They paved paradise and put up a Shopper's Drugmart

If you have the slightest awareness of things happening around you and you frequent the downtown core regularly, you may have heard about the demolition slated for the historic Mount Royal Block still solidly sitting at the corner of Seventh Street and 17th Avenue S.W.

The now-weathered building was built in 1911 and has no doubt seen countless tenants through many generations conduct their business between the walls of its brick façade. The result of its longstanding lifespan has bestowed on the building a humble prominence that now divides the eastern part of Uptown Avenue with the west.

But what happens in Calgary once a building has decidedly outstayed its welcome of old?

We tear it down of course. Demolish it. Gone. Poof.

And why not? It’s decrepit and nearing condemnation. There is apparently no point in attempting to give the building a modest facelift or some renovations that would bring the block up to par.

Never mind European cities, we aren’t even like our Canadian counterparts such as Montreal or Vancouver that attempt to preserve their historic districts. It seems as though there is a code in this city imposing that almost all buildings and housing must be new and shiny, and less than 10 years old.

Tonko Realty Advisors, owner of the building, is ejecting the tenants — some of whom have been there for 25-plus years — and plans to redevelop the block beginning sometime in February after the painful, albeit inevitable, demolition takes place.

Now, if you think the eradication of the building down to literally nothing besides dust, a few broken bricks and the memory of an era gone by is going to be bad, the real controversy rests with the proposed redevelopment plans for the block.

Tonko’s original design for the redevelopment called for a modern-looking, four-storey building with large glass windows to replace that passé brick which was so last century—yuck! After all, glass is so the new brick. However, some local residents spoke up and took a stance against this design because of the obvious clash with the feel of the rest of the avenue.

Now Tonko, careful not to piss off too many of the same people who the company is hoping will bring cash flow into the new building, has gone back to the drawing board to sketch a more eclectic design.

Meanwhile, rumours that Shoppers Drug Mart would be closing its older shop on Eigth Street an migrating to the new building proved true. And this, my friends, is the real heart of the matter.

Are we really burning with need for a drugstore on 17th?

Just take a look at the change in atmosphere on Fourth Street S.W. since Shopper’s built its fortress there. What once held up a solid reputation to its name, the People Street, is now witnessing a significant decrease in pedestrian traffic.

The harsh reality of the impending situation is that 17th Avenue remains one of the only escapes in the city from the burgeoning disease of urban sprawl that has taken Calgary by the horns.

There isn’t a problem with residential development off the avenue. In fact, it’s refreshing to see that the city is learning it must build up as well as out. However, the problem lies with the commercial development of a large building that doesn’t even remotely fit with the existing area’s character.

The replacement of historic buildings with large-chain retailers and other stale outlets does not add anything to the vibrancy and unique quality of the area. Unfortunately, companies like these are the only ones who can actually afford the lease costs typically associated with the new development.

The other concern I have with this proposal is the way the building will affect the streetscape. Presently, the storefronts are variegated and diverse and each is set back at different distances from the street. The new building will consist of a uniform external appearance and no variegation since there are only one or two retailers at grade. In a nutshell, that means that you get a big, bland boring wall.

What makes that block interesting right now is its variety. Looking in the windows of the art galleries, sitting on the patio of Manie’s, feasting on some gelato at Fiasco, or sipping on a perfectly concocted martini at the Mercury are some of the favourite pastimes of people strolling the avenue.

A big box retailer on 17th defeats the sole purpose of the avenue’s life and rich history. Facades can be saved and building heights can be regulated, and as Inglewood has shown, big-box development can be stopped.

Calgary has few pedestrian-friendly areas, so yes, some moderate design and architectural restrictions as well as control on leasing to specific retail tenants are justifiable on 17th. To combine large concentrations of people with enjoyable, pedestrian-oriented streets is a challenge, but not an insurmountable one.

This article originally appeared in the Calgary Journal