A historic office building in downtown Calgary is back on the path to redevelopment after it was stalled.
And in a year and a half it is expected to become another office-to-residential conversion in the city.
Real estate developer Strategic Group announced the Barron Building would reopen in fall 2024 as 118 modern residential rental suites and street-level retail.
“The rebirth of this beautiful and historic art deco building has been a passion project of ours since we acquired the building 15 years ago,” said Riaz Mamdani, CEO of Strategic Group.
“With our partners at the City of Calgary… we are completing an incredible project that is good for our city’s heritage and good for the vibrancy of downtown Calgary while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and construction waste.”
Strategic Group estimates the redevelopment of the building will prevent 4,175 tons of new greenhouse gases and will save more than 11,000 tons of demolition materials from landfill.
But redeveloping the property hasn’t been easy.
“Repurposing is difficult in itself, but heritage building adds another element,” Ken Toews, senior VP of development for Strategic Group told Global News.
“With the Barron, we had a whole bunch of code issues that we had to rectify. The elevator core was not wide enough, so to allow for stretchers, we had to expand the core, which has structural challenges.”
The basement is being redeveloped into a parking garage, but features like the terrazzo flooring near the main elevators will be preserved.
“We’ve fortunately been involved in conversions for close to a decade now, so we’ve been able to hone our skills and we can make buildings work that probably other developers couldn’t make work,” Toews said.
“But they are a challenge and that’s what makes them fun.”
The art deco tower at 610 8 Avenue S.W. was in mid-construction when the city announced its downtown revitalization plan. Because city funds were only available for new projects, the Barron Building didn’t immediately qualify.
On Sep. 13, 2021, city council approved $7.5 million to help with the tower’s conversion in a 12 to 1 vote. Council directed city officials to come back to them in 2022 with a one-time budget request for the project, to be part of the current budget cycle. On Wednesday, it was revealed the city has put $8.5 million towards the redevelopment.
“Calgary City Council sees the incredible value of the rebirth of the Barron Building as homes for Calgarians and the addition of street-level retail that adds to the vitality of our downtown,” Mayor Jyoti Gondek said in a statement. “By investing $8.5 million in this project, we are investing in the future of our city centre while honouring and maintaining an important part of our history.
“Our downtown revitalization strategy is working and remains critical to seeing assessed property values continue to rise.”
Calgary Skyview MP George Chahal said the more than 100,000 square feet of new residential suites will help address the needs for housing in the city.
“The Barron Building redevelopment project aligns with the federal government’s objective to ensure that every Canadian has a home they can afford and that meets their needs by 2030,” Chahal said in a statement. “I am eager to work with Strategic Group and the City of Calgary to ensure that initiatives like these receive federal support.”
Built in 1951, the Barron Building was one of the first office towers built in Calgary following the discovery of the Leduc No. 1 oil well.
In 2021, then-mayor Naheed Nenshi said the Art Moderne-style building holds a special place in Jewish history and oil and gas history in Calgary.
It received a municipal historic resource designation in late 2022, a prerequisite to unlock the city’s funding.
‘Last of Us’ back drop
The Barron Building also featured as backdrop for the season finale of HBO’s The Last of Us.
Characters Joel and Ellie are seen navigating the interior of a gutted office building. Orange tarps seen from street level cast a warm glow against actors Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay as they “cut through a building.”
The HBO production began filming in Calgary in July 2021, as part of its 200-day, 180-location shoot that also ventured out to High River, Fort MacLeod, Canmore, Okotoks, Waterton Lakes National Park and Edmonton.