1501 – 1523 33 Ave SW

At Sarina, we care about people and building community. The proposed 1500 building is in one of the most amenity rich communities in Calgary. A few minutes’ walk from the Marda Loop shopping area, a public library, rec center, and a few minutes’ bike ride from the Elbow River, and South Calgary Park, residents will always be able to find something fun and exciting to experience.

Over the past several years, Sarina Homes has assembled and consolidated the six properties located between 1501 and 1523 33 Avenue SW. In June 2024, Calgary City Council approved a land use redesignation of the site to MU-1f3.6h24, allowing for a mixed-use building with a floor area ratio of 3.6 and a maximum height of 24 metres.

Sarina Homes is now advancing the next stage of the process by preparing a Development Permit (DP) application for the building itself, including its design, site layout, landscaping, mobility considerations, and interface with the surrounding community.

Through this website, we aim to provide residents and stakeholders with the information needed to understand the proposal and provide informed feedback. As the design evolves over the coming months, your input will help shape the project as it moves forward.

Who We Are

  • i.D. | Inglewood

  • Avenue 33 | Marda Loop

  • Coco | Marda Loop

  • Hana | Killarney

    who-we-are-4

  • Harrison | Marda Loop

  • Hudson | Marda Loop

  • Madison | Marda Loop

Location Context

Marda Loop continues to experience growth, and we want to support this growth.
The proposed “1500” is located within an area that is rapidly evolving towards a mid-rise, medium-density environment, as envisioned in the West Elbow Communities Local Area Plan and the Marda Loop Streetscape Master Plan, thereby supporting the continued social and commercial vibrancy of Marda Loop and 33rd Ave Main Street.

Amenity Access

The proposed location of “1500” is surrounded by amazing amenities, many of which are unique to the Marda Loop Communities! We encourage residents in our developments to explore what their communities have to offer by walking or wheeling between locations. To support sustainability and our futures, we locate our developments in locations that decreases vehicle use and congestion.

Proposed Designs

Application Recap

Feature Proposed
Building Height 6 storeys (maximum 24 metres permitted)
Residential Units 146 apartments
Commercial Space 4 street-oriented commercial units
Site Area 3,484 m² (0.86 acres)
Density FAR 3.48 (within the approved maximum of 3.6)
Vehicle Parking 138 stalls (124 resident + 14 visitor)
Bicycle Parking 139 stalls
Storage Lockers 138 lockers
Loading Area 1 dedicated loading stall
Resident AmenitiesResidents would have access to a variety of shared amenities, including:
  • Rooftop amenity space
  • Fitness room
  • Co-working spaces
  • Dog wash station
  • Secure indoor bicycle storage
  • Moving room
  • Resident storage lockers

In total, the project provides over 1,000 m² of indoor and outdoor amenity space, including both common and private amenity areas.

Streetscape & Public RealmThe proposal is designed to help animate both 33 Avenue SW and 14 Street SW through:

  • Ground-floor commercial spaces facing the street
  • New landscaping and boulevard improvements
  • Additional street trees and planters
  • Wider pedestrian-oriented frontage
  • Improved bicycle facilities
  • Enhanced public realm coordinated with the Marda Loop Main Streets improvements
Parking & Access
  • Vehicle access is provided from the rear lane.
  • Parking is located primarily within two underground parkade levels.
  • Visitor parking is provided on-site.
  • Bicycle parking exceeds bylaw requirements.
  • A dedicated loading area is provided to support building operations and commercial tenants.

Shadowing

Reports

Relevant reports will be added to this section as this application progresses.

Engagement Session – June 30th Slides

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the height of the proposed building 1500?
The rezoning request is for a maximum height of 24m, which allows for up to 6 storeys at its highest point. This doesn’t mean a 6 storey monolith, as the building will be carved out using a series of setbacks and stepbacks on the upper storeys, allowing it to be experienced differently depending on your vantage point.

What does Floor Area Ratio (FAR) mean?
The floor-to-area ratio, also known as the FAR, is a term used to describe the relationship between the size of a building’s floor area and the size of the land it is built on.

Imagine you have a piece of land where you want to build a house. The FAR tells you how much floor area you can have compared to the size of the land. It is like arule that helps determine how big or small your building can be.

For example, let’s say the FAR for a particular area is 1. This means that you can have a total floor area that is equal to the size of the land itself. So, if you have a plot of land that is 1,000 square feet, the maximum floor area you can build on that land would also be 1,000 square feet

If the FAR is greater than 1, it means you can build more floor area than the size of the land. For instance, if the FAR is 2, you can build a total floor area that is twice the size of the land. In our previous example, with a 1,000 square feet plot of land, you could construct a building with a floor area of up to 2,000 square feet.

On the other hand, if the FAR is less than 1, it means you can build less floor area than the size of the land. For instance, if the FAR is 0.5, you can only use half of the land’s size as the maximum floor area. So, with our 1,000 square feet plot of land, you could only build a structure with a floor area of up to 500 square feet.

The proposed design doesn’t include key elements I believe are important. How can I share my suggestions with the project team?
Please refer to our Engagement Opportunities page to attend an event, sign up to receive regular updates, and/or connect with Ariana at
ariana@hivedevelopments.ca

Sarina Homes has built or is proposing to build a lot of multi-residential buildings in Marda Loop. Which of the existing Sarina Homes projects has inspired this project?
Sarina is committed to projects that bring overall value to the area and contribute to its continued vibrancy. Each project is unique and incremental learnings from each are progressively applied in order to constantly improve the final product, and continue to move forward the ongoing evolution of the built fabric in Marda Loop.

Sarina Homes cares about people and building strong communities. How has Sarina Homes applied this in Marda Loop?
Sarina’s existing and ongoing developments have diversified the housing and commercial mix in the area, brought in more residents to support existing businesses, and encouraged development of more commercial opportunities, while moving forward the physical, social and economic development associated with a main street. We also make other tangible investments in the community through sponsoring events such Marda Gras on an ongoing basis.

How does Sarina Homes strive to produce high quality homes?
Sarina Homes draws inspiration from best practices across all disciplines involved in the Development process. As the General Contractor and Developer, we are able to tightly control the project from the very start to finish, thereby ensuring a quality final product.

How is Sarina responding to ongoing feedback?
We consider all feedback provided and strive to respond in a robust way, either by making changes where possible, and providing a rationale where significant changes may not be called for.

We want to hear from you!

Based on the information you have read, are there parts of the proposal that we can improve on? If so, what recommendations would you make?

    Upcoming Events

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