1st-location

1505 - 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. Minutes from the Marda Loop shopping area, Elbow River, and South Calgary Park, residents will always be able to find something fun and exciting to experience.

Sarina has purchased the five homes between 1505 and 1523 33rd Ave, with the intent of building a contextually sensitive, multi-family development. As a first step, the lots will be consolidated and a new land use redesignation from M-C1 & M-CG to MU-1f3.6h24 (mixed use, floor to area ratio of 3.3 and maximum height of 24 meters), will be applied for.

Who We Are

  • i.D. | Inglewood

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  • Avenue 33 | Marda Loop

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  • Coco | Marda Loop

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  • Hana | Killarney

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  • Harrison | Marda Loop

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  • Hudson | Marda Loop

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Benefits Of Redevelopment To Marda Loop

  • Pre-development
    Typical property tax for a bungalow
    = $2,800

  • Post-development #1
    Typical property tax for a semi-detached
    = $7,100

  • Post-development #2
    Typical property tax for an apartment
    building
    = $255,000

1. Increased investment in public amenities.

As shown in this image adapted from the City of Calgary’s North Hill Communities Property Tax Uplift Pilot, more intensive forms of development bring in more property taxes, which in turn “helps demonstrate where and how the established areas are growing, which can be a proxy for investment need”. In other words, projects such as “1500” both call-for AND provide a better return on investment of public money. This is important to keep in mind, as Calgary has 24 main street areas, of which Marda Loop is one. This translates to greater competition for re-investment of property tax revenue in the types of public amenities that support these streets. City council approved the ~$31 million investment in upgrading public amenities and infrastructure along the Marda Loop Main Street precisely because it is an area that is growing fast through increased property tax uplift, thereby justifying the need for more investment to support this ongoing growth.

  • 2. Increased supply of multifamily, smaller scale, apartment-style units

    in response to a crisis-level lack of access to affordable housing and significant pent-up demand, particularly within one of the most desirable areas of Calgary, where demand for this type of housing is high. Over the past year, Calgary experienced record international and interprovincial migration on par with levels seen a decade ago, combined with a steep drop in the housing vacancy rate, thereby highlighting the need for housing supply to better align with this ongoing level of population growth, in order to maintain relative housing affordability.

  • 3. Increased opportunities for community vibrancy and economic growth

    Calgary’s Municipal Development Plan calls for more housing to be located within established, amenity rich areas, such as Marda Loop, as this allows for greater community vibrancy, by allowing more opportunities for residents to live, work and play within a walkable distance (10-15 mins walk) from most of their daily needs. This in turns allows for smaller-scale local businesses more opportunities to thrive, while also creating an environment of greater investment in growing and multiplying such business opportunities in the area.

Why MU-1?

MU-1 is better suited for an urban, main street context, such as this, as it allows for more sensitive transitions to surrounding lower intensity development, while providing an active interface with 33rd Ave SW, and flexibility for live-work units on the ground floor

The proposed intensity of 3.6 and the highest point of the building topping off at a maximum of 24 m is in keeping with developments of a similar scale and intensity in the area (CY33, Shoppes at Marda Loop, Ave33, Hudson etc) and aligns with the vision for the evolution of this Main Street. Given that this development will also acts as a gateway to the eastern edge of Marda Loop at the 33rd Ave Main Street, this height and intensity is needed to design something that fulfills such a purpose.

Marda
Loop

It is in keeping  with Calgary’s Municipal Development Plan (MDP) focus of building a sustainable city. In keeping with the direction provided by the MDP, this project:

  • Provides a range of housing opportunities and choices in Marda Loop
  • Supports housing located in walkable environments.
  • Provides support in fostering distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place
  • Directs redevelopment opportunities within existing areas.

It also supports five key directions of the MDP by:

  • Achieving balance of growth between established and greenfield communities
  • Providing more choice within complete communities
  • Directing land use changes within a framework of Activity Centres and Main Streets
  • Linking land use decisions to transit.
  • Helps create Complete Streets.

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 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.

Guiding Policies

Policies that support and inform redevelopment projects such as “1500” in Marda Loop

Planning tools and policies that inform, direct, and/or guide more detailed policy planning, depending on context:

INFORMS
DIRECTS
GUIDES

Municipal Government Act(MGA)

Municipal Development Plan(MDP) +Calgary Transportation Plan(CTP)

  • MDP and CTP were simultaneously approved in 2009 by City Council, following 4 years of extensive consultation

Area Redevelopment Plan/Local Area Plan

Land Use Bylaw

  • Note: the Land Use Bylaw is a legal document regulating the use and development of land in Calgary, while Local Area Plans simply set the vision for growth and change in a group of communities

Land Use Redesignation Proposals

Policy Context

The proposal for 1500 is guided by the Municipal Development Plan  (MDP) and the Marda Loop Main Streets  project – please click on those links to learn about the great projects the City has in store for Marda Loop. We encourage interested citizens to look through each of those documents.

The MDP classifies 33rd Ave SW as a Neighbourhood Boulevard located along a Neighbourhood Main Street in the inner-city area of Calgary. The proposed location of 1500 is also along a Primary Transit Network.

The MDP notes that Neighbourhood Main Streets that do not currently have a Local Area Plan should locate significant intensification on parcels that front directly onto Neighbourhood Boulevards.

The MDP requires designs that introduce appropriate transitions between the Neighbourhood Main Street and the adjacent residential areas, hence the use of M-U1. Through our engagement with citizens, we want to hear from you on how we can make these transitions work, to benefit all residents in the area.

The two other potentially applicable policy frameworks for this area are the Marda Loop Area Redevelopment Plan (MLARP and the South Calgary Altadore Area Redevelopment Plan.

  • The latter is now outdated, as it was approved in 1986, roughly 23 years
    before the current MDP was put in place
  • The boundaries of the MLARP currently do not include “1500”

Note:

  • Preliminary engagement is currently underway on the development of a more detailed policy framework to guide redevelopment and evolution of built form in this area, the West Elbow Local Area Plan. As with any City-led engagement, we encourage all citizens to take part in the engagement opportunities that are available for projects such as this
  • To learn more about the MU-1 land district, we encourage you to review the City of Calgary Land Use Bylaw. Here you will learn about what uses can and cannot happen in this district.

Proposed Designs

As we move through the design process, we want to take you along this journey. Over the course of the next few months, we will be gathering feedback towards the land use redesignation application as well as design elements people would like to see incorporated.

proposed-design-right-image

Please note that we are unable to incorporate every element, however, we are excited to hear from you on what can make this a successful multi-residential development in Marda Loop!

Application Recap

Rezone 5 parcels currently zoned for Mult residential development of low height and medium-to-low density (M-CG & M-C1) to zoning that allows for multi residential, mixed-use development of greater contextual height and density (MU-1f3.6h24)

Max permitted/required Provided
Height No maximum; 24 m applied for 24m
Density No maximum 131 units = 452 units/hectare
Landscaping Will adhere
Parking

86 automobile

– 72 residential

– 14 visitor

Bicycle:

– 66 class 1 (secure)

– 14 class 2 (unsecured/public)

96 automobile

– 82 residential

– 14 visitor

Bicycle:

– 66 class 1 (secure)

– 14 class 2 (unsecured/public)

Shadowing

1. Due to the nature of Calgary’s location in the Northern hemisphere in winter we are tilted away from the Sun, 50 it appears lower in the sky, resulting in shadows being longer in the wintertime. Conversely. in the summer, since the Sun is higher the shadows are shorter. At the same time, where you are on the planet also affects shadowing profiles. Given the shape of the Earth, the further north you travel in our hemisphere in the fall and winter, the lower the Sun with appear in the sky. The lower it appears, the longer the shadow willbe; it is important to keep in mind that any built structure in Calgary projects greater shadows during the winter months.

2 In the interests of reducing shadowing impacts on the surrounding area, we modeled the impact based on diferent maximum helghts. As you will see, he relative difference in shadowing impact as perceived from the ground is negligible between a 12 meter and 24 meter maximum height

Summer Solstice

Equinoxes

Winter Solstice

Reports

The following reports outline what we heard through our ongoing engagement process, as well as our response to specific items of feedback

What We Heard
#1

What We Heard
#2

Timeline

2023

Website launch
July
August
Flyers Marda Gras pop-up Neighbour Sessions
In-Person Open House
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
Online Session
Planning Commission Hearing
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER

2024

JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
Expected Planning Commission Hearing
APRIL
TBD
Expected Council Public Hearing
JUNE

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 Srimal at
[email protected]

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. Please refer to our first What We Heard report for where we are at right now.

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?

    Engagement Opportunities

    Come see our updated designs and chat with our developer, planning, and/or architect team

    Open House, Tuesday October 17th

    7 – 8:30 PM

    @Marda Loop Communities Association