East Village Rejuvenation Plan - Page 4

kw5150 · #61 Posted **Jul 27, 2010, 11:04 PM**

How about an engineered side stream with a series of open spaces and sand beaches that people could raft through? Something that wouldn't attact as many geese and ducks as eau claire....but similar..... The water current is quite strong along the south side of saint patricks island and it drops off right away....it may be hard to figure out a beach in that area. I guess if the wier is getting bulit.....anything is possible?? Maybe some small inlets and bays could be engineered like bowness park.

I always wish that someday they would build really large urban beach along the elbow as well. I know it functions as one here and there but we could probably make it more of a city wide destination. I raft down the elbow all the time so I know all of the areas down there. I dont think they are large enough though. Anyway......an obvious side point.

kw5150 · #62 Posted **Jul 27, 2010, 11:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MasterG

Isn't there a plan to redo the Eau Claire area? Im guessing the plan is shelved due to the economy for the forseeable future. I really enjoy the plaza there and the connection to the pathway system and Prince's Island, but you are right; the area doesn't do all it can to create a sense of place and a spot for people to meet.

I really like the renderings of the EV riverwalk, I think that will do a better job, assuming the area develops as planned. It would be nice to have a strip of cafes and bars/restuarants lining the riverwalk, on the EV blocks on the other side of the street.

Im really excited to see how things will turn out!

It took me a couple of months to answer your question but I will try..... For the Eau claire development, the want to rip out the entire thing (trees and all) and start fresh. Not the island, just the plaza. The space will be scaled more to the size of calgary and will be almost all open.

I think the complete removal of everything is a little bit ridicoulous and I dont think they are allowing a large enough kiddie pool/water park which is crazy. The designers are kind of hiding the design because they dont want to scare the public. I really wish they would show the public the plans for the space.

I dont really like the design at all.....just the fact that it will be a HUGE open space. They are also planning on removing all of the trees on each side of the bridge to allow for a 6m wide pedestrian bridge. That bridge is a good thing as well but I wish those tall pines that have finally grown tall enough to flank the bridge could some how stay. I know, I am a tree hugger, but in some cities they really do value mature trees. All we have is baby trees in many areas of this city.

DizzyEdge · #63 Posted **Jul 28, 2010, 5:38 PM**

^^

How do they expect the 'wide open space' to solve whatever is perceived to be the issues with the site now?

You Need A Thneed · #64 Posted **Jul 28, 2010, 8:55 PM**

There's never going to be a sand beach on a river in Calgary. The sand would be gone every spring. If the city is going to have more sandy beach, it would be something similar to another Sikome Lake - Protected from the river.

Plus, the rivers are silty enough every spring, never mind adding a bunch of sand to the banks.

kw5150 · #65 Posted **Jul 28, 2010, 9:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

^^

How do they expect the 'wide open space' to solve whatever is perceived to be the issues with the site now?

I guess they want it to be more scaled to a city of 1,000,000 + and not a city of 500,000 which is what it was designed for. The also want more visibility to Prince's Island Park. They are also calling for the removal of all of the buildings, inlcluding the entire market and theatre which kind of blows my mind. The will apparently be moving the old 1890 cafe (or whatever that awesome place is called) in front of the YMCA which is a very odd juxtaposition of building scale in my opinion!

ue · #66 Posted **Jul 28, 2010, 9:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SubwayRev

While I agree that St. Patrick's might not be the best location, I disagree that one park is enough, and I don't skate at all. That skateboard park is busy pretty much around the clock, and the city desperately needs more. Downtown could easily support one or two more, and then the suburbs would need them scattered throughout as well, preferrably close to LRT stations, providing kids with easy access.

I believe Edmonton has 11, while Calgary has the one. This is a very popular activity for the City's youth and I think we need to embrace it, rather than push it to the fringes or undesireable locations.

At least Calgary has one Downtown.

fusili · #67 Posted **Jul 28, 2010, 10:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by edmontonenthusiast

At least Calgary has one Downtown.

Ah, the sheer beauty of monocentric cities.

kw5150 · #68 Posted **Jul 28, 2010, 10:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fusili

Ah, the sheer beauty of monocentric cities.

Im pretty sure he meant that our skatepark is downtown.....not that we only have one downtown core.

fusili · #69 Posted **Jul 28, 2010, 10:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kw5150

Im pretty sure he meant that our skatepark is downtown.....not that we only have one downtown core.

Ha ha. I totally misread that.

DizzyEdge · #70 Posted **Jul 29, 2010, 12:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kw5150

I guess they want it to be more scaled to a city of 1,000,000 + and not a city of 500,000 which is what it was designed for. The also want more visibility to Prince's Island Park. They are also calling for the removal of all of the buildings, inlcluding the entire market and theatre which kind of blows my mind. The will apparently be moving the old 1890 cafe (or whatever that awesome place is called) in front of the YMCA which is a very odd juxtaposition of building scale in my opinion!

Call me a skeptic. Does that mean if we had 10 million people we should have a 3 block by 3 block open area?

atlas_inc · #71 Posted **Jul 29, 2010, 1:03 AM**

I hear that a couple of developers have purchased land in the East Village. Good news for the future, for sure!

artvandelay · #72 Posted **Jul 29, 2010, 1:45 AM**

I did the survey and said that I would really love to see an urban beach combined with a boardwalk, similar to this one in T.O:

This way there wouldn't be any erosion to worry about. We have enough "natural" riverfront in the city - a more urban seawall or boardwalk should be incorporated into the island.
Also, I hope they put in a hockey rink with boards, the inner city is lacking in these, and I'm sure it would draw a lot of people to the island on cold winter nights.

Wooster · #73 Posted **Jul 29, 2010, 3:21 AM**

On st. patricks's the beach could simply be stepped up slightly above the level of the water.

You Need A Thneed · #74 Posted **Jul 29, 2010, 2:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wooster

On st. patricks's the beach could simply be stepped up slightly above the level of the water.

The problem with that is that they would have to put it above the 100 year flood level. I bet that's a long ways away from where the shore is most of the time.

I would think that a good part of the island is under water at the 100 year flood level.

kw5150 · #75 Posted **Jul 29, 2010, 3:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Call me a skeptic. Does that mean if we had 10 million people we should have a 3 block by 3 block open area?

Sure, why not? All of the great cities around the world have a large open square like the plans for Eau Claire. The designers are taking precedents from mojor cities around the world. Barcelona, Paris, Chicago, New York all have an example of these large, open urban squares. I guess this plaza, with the new design, would be pretty permanent and it would serve the city well for the next 100 years.

What would you propose for the space?

DizzyEdge · #76 Posted **Jul 29, 2010, 3:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

The problem with that is that they would have to put it above the 100 year flood level. I bet that's a long ways away from where the shore is most of the time.

I would think that a good part of the island is under water at the 100 year flood level.

Or just accept that we would need to redo the beach every 100 years, which I think is acceptable.

CorporateWhore · #77 Posted **Jul 29, 2010, 4:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kw5150

Sure, why not? All of the great cities around the world have a large open square like the plans for Eau Claire.

In Calgary we call them parking lots.

kw5150 · #78 Posted **Jul 29, 2010, 5:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CorporateWhore

In Calgary we call them parking lots.

Just imagine a central park in calgary........ We even have enough buildings to wrap around the whole thing. It is obviously too late for the that in our core! Central park is just so damn amazing. I am off topic again, what a surprise.....

fusili · #79 Posted **Jul 29, 2010, 5:06 PM**

Prince's Island is a pretty awesome big park.

kw5150 · #80 Posted **Jul 29, 2010, 5:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fusili

Prince's Island is a pretty awesome big park.

yes, it is. I think Central Park is about 15 times larger. We have a big satellite image on the wall of our office and it blows my mind.

If we combine Eau Claire, the river pathway around the core, Fort Calgary, St Andrews Island. The Zoo and the stampede grounds I think that is about the same size as Central park.

After thinking about that and the fact that we will be linking most of those together in the next few years, that is really quite amazing for our city.