Council gives preliminary site approval for Midtown station

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While the needle hasn't moved much since the proposal was announced nearly a decade ago, a major transit-oriented development (TOD) project in southwest Calgary is tentatively moving forward.

The City Council unanimously approved the land use change for Midtown Station on first reading after an hour-long public hearing on May 7.

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Midtown Station is a high-density, mixed-use urban village development that will see more than 6,200 residential units in addition to hotels and commercial properties built near the intersection of McLeod Trail and Glenmore Trail.

Because the high-density proposal is outside the growth corridor areas identified in the Municipal Development Plan (MDP), the land use change must be approved by Calgary City District Council before it is returned for second and third reading.

Along with amendments to the MDP, the Heritage Communities Local Area Plan and the Calgary Transportation Plan need to be amended to include Midtown Station.

The development will house more than 10,000 people

Renderings for Midtown Station show plans for 27 new buildings ranging in height from three to 42 stories. The buildings include a mix of residential, office, hotel, retail, restaurant, fitness, professional and other commercial uses located on a 34-acre site in the Fisher Park area south of Glenmore Trail and east of McLeod Trail.

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The site currently consists of single-story office buildings and short-term rental warehouses.

The owner and applicant for the project is Cantana Investments Ltd. Arcadis Group's representative for the applicant, Ben Lee, said Midtown CF is a short walk from the Chinook Center, as well as many other commercial amenities along the Macleod Trail.

“These future residences will have the luxury of having all the services they see right on their doorstep along McLeod Trail,” he said.

According to Lee, the developer plans a 25-year construction that will not be fully operational until 2050. With more than 6,200 residential units proposed, Midtown Station could accommodate more than 10,000 residents depending on the configuration of the units. Ten percent of the units are rented at below-market rates.

“It's about creating a sense of place and a new community for people who want to live, not depend on cars,” Lee said.

A new LRT station is included in the proposal

The development agreement is that Cantana will be responsible for financing and building a new infill LRT station on the Red Line near 71st Avenue SE, between Heritage and Chinook stations.

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When completed, it will be Calgary's first developer-financed CTrain station, Lee said.

“It allows you to do something that's really customized and integrated with the development that's close to it, and you have to deal with the components and infrastructure of those LRT stations, which are a little bit different, than the existing stations that you see in the city,” he said.

The project has been working for nine years

Midtown Station was first proposed in 2015, said lead development consultant George Rethy, who spoke with Lee on behalf of the project at a May 7 public hearing.

The developer submitted its official application in 2018, Reti said, but has since been working with the city's planning team before presenting the plan to the council last week.

From a tax perspective, Rethy estimates the city will collect $40 million to $50 million a year in taxes from Midtown Station when completed.

“This is clearly a unique development,” he said. “Even though it's big, it has a really nice feel to it. It will be very close for the residents who live there and for the surrounding communities.”

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A regional representative on the council says Midtown “can set the bar” for TOD in Calgary

Courtney Penner, the area's representative on the council, said the council's unanimous first-reading approval was due to the applicant's diligence and willingness to incorporate input from the city over the past nine years.

“I think part of the reason the council is behind it and supporting it is because of how many years it has taken to get here, and the conversations that are going on and the commitments that will be part of the capital renewal deal. different stages,” he said.

“I think (the council acknowledges) that if you have a partner in the private sector willing to contribute to it, you have to find a solution that works for both of them.”

Midtown's evolution has come a long way since the earliest conceptual renderings were released, Penner added, especially in terms of integrating public space.

In addition to the future CTrain station, the proposal includes a pedestrian crossing over the existing CP Rail line and a new 73rd Avenue line that would represent an “integrated multimodal full street” as the “spine” of the site, according to Lee's presentation.

The project could set a standard to which other transit-oriented developments in Calgary can aspire, Penner said.

“Whether it's developer or city-led, it now sets the bar as a reference point for conceptual design,” he said. “And that's a good thing.”

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