The City sells 66 acres of land to Home Depot

The City is pleased to announce that Home Depot Canada Inc. is the successful purchaser of 66 acres of city-owned land located on the Dufferin North Industrial Park, west of Stoney Trail and 68 Street S.E.

The Home Depot facility will contribute to Calgary’s strong economic growth through the creation of a wide variety of jobs plus the increased investment in other local support services needed to maintain operations.

As part of the City’s 2013-2022 Industrial Land Strategy five per cent of proceeds from gross industrial land sales will go to the Public Housing Reserve in support of affordable housing in Calgary.



Find more information at calgary.ca/OLSH

Six storey wood structures: An innovative way to increase housing affordability

Beginning in November, The City will be accepting building permit applications for six-storey wood-frame residential buildings in areas where the building proposal would comply with the applicable zoning rules. The current Building Code currently limits wood frame residential construction to four storeys.

“We are looking at innovative ways to make housing more affordable for Calgarians,” says Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “Six story wood buildings are easier and cheaper to build than using other materials, which makes for more affordable homes.”



This decision comes after two years of participating in engagement with industry and responding to public review comments for the National Building Code.

Calgary joins jurisdictions in Quebec, British Columbia and on January 1, 2015, Ontario, to allow six storey wood buildings. Rollin Stanley, General Manager of PDA notes that "cities across North America permit this type of construction. It has provided lower cost construction and we have looked at building practices in these places to model our approach to regulations."

The City is also taking best practices from these jurisdictions to adopt in Calgary which includes enhanced Fire Safety Plans during construction.

“The Canadian Home Builders’ Association – Calgary Region would like to thank The City of Calgary for their leadership in providing this exciting opportunity to bring more mid-rise multifamily construction to Calgary,” says Amie Blanchette, Director of Government Affairs with CHBA. “This new choice in the marketplace will assist our builders in meeting the steadily increasing demand for safe, quality housing in a variety of forms throughout the city.”

The City of Calgary will be accepting building permit applications for six-storey wood-frame structures immediately using an alternative solution process, to meet the minimum requirements of the Alberta Building Code, until the changes are adopted. View the technical guide and examples at calgary.ca.

Attainable Homes Calgary Corporation launches its first inner-city development

Mayor Nenshi and Ward 7 Councillor Farrell officially launched Attainable Homes Calgary Corporation’s first inner-city development yesterday, unveiling the renderings and announcing that 25 attainable units will be available for eligible Calgarians.

From left to right: Kevin Harrison and Jeremy Sturgess (Sturgess Architecture), Paul Steckler (Lexington Development Management), 
Councillor Druh Farrell, Mayor Naheed Nenshi, David Watson (Attainable Homes Calgary Corporation)

Located at 1740 9 Street NW, it includes apartment condominiums and live/work townhouses between 338 and 847 square feet, currently priced between $193,350 and $324,990. When you include the five percent equity loan that eligible households receive through the Attainable Home Ownership Program, the mortgage amounts start from $182,000.

This is an artist’s rendering based on current development concepts.
Changes may be made to materials and build style during the course
of construction without notice.

The attainable units are being exclusively offered to a waitlist from Monday, April 21, and the remaining units will be released shortly to any qualifying households.

AHCC President and CEO, David Watson, said the project will change the way many people see attainable housing in the city.

“This is a smart design and it proves that attainable homes can be cutting edge, while still maintaining a price point that is achievable for households earning a moderate-income,” said Watson. “I would like to thank Lexington Development Management and The City of Calgary for enabling us to offer one of the first examples of laneway housing and one of few examples of live/work units to be built in Calgary.”

This is an artist’s rendering based on current development concepts. 
Changes may be made to materials and build style during the course 
of construction without notice.

The four-storey building revolves around an outdoor courtyard and puts front doors on the laneway, transforming the back alley into a new place of community. Combined with the well-connected Mount Pleasant location – close to shopping, parks, schools and services of all kinds – the development is a unique opportunity for individuals, couples and families interested in entering the property ladder in Calgary.

Mount Pleasant 1740 is currently under construction and possessions are anticipated in the first quarter of 2015.

About Attainable Homes Calgary Corporation
Attainable Homes Calgary Corporation (AHCC) is a non-profit organization and wholly owned subsidiary of The City of Calgary that connects developers, builders, lenders, lawyers and insurance companies to bring down the upfront costs of buying a home. It provides three key elements that help make the dream of homeownership a practical reality for moderate-income Calgarians: attractive home prices, forgivable equity loans, and a shared appreciation plan that provides homeowners with a financial stake in the equity of their new homes.

For more information, visit www.AttainYourHome.com

About the builder
Lexington Development Management Inc. is a Calgary-based consulting and development management company that specializes in multi-family residential projects.

For more information, please contact Lexington Development Management President, Paul Steckler, at 403-971-9122 or email paul@lexingtondevelopments.ca

About the architect
Sturgess Architecture is an award-winning, Calgary design firm, celebrating over 30 years of architecture and urban design. As a 15-person collaborative of architects, designers, technologists and assistants the firm operates as a studio office, where all members of the staff are aware of the phases and details of every project.

For more information, please visit www.sturgessarchitecture.com

New income criteria for attainable homes, helping Calgary families

Mayor Naheed Nenshi recently presented keys to one of the newest attainable homeowners in Calgary, Jessica Thompson and her son Nathan in Skyview Ranch.

Jessica’s unit is one of 56 two-bedroom apartment condos being sold by Attainable Homes Calgary Corporation, a non-profit and wholly-owned subsidiary of The City of Calgary.

As of June 1 Attainable Homes has implemented new income criteria in an effort to help more families enter the property ladder in Calgary. The new criteria is:

• Maximum household income of $90,000 per annum for single and dual parent families with dependent children living in the home
• Maximum household income of $80,000 per annum for singles and couples with no dependent children living in the home.

“We have found that many families earning just over $80,000 were still struggling to save the down payment required in the ownership market,” AHCC President and CEO David Watson said.

“We hope our new income criteria will allow us to support more families who are seeking the stability of homeownership.”

Visit www.attainyourhome.com and complete the online Ownership Toolkit to register your interest in the apartments at SkyView Ranch.