Why we must #saveStephenAve
An application has been submitted to develop a downtown city block (7th and 8th Aves between Centre and 1st Street SW), which includes a central part of “Calgary’s iconic downtown main street”, Stephen Avenue.
Stephen Avenue is a National Historic Site of Canada. If this development were to go ahead, 15 buildings with historical status would be demolished to varying degrees.
This would be an irreversible change to Calgary’s built heritage, and would fundamentally damage the integrity and vibrancy of one of the city’s key destinations.
“What is clear is that this is not an ‘urban renewal’ project, a rebuild of abandoned downtown blight or even a comprehensive solution to the housing, office vacancy and ‘vibrancy’ problems. Stephen Avenue is already a cultural and entertainment destination area…“
Calgary Heritage Initiative
Heritage Demolition – Stephen Avenue and 7th avenue proposed development
(Rick Williams)
“Our city doesn’t need another generic clump of towers that aims to conceal its neglect of the public realm by dressing up its glass façade with a veneer of Calgary’s history.”
CBC
Here’s what we lose by adding more towers on Stephen Avenue
(Ximena Gonzaléz)
Stephen Avenue recognized as Endangered by the National Trust for Canada:
“A development proposal for the most significant contiguous streetscape of sandstone buildings in Calgary would mean loss to the city’s heritage built form at an unprecedented scale.“
#SAVESTEPEHENAVE 