Lower Mount Royal is really going through a maturation right now. In particular, the area near Mount Royal Village (technically the Beltline?) is becoming a hub unlike anything Calgary has seen. The combo of Hanson Square, the Devonish, and MRV is really going to give the area an urban feel - not to mention thousands of new residents in Montana, Drake, Smith, MRV Tower, the Block, Ten, Uno, and others within a block or 3. Other notable renovations have hugely transformed the area as well:
-Buy Rite Grocery ---> Analog
-Source Adult Video ---> 80th & Ivy
-Roger's Video ---> Cibo
We took some of the worst spots on the strip and turned them into landmarks! Come to think of it, I wonder if the end of video stores fuelled restaurant real-estate boom. I forgot to mention other renos like Classic Jack's, Moxie's, the Pint (say what you will, the building is way better than what used to be there), Jameson's Pub (once a Dollar Store), and others. Lots has been done, but there's still work to do. I'm most excited about renovations at the old TD Bank building at 9a St. Increasingly, this area (17th Ave SW from 7th St to 14th St), always a hot part of town, has been building its own identity. It's MUCH different than 10 years ago, and is probably more like Queen Street (Toronto) or West Broadway (Vancouver) than anything else Calgary has. Of course, it's sunnier. And better.