CentreCity

Spring Clean in Chinatown

(Calgary Chinatown photo by D'arcy Norman)

We bet you didn't know there's an annual "I Love Chinatown" Spring Cleanup in the Centre City...but if you did, then high fives to you - roll up your sleeves and chip in, if you will! Organizers are still looking for volunteers and to get the message out to Chinatown residents that this is happening on Saturday, April 30th.

There will also be a recycling station set up at the Impark lot across the street from CCCSA (Calgary Chinese Community Service Association - #1, 128 - 2nd Ave. SW) this year. This will provide residents with a chance to drop off their recyclable materials. They'll take anything that would normally go in The City's blue bins - between 10 - 2 pm. 

To find out what goes into our blue carts, you can click here for English details and here for Chinese. 

 

 

Dumpster-Free Laneways

Commercial dumpsters: they're a staple part of just about every alley shot in movies set in any big city. Some want to clear the path and see Calgary lanes and back alleys free of dumpsters, thereby making safer, more inviting areas to pass through.

The idea was first proposed to council in 2007 and you can read a bit of background about that pilot project here. That project was deemed a success, though the future is uncertain because of the costs. There's an article in this week's Calgary Herald about the matter which you can find here.

 
(A Centre City alley.)

Lorna Wallace is with the Clean to the Core program with the Centre City Implementation team. She says her team is continuing to explore options to keep alley ways safe and clean and walkable. Already, they have done much work with businesses in the Centre City to maintain their properties.

Wallace says, "That not only includes their dumpsters but also graffiti abatement, parking issues and related cleanliness (storage areas, small litter bins-ashtrays, etc) and safety - for example, creating safe egress, ensuring exits aren’t blocked."

She explains that in the Clean to the Core program the business revitalization zones, such as the Calgary Downtown Association, run a program called Wipe out Graffiti, which has been met with great success. 

 
(Looking through a parking lot into a Centre City laneway.)

Lorna Wallace says,  there are many projects we can look forward to seeing to help keep our alley ways clean and safe. She indicated that the Centre City Implementation team is looking at opportunities to incorporate some new lighting strategies and is also exploring the idea of having street hockey tournaments in an alley.

She notes, "Further, the opportunity for lighting, music or entertainment is always on the table." That means your ideas are always welcome - we'd love to hear if you have any thoughts on how to make those spaces more inviting. 

Sometimes business are taking matters into their own hands - either intentionally or not! Have you heard about Charcut (101, 899 Centre Street SW see Connie of Top Chef Canada fame - go Connie!) and their so-called "alley burgers"?

The only way to find out about which night they're selling these much-coveted tasty morsels of meaty goodness is by following them on Twitter or Facebook to watch for their day-of announcements. Then, may the burger force be with you - you have to get there, line up, and hope with all your might that you will be one of the lucky ones to buy one of their mouth-watering burgers. You can read a full report on the Charcut alley burger here.

 

(Charcut alley burger lineup photo by mastermaq)

What a great way to take back our alleys, right? This is brilliance, trapped in one tasty little burger bun. Try it out if you haven't already. 

 

 

Poor Vinny

Some people in a +15 watched this man writing his S.O.S. message to the world ...kind of a piece of public art in itself, no? Hold tight, Vinny. It'll go away soon. 

Downtown Vitality Awards

A little pat on our collective back is in order here at the Centre City. Today, the Calgary Downtown Association handed out its Vitality in the Downtown Core Awards and some of our own work was included in the long list of honours.

These awards are handed out each year to businesses, organizations and individuals who make that extra effort to help create a vibrant and thriving core - turning Calgary's downtown into a destination. Here's a list of all of this year's recipients and those in italics are projects directly connected with Centre City Implementation. And congratulations to all of our fellow recipients as well. 

Improvements in Downtown Safety – Constable Mark Kane, Calgary Police Service

Constable Kane has played a leadership role in the success of crime reduction and improved planning for the late night economy in downtown Calgary.

 

Beautifying the Downtown  - Jamieson Place – Bentall LP

In Jamieson Place, the downtown has not only seen a truly beautiful addition to the skyline, but a number of wonderful pieces of art by Dennis Oppenheim and Dale Chilhouli, plus a spectacular Winter Garden. 

Beautifying the Downtown  - Joe Farad’s Do Ra Me Fa Sol La Si Do – Sieben Family, PennWest, Stampede Public Art Committee

The Stampede Public Art Committee is focused on providing beautiful art installations as part of the Stampede Art Trail. With the generous financial support of the Siebens Family, and PennWest Energy, the committee commissioned artist Joe Fafard to create the wonderful family of horses located at the new Calgary Court House Park.

Increasing Downtown Vibrancy – SNOWBLOWER, High Performance Rodeo

This internationally recognized festival brings performers from around the world to light up nearly every venue in the downtown with theatre, dance and music. In 2010, they created the first outdoor dance party called Snowblower, which was free to the public and drew 1,000’s to Olympic Plaza in January.

 

Community Integration and Vibrancy – Heritage Tours, TransAlta Retirees Group

The TransAlta Retirees Group hosts regular tours of the historic buildings in downtown, helping to educate our children, citizens and visitors about Calgary’s heritage.

Streetscape Improvements and Environmental Stewardship – Riverwalk, Calgary Municipal Lands Corporation

The Riverwalk is a wonderful amenity for everyone in Calgary, and the reclamation of the riverbank has a very positive environmental impact. This project is a significant investment in the inner city and the healthy lifestyles we aspire to.

 (RiverWalk image courtesy CMLC)

Streetscape Improvements – Olympic Plaza Temporary Art Installations, Parks 100 year celebration

The City of Calgary Parks Department celebrated its 100^th anniversary in 2010 in many wonderful ways but one that resonated very well with people downtown were the temporary art installations in Olympic Plaza.

Community Partnerships – Community Gardens, Standard Life Assurance Company of Canada

Standard Life embraced our community garden initiative and involved their staff and tenants in the Standard Life Building by growing seedlings, planting and caring for a group of planters on the +15 at their location

Urban Design Excellence – Fifth and Fifth, GWL Reality Advisors, Kasian Architecture

The redevelopment of Fifth and Fifth building started out with a wonderful modern, clean design, and has resulted in a significant improvement to the public realm from the sidewalk through to the building exterior, the lighting and the lobby. 

Urban Design Excellence – Hotel Le Germain , Groupe Germain Hospitality

There is a lot of focus being directed to multipurpose buildings and increased density in the inner city.  A wonderful example of a successful implementation and a great addition to the downtown is Hotel Le Germain, complete with residential, hotel, office and commercial space.

Heritage Preservation – Fashion Central, Encorp Management

Fashion Central, on Stephen Avenue Walk, completed in 2010, combines a number of buildings in an elegant and hip fashion. It brings out the very best in the historical bones of the buildings with a modern feel and provides a unique retail experience.

  

Take a Walk With Jane

It's safe to say we're pretty much into spring now, right? We've officially put away our winter boots, faux fur hats... and now that we're starting to see more foot and bike traffic in the Centre City thanks to the snow melt, it means people are also able to take more time to make the most of all of the wonderful pathways, architecture, and public art out there. 

We want to tell you about a wonderful way to get reacquainted with that city that was formerly covered in snow and ice. Jane's Walk first began in May of 2007 - the idea was to honour and celebrate renowned thinker, urbanist and author, Jane Jacobs. Her ideas about building for usability and approachability will forever be regarded as revolutionary. Worldwide, community walks are now held in her name so that people can explore their neighborhoods and meet their neighbors - Jane Jacobs-style. 

This year on May 7th and 8th, several Jane's Walks are planned in Calgary (and there's even an early bird Jane's Walk planned on May 5th - for details, click here). The walks located in the Centre City are what particularly piqued our interests. Tours with titles like, "Calgary's Oldest, Newest, Coolest Community: East Village", "From Sandstone to Skyscrapers", "The Calgary That Could Have Been", and much more - are all led by enthusiastic guides. 

Why not explore our Centre City a little next weekend? Just a few hours wandering around town could make all the difference in how you view your home turf. For a full listing of the planned Calgary Jane's Walks, click here. And there's even a Jane's Walk app if you're iPhone-friendly. 

If you happen to take part in any of these walks, please do let us know - we'd love to hear your thoughts about how it all went down, after the fact. 

*photo credit: dms_cab 

2012 - Our Year to Celebrate!

We here in the Centre City have our gazes firmly fixed on the calendar because 2012 is shaping up to be a remarkable year for Calgary. And news this week that Calgary City Council will increase funding (it's $2 million dollars now) to Calgary's 2012 Cultural Capital of Canada bid is sweetening that pot immensely.

We told you about the city's pitch to celebrate culture on a national platform earlier this year - click here for that story. Now, we're anxiously awaiting news as to whether or not we will win that bid. October is said to be the month we'll find out out. But in the meantime, we have so many other cultural celebrations we're gearing up for in that same year. 2012 marks the centennial anniversary of the Calgary Stampede, City of Calgary Recreation, the Calgary Public LIbrary,  the Pumphouse Theatre and the Grand Theatre. 

(Girl Talk photo taken at Sled Island 2010 by JanuaryLark - just one of the many examples of a great cultural event hosted by Calgary) 

$333,000 will be made available to the 2012 Steering Committee for cultural celebrations right away. More great news is that the $667,000 which was committed by Council in June of last year is no longer contingent upon federal funding. An additional $1 million dollars in funding will be provided for programs (pending presentation in December to the Community Services and Protective Services Committee). And a request for another $1 million dollars will be made to the province to match the City's $1M. 

Our name is on 2012 to be the cultural capital - it's the perfect time to show Canada and the rest of the world all that we have to offer. Calgary is brimming with culture and creativity - we want to be *THE* destination for everyone during that hugely significant year. 

To read more about the 2012 bid, click here. 

 

Are You up For a Film Race?

Here's your assignment: You've got 24 hours to make a 4 minute long film. Do you have what it takes? Do you have a crack team of good actors, key grips, directors, and a story that must be told? The 24 hour film race is an international competition and Calgary's taking part in it. They're still looking for entries and it's all happening on April 29-30th. For event registration and information, click here. And if you'd like to check out some of the past Calgary winning entries click here.

This is a great way to show off our city (Centre City, if you please!) to the rest of the world so if you're a fledgling Ferrelly brother or sister, please do sign up. 

Here's one we found from 2010 - a Brooklyn entry - that gave us a good laugh. Check it out when you have a few minutes: 

 

13th Avenue Heritage Greenway

 
The 13th Avenue Heritage Greenway is an exciting project here in the Centre City. It's an "emerald necklace," a special corridor for pedestrians and other users that will one day link Macleod Trail S.E. to 17 Street S.W.

Phase 1 is what is being worked on right now, it's from 1 Street S.E. to 4 Street S.W. Last night, The City held its construction open-house. It was a chance to inform neighbours on the construction portion and what exactly is happening.

For one, a water main upgrade will happen first. Then, the sidewalk and street level will be improved with a wider boulevard and a new pathway on the north side of the avenue. New sidewalks, curbs, gutters, pathway and street lighting, trees, landscaping, benches, bicycle racks and heritage elements will also be added.

It's going to be a real makeover! See the "after" renderings on the top and the "before" images on the bottom:

 

For more on this, Global's Tony Tighe did a story on it last night, see that below. You can also view the project webpage.

Next up, digging will begin shortly. If you happen to be in the area, be sure to take a photo and send it through to centre.city@calgary.ca We may post them here - or use them later when we write about the project.

 

A Closer Look at Calgary's Arts Organizations

(Sled Island Festival photo - taken from 2009 - photo by Punchyy)

Calgary Arts Development has just released an in-depth paper which examines our city's creative organizations - what they do for us - and what we do for them. It's a collection of data from over 160 different arts groups in Calgary and you can read all about what they found, here.

Interestingly, it is pointed out in the report's introduction, this kind of examination of Calgary's not-for-profit arts organizations has never been done before. In a city that is proud of its big-crowd-drawing festivals and productions, its exhibitions, creative camps, and outreach programs, this is an important closer look.  

But in case you're impatient and just want the nuts and bolts; here now, taken from Calgary Arts Development's website, are the key findings in their 51 page white paper: 

Over 2.6 million people attend a multitude of arts events in Calgary from theatre, dance and opera to gallery exhibitions, concerts, film screenings and literary readings;

The non-profit arts sector employs close to 9,000 administrators and artists, making it one of the largest "employers" in Calgary;

In 2009, over 20,000 people spent over 600,000 hours volunteering for arts organizations. That's over 50,000 hours per month and a 23% increase in less than 5 years;

Total recorded attendance at arts education activities in 2009 was just over 1 million;

The total revenue of arts organizations was $103 million; and

Every dollar invested in arts organizations by The City of Calgary in 2009 was leveraged to $27.

The Centre City has always been a proud home to so many of the arts organizations outlined in this paper and we're eager to keep those groups flourishing. This information gathered  by Calgary Arts Development is significant because it helps all Calgarians see just how important it is to continue to invest in and support local arts groups. We want to keep the Centre City vibrant and arts organizations are a key part of that mission. 

Double Duty Proposal

(photo by erlucho)

Here's something on the City agenda this week that we thought you might be interested in: more available cabs, fewer fire hydrants being illegally blocked.

The City Transportation Department will present a plan at Wednesday's Land Use, Planning and Transportation meeting, to allow taxis to park in front of fire hydrants in the downtown core. That could mean freeing up more parking (previously being used by taxis), remedy the problem of others parking where they shouldn't (at fire hydrants) and more taxis being available to get more of us moving in and out of the Centre City. 

To read the story from The Calgary Herald, click here. 

And then check back here to leave us a comment - let us know what you think of the proposal.