Calgary Co-op and local developer Truman plan to develop twin multi-residential towers in the Marda Loop area.

The partners have filed a development application with the city to redevelop a roughly two-acre property at 2103 33rd Avenue S.W. The proposed high-density, mixed-use community hub would include two 19-storey towers and a pair of eight-storey buildings.

The towers’ building heights would establish new records for the area and, according to CBC, exceed the Marda Loop’s six-storey limit.

The proposed $400-million Marc and Mada Block project calls for the demolition of an aging strip mall on the property bounded by 33rd Avenue S.W., and 20th Street S.W.

If all goes according to plan, Calgary Co-op and Truman will develop a total of 495 multi-residential suites, including 50 affordable units in partnership with Liberty Housing Organization. Most of the units would be condominiums, while some rental homes would also be included.

The project would also contain a new Calgary Co-op grocery store and retail and commercial spaces.

David White, a consultant with CivicWorks representing Calgary Co-op and Truman, says the unique size and location of the site presented an opportunity for bold planning.

“It’s on a very large, unique site,” David White, a consultant with CivicWorks representing Calgary Co-op and Truman, told CBC. “It’s not too often that you find an inner-city established community of this size and scale and this kind of location. So it’s an opportunity to do pretty significant scale density.”

The Marc and Marda Block project name pays homage to the founders of the former Marda theatre that once stood in the neighbourhood. The theatre opened in 1952 but was sold a decade later and ultimately shut down in 1988.

Since launching an on-site engagement centre at the soon-to-be-demolished strip mall, the development team has received feedback from approximately 400 community members, according to CBC.

“It’s been a really balanced conversation,” White told CBC, adding that many residents are looking forward to the redevelopment and the return of a grocery store.

Concerns, however, have been raised over the height of the towers and how construction will be managed in an area already experiencing rapid transformation, CBC reported.

Bob van Wegen, executive director of the Marda Loop Business Improvement Area, recognizes the project’s potential to enhance the community but acknowledges the debate around building height.

“It’s a big change, it’s a big impact, it’s a big investment into Marda Loop and it certainly is in some ways a real game-changer for the area,” van Wegen told CBC. “We would probably be happy, happier to get all the amenity and a little less height. Is that possible? We’re looking at the whole package and certainly it’s something that the community and city council [are] going to have to discuss.”

With Calgary’s population growing by tens of thousands annually, urban planning experts argue that projects like this are crucial for sustainable growth.

“The question really is about how people are going to confront the reality of a city that’s growing,” said Eliot Tretter, an associate professor of geography at the University of Calgary.

Ward 8 Councillor Courtney Walcott echoed that sentiment, pointing out that Calgary’s reliance on outward sprawl is becoming less viable.

“It’s something normal to expect to see towers start to be proposed in your city, because the widespread sprawl of the city doesn’t fit as much anymore,” Walcott told CBC.

The project is expected to go before city council this year.

Rendering: Calgary Co-op/Truman