The City of Calgary is looking to sell a section of green space near a southwest neighbourhood shopping complex, as plans are underway for a massive residential development.
The city has owned the 5.5 acres, designated as ‘mature greenspace’ since the 1980s, and had a deal to maintain the land with the previous owners of Glenmore Landing.
Several years ago it was deemed surplus city-owned land.
According to city officials, selling the land comes from a 2015 decision from council that asked city administration to “work directly with the Glenmore Landing Shopping Centre owner to explore the disposition of surplus City owned lands.”
“It was identified at that time that this would be an appropriate transit-oriented development site,” Ward 11 Coun. Kourtney Penner said.
RioCan, the owner of the Glenmore Landing Shopping Centre, has plans to redevelop the site pending the sale.
The proposal would see the development of six residential towers between 2o and 25 storeys with commercial and mixed-use space within walking distance of Calgary Transit’s MAX Yellow Line.
RioCan did not respond to Global News’ request for comment.
The proposal is getting pushback from a community group called Communities for Glenmore Landing Preservation.
In a letter posted to the Palliser Bayview Pumphill Community Association’s website, the group said it has concerns with the impacts on surrounding neighbourhoods from the proposed development, and the city selling off greenspace for development.
The group said the city’s agreement with the previous owner of the shopping complex said the land would only be used as park space.
“The agreement states that the city agrees that these lands would only be used by the city as parklands, subject to certain other limited other uses like pathways and roads and certain signage. That agreement is currently registered against the title to the centre,” the group’s letter said.
“These parklands are serving a vital purpose and are not ‘surplus’ to that purpose at all.”
Penner, who represents the area, said the land has been used as “landscape buffers” rather than park space, and the area has seen significant change since the “landscaping agreement” was signed.
“There is nothing in the agreement that says ‘in perpetuity,’ the agreement is about the condition the lands are to be kept in,” Penner said. “It’s not about the eventual land-use. There’s nothing in the agreement that precludes the sale or changes so long as it goes through the appropriate legal actions.”
The city recently released a public notice that it intends to sell the land, and the public can provide feedback until Oct. 23.
According to the city, the transaction is not finalized and it will require a decision by city council.
Business owners at Glenmore Landing are also keeping an eye on the proposal, on which RioCan plans to gather feedback at an open house on Oct. 25 at Heritage Park.
Gerry Miles, the owner of Margareta Designs in Glenmore Landing, said the proposed development brings uncertainty for the business owners in the area, after impacts from the construction on the area from the bus rapid transit project nearby.
“We lost business because of that,” she said. “People refused to come near the mall.”
Meanwhile, RioCan has submitted an application to the city to change the land use of the shopping complex property and the city-owned land.
The application will go to Calgary Planning Commission and eventually to city council for a final decision.