New housing, retail development at University of Calgary unveiled

CALGARY- The sprawling University of Calgary campus is about to get bigger.

On Wednesday, the school unveiled plans for a brand new development, which includes 6,500 new homes, along with two million square feet of retail and office space.

“The intent is to create an urban village, a complete community, where people can live and work in close proximity and get convenience items like grocery stores, coffee shops and restaurants,” explains James Robertson, president of West Campus Development Trust.

He adds that the community will be similar to the Garrison Woods development in the former Currie Barracks.

“At the centre of the community, some sites will be as high as 16 stories, but that transitions to two to three storey townhouses on the edge of the development.”

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Nearby residents welcome the move.

“There is a lot of space and a lot of amenities missing, and I do think there is a huge potential,” says Lawna Hurl from the University Heights Community Association. “The worry for our community we are squished in between the University, the Children’s Hospital and Foothills Hospital.”