by Philip E. Carr, Past President
We are continuing our discussions and research into options for our community hall. By way of recap, we see four options. These are: 1) minor renovations and improvements to the existing hall; 2) major renovations to the existing hall, including an addition for a boardroom; 3) construction of a new hall elsewhere on our site (such as one of the parking lots), followed by demolition of the current hall and creation of a new parking lot; or 4) demolition of the current hall and construction of a new one in the same location. Each of these options has benefits and drawbacks. As a Board, we are committed to an open process and the essential due diligence. At our January meeting, we had a full tour of the current facility, led by Murray Anderson, our hall Director. This included some lessons about the history of the building and exploring the nooks and crannies. Our March meeting is going to be a road trip to see the new facility built by the CKE Community Association (Chinook Park, Kelvin Grove, Eagle Ridge.)
The Planning Committee has been discussing opportunities with the City to revitalize the intersection of 19th Av and 2nd St NW known as “Balmoral Circus.” Balmoral Circus was designed by William Roland Reader, City of Calgary Superintendent of Parks and Cemeteries from 1913-1942. It is one of two circuses in Calgary that were designed as part of the “City Beautiful” movement (https://maps.calgary.ca/CulturalHistoricalLandscapes/).
The goal of any changes would be to make Balmoral Circus a vibrant area for pedestrians and cyclists. If you would like more information, please contact our Planning Director, Alison Timmins ([email protected]).
