Calgary Condo Talk

[Spring2008]

A thread to discuss new proposals, renders, sales launches, rumours, and new market trends all in one place.


Thought this was interesting. Speaks to the growing and maturing inner city condo market here:

New Calgary Condo Website Poised to Change Real Estate Web Skyline

The announcement of new company website, specializing in Calgary downtown condos.


Calgary, Canada, March 21, 2014 --(PR.com)-- A new and unique real estate website has been launched to cater specifically to the Downtown Calgary condo market. User-friendly, easy to navigate, and simplicity sum up its format and delivery.

Calgaryurbanliving.ca has been created for the modern city dweller that demands specialized and accessible real estate information when they want it, where they want it.

The fast-changing downtown Calgary condo market of tomorrow will require increasingly rapid responses to the specific customer needs and wants. This specialized website model aims to provide the consumer with a higher level of transparency as it relates to the industry.

Realtor and creator of the website, Karim Hassam is excited to begin this new project in order to better assist Calgarians looking to buy or sell their condo.

Hassam belongs to CIR Realty, Calgary’s largest real estate brokerage, which recently won the prestigious award of being named Most Innovative Brokerage by the leading real estate companies in the world. CIR Realty’s use of technology and superior customer service has enabled them to close more transactions last year than any other brokerage in the city.

His dedication to continued education has enabled Hassam to obtain several designations and training in the real estate and related fields.

Walking into 2014, the biggest trend in consumer needs is niche segmentation, according to several influential sources. BusinessWeek called it 'The Vanishing Mass Market', Wired Magazine spoke of the ‘Lost Boys and the Long Tail’, while Trend Watching talks about ‘Niche Mania’.

In light of this, Hassam said,“I want to equip the Calgary real estate buyers and sellers with the most relevant information relating to the specific market they are interested in.”

Hassam understands that in addition to information, speed and convenience is key to meeting the needs of today’s fast-paced real estate consumer and has incorporated this principle in his business.

“This is just how we work, when somebody contacts us we immediately follow up,” said Hassam. “We have teamed up real estate-specific lawyers, mortgage brokers, home inspectors and stagers. Depending on the individual’s need, our clients are connected right away with one of our service providers.”

Home buying and selling can be a complicated process, and having online expertise accessible in a simplified way will ease the process. The structure and formatting of the site is organized keeping the end user in mind.

The detailed community pages work like a personal online tour guide for each specific neighbourhood. It gives the viewer a comprehensive look at the lifestyle, market information, transportation options, and acts as an information source for other community-specific knowledge.

Buyers scanning for homes can take advantage of the most current list of properties available or they have the option to create their own custom search.

The sellers section of the website will provide home owners with personalized information on their Calgary home values.

For more information please visit contact Karim at khassam@cirrealty.ca.

http://www.pr.com/press-release/548433

[Spring2008]

Say goodbye to Lido Cafe, and hello to Lido 2.0

Always cherished and cheap, Lido Café closing after seven decades

By Mike Morrison Share this Article

Over the next couple of weeks, you’ll hear lots of people waxing-nostalgic about the Lido Cafe.

That’s because, after more than 70 years, the small diner along 10th St. NW will be closing its doors at the end of April to make room for a new condo development. To run a business that long in Calgary is truly remarkable.

Before Stampede Wrestling, there was the Lido Cafe. Before the population of the city was even 100,000 people, there was the Lido Cafe. The fact that the diner has survived the threat of franchises, food trends and the onslaught of foodies equipped with Instagram, is truly remarkable.

If you’ve never been, some of the diner’s most popular dishes are the Chinese combo special ($8.95), the burger ($4.25), the breakfast special ($6.38) and the chocolate shake ($4.95). If those prices seem incredibly low to you, that’s because you’re probably not used to seeing affordable food.

Calgary’s recent surge in cool and trendy restaurants has left many people like me, who love to eat, but don’t want to be poor because of it, without very many options.

Of course it’s good to eat organic, locally grown and whatever deconstructed food is, but sometimes, I just don’t want to.

Instead, I want to pay $7.95 for a meal that I can split in two and have the rest for lunch the next day. I want a place that I can afford and not feel guilty about the next day. I’ve always thought it was strange to regularly spend a lot of money on food, because not matter how much you spend, you still wake up hungry the next day.

The most expensive dish on Lido Cafe’s menu? The sirloin Steak, which for $14.95 comes with fries, vegetables, soup, a roll and dessert. For an extra $3.75, you can throw in a cold beer.

While I’m incredibly sad for the loss of the Lido Cafe, I’m excited for what another condo development means for the area that I’ve called home for the past six years. Fans of the neighbourhood will be happy to know that the new condo development will adopt both Lido’s name and the historic sign that has hung above 10th St. for decades.

For an area like Kensington to thrive and survive, it needs to welcome new condos. With people all moved into Pixel and St John’s Tenth Street ready to open any day, the Lido building will bring even more people to one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods. With more people comes more business, something that’s already reflected in the handful of new urban-friendly businesses that have opened up in the area, including a spin studio, a poutinerie, a cheese shop and a rollerblade store.

On the Lido Cafe’s final weekend, a special art show featuring the work of Melanie Aikenhead, will highlight the history of the Lido Cafe.

And, a few days later, the Lido Cafe will close its doors forever. So that means we have a month to say thanks. Thanks for the unforgettable atmosphere, the expansive and sometimes odd menu, but most importantly thanks for working hard to make sure that I, and thousands of other Calgarians, always had a delicious and affordable place to eat.

http://metronews.ca/voices/in-defenc...seven-decades/

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

Say goodbye to Lido Cafe, and hello to Lido 2.0


http://metronews.ca/voices/in-defenc...seven-decades/

everyone I know says the food at Lido sucks. I haven't been there but that's a reason for the low prices
what do you forumers that been to Lido Cafe think?
the sign is worth saving though!

[Spring2008]

^I've never eaten there, but it is part of living in a quickly growing city. The improvements are run down, and located along a prime commercial strip. Land values make it almost impossible not to maximize the FAR by keeping those run down shops open, and it's not like these are quality historic buildings by any means.

Bucci will be demolishing that ugly carpenters union building next to make for their next project, while it looks like Sturgess is planning something for the Osteria Di Medici site. I say keep them coming.

[Spring2008]

Let's keep delaying issuing permits.

Real estate a very hot commodity in Calgary
Buyers need to act fast in Calgary's hot market

Many people in Calgary looking to buy homes and condos are learning they need to buy fast or be left behind. Lea Williams-Doherty reports.

Michael Franklin, CTV Calgary
Published Friday, March 21, 2014 7:42AM MDT

The condo market is heating up in the City of Calgary and buyers are learning quickly they need to act fast to buy what they want.

Brenna Hebert has been looking for a condo for a long time and has just conditionally bought one in a downtown complex.

Hebert hopes the deal closes because she missed out on several others.

Realtors say that while the market in Calgary hasn't reached the frenzy it has in 2005 or 2007, they're seeing a lot of the signs that show we could be headed for another boom.

“When I started, I was taking my time and looking around,” she says. “Then those properties would go quickly so I ended up having to change my strategy in this market right now.”

The Calgary Real Estate Board says that buyers looking to break into the market by purchasing starter homes for less than $400,000 are having a hard time.

“So we started to see last year really that demand was far greater than the new supply we were seeing come online,” says Ann-Marie Lure, economist with CREB. “It really depleted the inventory on the resale market.”

Pedro Villamar, Herbert’s real estate agent, says the market in Calgary is very hot, and every neighbourhood and price bracket is feeling the crunch.

“Right now, we’re seeing about a 20 percent decrease in the average days a home is on the market, we’re seeing about a 12 percent increase in sales, and an 18.5 percent decrease in active listings.”

He says the market has been building steam for more than a year and while it hasn’t reached the boom levels of 2005 or 2007, it could hit that point sometime.

“We’re seeing things we haven’t seen since the last boom,” Villamar says. “Multiple offers, homes going in one day, homes going over price by thousands of dollars.”

He adds that inner city properties are the most sought after, with vacant lots being at the top the list.

The hottest neighbourhood is Altadore, with a vacant spot listed for almost $1.4M when, two years ago, it would have gone for $1.2M.

Read more: http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/real-estat...#ixzz2wioyVoOu

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by WIGS

everyone I know says the food at Lido sucks. I haven't been there but that's a reason for the low prices
what do you forumers that been to Lido Cafe think?
the sign is worth saving though!

The food does suck and it's grimy as hell but it's good for a hangover breakfast and the crappiness is part of the charm I guess! I'm happy to see the name live on though.

[sim]

I think the food is just fine at Lido. It seems to be, like other businesses here with similar price points / value offering , suffering from the Veblen effect - that is to say, the food isn't good merely because the price isn't high enough.

[Spring2008]

Color rendering of Smith. Looks to be in VIP sales now.

Well now the developer, London based Grosvenor, is about to deliver DRAKE’s brother SMITH into Calgary… AND they’re giving FAB readers the first chance to view suites and purchase units before opening to the general public!!!

BeltLine_Aerial_Final Smith Condo Calgary

SMITH will have some pretty swanky standard features in all of their units, including a gas range, in floor bathroom heating, sleek integrated dishwashers, and a choice of 3 spectacular finishes. The building will also house a full time concierge, and an exciting bike sharing program.

Last week I popped in early to get a sneak peek of the show suite and was so impressed, I jumped at the chance and purchased there too!

SMITH is slated to break ground later this year; it’s a perfect time to get pre-construction prices and first dibs on the unit that fits you the best!

So whether you’re considering your first home, or interested in future investments, this is the perfect opportunity to get to know SMITH.
SMITH condo Calgary

If you’re interested in visiting before it opens to the public just call or email Natalie or Colleen. One of them will arrange an appointment so you can come and take the first look!

http://immrfabulous.com/

[red_179]

I'm really excited for Park Point, I love the location and Qualex is a reliable builder. In all likelihood, I'll probably be buying into it.

[Spring2008]

Originally Posted by red_179

I'm really excited for Park Point, I love the location and Qualex is a reliable builder. In all likelihood, I'll probably be buying into it.

I'm looking into buying pre-construction at PP, Mount Royal West, Smith, or Bucci's new project along 10st in Kensington if the price is right.

[Jimby]

I'm surprised that Smith is offering gas ranges. Do other condos have that?

[Spring2008]

^Not sure, appears more high end in terms of ammenities than most.

Nothing special, but District looks to be starting soon. Will help to get 17th ave east going.




https://www.facebook.com/pages/District/477236759034355

[Tropics]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

The improvements are run down, and located along a prime commercial strip. Land values make it almost impossible not to maximize the FAR by keeping those run down shops open, and it's not like these are quality historic buildings by any means.

I ate at the Lido once, it was typical cheap café grub. Bacon and eggs, fairly average burgers and fries with bulk gravy, ect... There used to be heaps of little restaurants like it, there are few left.

I agree with the buildings not having historical relevance enough to call for their preservation, but you need to be careful when redeveloping in an area like Kensington. Those little eclectic single story brick buildings with quirky art shops, skateboard stores, used record shops, non-chain coffee houses, comic book stores, art house theater, bead store for making cheap jewelry, ect... Those are what "made" Kensington what it is today, and that is slowly being eroded away and pushed out of the area.

You might not mind the changes, you might like what that area becomes, but it will no longer be the "Kensington" of old that initially made that area of the city such an interesting place to window shop and spend an afternoon. It was special because it was different and because it's cheap little single story buildings allowed for cheap little cool stores to exist along that walk. It will all eventually be replaced by Starbucks, Original Joes, Bernard Callebaut, Wok Box, and sterile 4 story condo complexes with ground floor retail full of the usual stuff you can see in any given area of the city.

I see the same thing just starting to happen in Inglewood along 9th ave as well. We are slowly losing all of the antique shops, we will likely eventually lose Recordland, we will see large restaurant/pub chains move in and they will start to force all of the cool unique aspects of that area out.

Cool areas of the city like Kensington definitely deserve some redevelopment and to capitalize on their popularity, but be very careful that attempting to do so does not destroy most of what you are trying to capitalize on...

[DizzyEdge]

and unlike much older cities around North America, once these areas fully gentrify, there's not necessarily any other areas for those shops to move to.

[Spring2008]

Idk Kensington's been gentrifying for awhile. The new places I've noticed open over the past year or so- poutine shop, cup cake shop, frozen yogurt place, spin studio, beer hall, Korean fried chicken etc are all very funky, well designed local shops with better offerings overall than what they replaced. I have a hard time believing building multi-story retail/condo on top of a few very under-utilized lots along the strip is going to diminish the neighbourhood. I do agree it has to be done right, and hopefully the right tenants are selected in each case. I find most of the local shops in the inner city better than the chain versions.

[Full Mountain]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

Color rendering of Smith. Looks to be in VIP sales now.

http://immrfabulous.com/

Hopefully they don't pull a Montana and switch from brick to stucco part way up....

[MasterG]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

Idk Kensington's been gentrifying for awhile. The new places I've noticed open over the past year or so- poutine shop, cup cake shop, frozen yogurt place, spin studio, beer hall, Korean fried chicken etc are all very funky, well designed local shops with better offerings overall than what they replaced. I have a hard time believing building multi-story retail/condo on top of a few very under-utilized lots along the strip is going to diminish the neighbourhood. I do agree it has to be done right, and hopefully the right tenants are selected in each case. I find most of the local shops in the inner city better than the chain versions.

Agreed, even our best retail streets are riddled with underutilized buildings and parking lots. As they are quickly being replaced with the construction of new retail space this can only be a good thing for the neighbourhood. The increasingly large numbers of brand-new spaces will help improve the resiliency of retail high-streets by offering more space and more diversity in an area.

Even if Kensington becomes more bland from a retail perspective, those funky shops don't disappear. They gradually migrate to a new corridors that better support their businesses. Bridgeland, Edmonton Trail, 19th Street to name a few ideas. The uses and retail on a street should never be a fixed mixture, it is always a process of growth, decline or change. 17th ave will continue to be heavy in bars and restaurants, but the smaller shops are now migrating to cross streets just off of 17th and along 16th Ave and elsewhere. It is part of the natural evolution of a street.

[Spring2008]

Originally Posted by Full Mountain

Hopefully they don't pull a Montana and switch from brick to stucco part way up....

I think the dark brown portion above podium level will be stucco by the looks of it. Still a decent filler imo.

[Full Mountain]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

I think the dark brown portion above podium level will be stucco by the looks of it. Still a decent filler imo.

As long as they stick with non-primary colors we're good, the lego orange brick/stucco on a few developments from the last boom and the mustard and ketchup ones from this one are making me wonder if we need to require developers to submit proof of a colour blindness test with all DP's


Edit: 1,500th post, better get back to work now...

[Boris2k7]

The DP states that the materials above grade are alternating EIFS (synthetic stucco) and curtain wall glazing.