Heritage Issues

[Calgarian]

Does anyone have a link to that article that showed beautiful historic buildings that were demolished and what replaced them?

[DizzyEdge]

I did this years ago, was it this one?

http://calgaryheritage.org/demolished-web.html

[Spring2008]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

I did this years ago, was it this one?

http://calgaryheritage.org/demolished-web.html

Some may disagree, but I actually think Cgy did a relatively good job preserving historic buildings, considering how small the city was, how much development has gone on over the past few decades, and how many well restored buildings we have left in the core.

Two examples above, the Bank of Commerce to Saltlik, and The Herald building are explainable though.

[DizzyEdge]

Well and some of those buildings were demolished when they were only a few decades old.

To me the main losses are Herald/Southam building, some of the mansions, maybe the YMCA. The main pissoff for me tends to be when the historic building site has been a parking lot for 50 years.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

I did this years ago, was it this one?

http://calgaryheritage.org/demolished-web.html

That looks like it, thanks Dizzy!

[DizzyEdge]

That gets requested every once in a while, maybe tonight I'll update it so all the sites have 'afters'

[UofC.engineer]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Well and some of those buildings were demolished when they were only a few decades old.

To me the main losses are Herald/Southam building, some of the mansions, maybe the YMCA. The main pissoff for me tends to be when the historic building site has been a parking lot for 50 years.

Yeah! I never understood the economics of doing that. To me it seems expensive buying a whole block of inner city houses then destroying them and turning the block into a giant parking lot. There is one block in eastern Beltline that is almost entirely parking but in a 1924 aerial it shows the block full of houses.

This is the block:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.042328,-1...3m4!1e1!3m2!1sgVor998XZ0tE7XywdO7i6Q!2e0

Also, why was the Hull Opera House destroyed and turned into a parking lot?

[kap384]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

That gets requested every once in a while, maybe tonight I'll update it so all the sites have 'afters'

That would be greatly appreciated Dizzy!

[DizzyEdge]

Well one thing about the Hull Opera House (and likely this is the case with many buildings), is it's a death of a thousand cuts. Maintenance is stopped, bad alterations are made, and eventually a nice looking building is deemed an eyesore, even if it wouldn't take much to reverse the changes. Hull Opera House eventually was converted to shops, similar to the Tivoli Theatre on 4th st SW. So this:


credit: glenbow.org

Looked like this shortly before it was demolished


credit: Calgary Public Library

I can handle the new west facade that they put on, but the rest is such bad renos, uglying it up once reno at a time. Especially windows and doorways bricked up.

The first photo is shortly after it was built in 1893. The second is 1958.

[YYCguys]

I don't care for the barn roof look but the rest of the 1893 version looks great! Yes the 1958 version does have some major fuglies such as the corner treatment, which does't seem to respect the original architecture.

[Ramsayfarian]

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

Yeah! I never understood the economics of doing that. To me it seems expensive buying a whole block of inner city houses then destroying them and turning the block into a giant parking lot. There is one block in eastern Beltline that is almost entirely parking but in a 1924 aerial it shows the block full of houses.

This is the block:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.042328,-1...3m4!1e1!3m2!1sgVor998XZ0tE7XywdO7i6Q!2e0

Considering what the average cost of parking is in this city, I think it can be very economical if left as a lot for long enough.

Is that lot where the Co-op used to be or was that just to the east of that?

[DizzyEdge]

Superman in the East Village

• Video Link

[DizzyEdge]

Here is the latest on the Calgary (Inglewood) Brewery site

(1972 photo is an inset of photos NA-4476-1017 & NA-4476-1025 from the Glenbow Museum)

Color coded as follows: (Yellow and green 'footprints' are 1980s buildings not shown in this 1972 aerial)

GREEN - Concrete plans to retain
YELLOW - Has verbally indicated plans to retain, but no current plans
ORANGE - No plans verbally or otherwise to retain
RED - Plans to demolish, includes most of the 1890s-19-teens portions of the brewery, and most of the sandstone portions of the brewery. The province ordered an assessment for most of the red area, but has decided to not proceed with any protection, except..
PURPLE - Province has asked the owner for more info on this portion, may still allow demolition

1972 aerials used because since then some buildings have been obscured with newer ones or with metal siding.

Current plans for the red zone south of the green zone (2 1905 sandstone buildings) is a parking lot.

[UofC.engineer]

I found this interesting page on historical buildings in Calgary that were torn down:

http://ev-na.com/tags/history/

I'd give my right nut to travel back to the late 40's to see what Calgary was like back then.

[Trans Canada]

(@UofC.engineer - site doesn't work for me )

Does anyone have any info on the La Caille Restaurant (formerly Q Haute, now Oceana Restaurant I believe)? Apparently it's a heritage building, around which Chateau Lacaille condo tower was built in 1999. Interested in when it was originally built, if it has real heritage value, etc.


Source Google Street View https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.052315,-1...3m4!1e1!3m2!1sONK8TQ0lL7ukZvRCZCy0lA!2e0


Also does anyone have a photo of Compton Place/Compton Apartments, demolished 1996, a 6-suite art deco apartment built 1930? Calgary.ca has data on the building and a writeup from 1994 (link) but no pictures. This address is now lowrise condos (link).


Source http://www.calgary.ca/_layouts/cocis/calgarymap/calgarymap.aspx

An image from Eau Claire ARP (which seems very out of date, for example listing this building as existing and calling Shaw "Shell Court")


Source http://www.calgary.ca/PDA/pd/Documents/Publications/eau-claire-arp.pdf p40 (54 in pdf)

[Trans Canada]

Also how about The Elliott at 1748 5a St SW in Cliff Bungalow? This is a really cool modernist/art deco building, can't find any info on date, architect, etc...




Source Google Street View https://www.google.ca/maps/place/1748+5a+St+SW,+Calgary,+AB+T2S+2E9/

[Jimby]

Originally Posted by Trans Canada

(@UofC.engineer - site doesn't work for me )

Does anyone have any info on the La Caille Restaurant (formerly Q Haute, now Oceana Restaurant I believe)? Apparently it's a heritage building, around which Chateau Lacaille condo tower was built in 1999. Interested in when it was originally built, if it has real heritage value, etc.

According to the LaCaille website, the restaurant opened in 1982, and afaik it was built by them for that purpose. Zero heritage value for at least 200 years!

http://www.lacaille.ca/history.php

I noticed at the bottom of the history page that it mentions "the cities first "city within a city", Sky Pointe." I have never heard of that before.

http://www.lacaille.ca/project.php?projectname=skypointe#

[DizzyEdge]

Cliff Bungalow - Mission is one of the few areas where there are a number of art deco apartments in Calgary (Maybe the only area). The Elliott isn't on the inventory, but it may be in line to get evaluated. Compton in eau claire was demolished, and yeah that other building is fake historic, it's got another 25+ years before anyone would even consider it.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Trans Canada

Also how about The Elliott at 1748 5a St SW in Cliff Bungalow? This is a really cool modernist/art deco building, can't find any info on date, architect, etc...




Source Google Street View https://www.google.ca/maps/place/1748+5a+St+SW,+Calgary,+AB+T2S+2E9/

To me that looks like apiece of dung.

[UofC.engineer]

Originally Posted by suburbia

To me that looks like apiece of dung.

Well, to each their own, but I would rather see a street full of those Art Deco buildings what lacaille built in the West End:

Source: http://www.lacaille.ca/images/slides/projects/oxford/slide0.jpg

Even if it means sacrificing density.