Calgary has undergone a lot of urban sprawl, but the surge in its population has builders, community members and city representatives alike asking: what’s the best way to accommodate this growth?
Shameer Gaidhar, board chair of Calgary Inner City Builders Association (CICBA), points out that under the Municipal Development Plan, 50 per cent of city growth was always meant to be in established areas while the other half occurred in new suburbs. But that hasn’t been the case — it’s closer to 80 per cent in new communities
“The problem is, there’s only been effective representation of the building industry in the greenfield areas. There hasn’t been much representation in the established areas, but CICBA is filling that gap,” says Gaidhar. “If we continue to grow outwards, all it’s going to do is add costs to the city in the future.”
Representation for established areas
CICBA has over 200 company members and welcomes professionals who play any part in the redevelopment of established areas, whether it be professional consultants, builders, designers, developers, suppliers or engineers. “Our association is based on inclusivity,” affirms Gaidhar.
Members face unique factors and challenges when looking to redevelop, but collaborations and connections at the association help ease the process. “There are several factors to take into account,” says Mike Borkristl, vice chair of CICBA. “Land value is the biggest. Then we look at surrounding developments and zoning, and site conditions like power, utilities and compatibility.”
But permits and approvals can slow down projects, and the longer projects take, the more they cost. “It generally takes twice as long to get permits and approvals as it does to actually build smaller projects,” says Borkristl.
CICBA was created, in part, to address this issue. The association has built a strong collaboration with the City of Calgary to constantly improve and streamline the redevelopment process. CICBA works on policies and procedures with City Hall, and creates a reciprocal dialogue. Ultimately, this helps move CICBA member projects along.
Responsible development
Cost is among the many reasons redevelopments in established areas are so important. More than avoiding unnecessary expenses that come with unused land and homes, developing in existing areas means there’s no need to build new surrounding infrastructure.
“We’re reusing existing roadways, sidewalks, streetlights and parks. The key is the city does not have to build a new park or a new highway,” affirms Gaidhar. And without proper densification in established neighbourhoods, existing infrastructure like schools begin to shut down while the need for new ones further afield means more dollars. “If we bring more people back to established neighbourhoods, those schools will stop closing down and we can actually start using the existing infrastructure,” he says.
Plus, by reusing existing infrastructure, redevelopment becomes one of the more environmentally responsible ways to address housing demands and city growth. “To rebuild, redevelop and pivot our existing buildings — that’s partially what we can do to make a dent in the housing supply,” says Grace Lui, a CICBA board member. “Let’s look at recycling and reusing, adapting and reinvigorating what we already have.”
Inclusive awards
It takes a village to make redevelopment happen, and CICBA recognizes all the moving parts involved through its annual CUBE Awards. “Traditionally, award-winning builds celebrate the builders, but with CUBE, all aspects of the hard work that goes into a build are celebrated,” explains Gaidhar. “We can’t build a home without a plumber, a framer, a stair guy, a designer, flooring or cabinet supplier. So why are they not part of the celebration of building an award-winning home?”
When a company applies for an award, it must also submit an application for five partners who helped on the project. “It celebrates the best of the best in the industry, but it’s also great for the public to know who’s out there doing redevelopment,” affirms Gaidhar.
Redevelopment involves immense collaboration between professionals. “These awards celebrate and call attention to how diverse and how complex the depths of the team you might need for a redevelopment,” says Lui.
To learn more, visit cicba.ca.
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