

I had never heard the term Brutalist before.
When I read your post I thought you had coined the term to describe those buildings, and thought "that's clever, those buildings are brutal, haha" Little did I know that it's an actual style.
/Mind Blown

It could be that I was always in shit during my school years, but even today, the CBE building irks me every time I pass by it.

[UofC.engineer]

Yea, there aren't too many "brutalist" buildings around. Some at UofC and a few high schools might fit the mould, Beaverbrook, Central, Grandin, Bishop Carol. Everytime I see one I think : "That building couldn't be more 60's"

[MalcolmTucker]

What would be the process to designate the main CBE building up to a heritage level enough that the new owners would be at least compelled to keep part of the main building?

Engineers: with a concrete building like that would the building be structurally sound enough in a totally high level opinion if they chopped off the back end, either at the back of the core, or half way through the core?

The front side is very well executed for what it is. After all it was a show piece of the original effort to revitalize the east end of down town through urban renewal.

From flickr entheos_fog

as for the back of the building and the parking annex

wikimedia commons
I could care less.

[freeweed]

Brutalism is one of those aesthetic styles that will go down in infamy, but somehow fondly be remembered because of its sheer arrogance and fugliness. Kinda like powder blue tuxedos, fire red shag carpeting (complete with yellow "flame" highlights!) and a whole host of drug-induced visual vomit from the 1960s/70s.

At the time, and for a long while after, brutalist structures offended me to the very core of my being. ESPECIALLY as they were often intended as part of "urban renewal" - yes, putting the ugliest, most hostile edifice right in people's faces will make them want to come back downtown! I mean seriously, the dictionary definition of the word "irony" should have a picture of a brutalist building in it.

The sad things is though, like a lot of retro/historic stuff - I'm coming to genuinely like a lot of what's left. It definitely describes an era in time and if nothing else, MUST be preserved as an example of how to never again design such visually unfriendly structures. But when done right, they're just so Orwell-1984 cool!

So yeah. In a city like Calgary which has very little, I'd be completely in support of heritage designations.