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Riverwalk to offer glimpse into future of East Village |
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BY RICHARD CUTHBERTSON November 5, 2010
It's being called a future jewel of Calgary: a gloomy and desolate pathway along the Bow River refashioned into a charming downtown haven. On Saturday, Calgarians will get their first chance to enjoy the transformation of a once-derelict East Village shoreline into an expansive -- and safer -- pedestrian and cycling promenade. The RiverWalk project represents a central cog in the rebirth of an area best known for neglect, crime and vacant lots, but which is being redeveloped under the authority of the Calgary Municipal Land Corp. "This will be a real jewel for all of Calgary," land corporation CEO Chris Ollenberger said. "It really does intend to link a number of different neighbourhoods." After two seasons of construction at a cost of $10 million, the narrow paths are gone, replaced by separate bike and pedestrian lanes linked to a plaza that can fit 3,000 people. While a pile of work is underway in the East Village, the completion of RiverWalk is the most tangible hint to date of what striking changes are on the way. Steps have been installed down to the Bow River; boaters and rafters will be able to pull ashore and enjoy the local neighbourhood. The plaza is dotted with benches that will light up at night. It is envisioned as a place where street vendors will congregate, markets will set up, and festivals will be held. There's even the prospect of converting the plaza into an outdoor skating rink in winter. There are public toilets, along with a water fountain that includes spouts for adults, children and, yes, a bowl for the dog filled by stepping on a lever. This is the first phase of RiverWalk, and it stretches about four city blocks, from 3rd Street S.E. to the edge of Fort Calgary land. Eventually, it will elongate to more than four kilometres. Another section, which joins to Centre Street, will be completed next summer, and there are plans to extend the RiverWalk system all the way to south Stampede. All told, the land corporation has spent more than $85 million on reforming the East Village, much of it on infrastructure, with more to come. The entire RiverWalk system will cost roughly $22 million. Costs, including RiverWalk, will be recouped entirely through the property taxes of residents who move into the renovated neighbourhood. Ollenberger envisions one side of the plaza lined with coffee shops and the like, with residences above. There could even be a boutique hotel. Lemons have even been turned into lemonade -- storm water outflows are now topped with observation decks. The railings light up at night, and tiny pieces of glass mixed into the pavement glow. RiverWalk can't come soon enough, judging by the response of passersby who got a glimpse of the project Thursday through the construction fencing. It will be quite a change from the rocks and weeds here before, according to Marlborough resident Dave Philipiew, a 67-year-old retiree who bikes in the downtown regularly. "The transformation is going to be quite unique," he said. RiverWalk might also give the downtown a much-needed bump after work hours, said Phil Kube, who works in the core. "After 5 o'clock, very often it's just a ghost town," he said. "The more that it is redeveloped like this, the more positive it is for people. Perhaps it will help to bring more folks back into the downtown area." A central feature of River-Walk is lighting: it's plentiful, changes colour and is designed at a pedestrian scale. It's part and parcel of improving safety in the area, Ollenberger said. "There's no dark caves for people to hide in," he said. Building the plaza meant spending roughly $1 million just on reclaiming an area that suffered decades worth of environmental abuse. During its history, East Village has housed a battery recycler, tanners and an incinerator. They have left a dirty legacy. Fewer than 10 centimetres under the old pathway, workers pulled up two truckloads of forklift batteries, Ollenberger said. Asbestos-ridden wallboard was hauled out, as were a vast array of toxins and metals. The revitalization of the East Village also includes infrastructure upgrades, new streetscapes and restored heritage buildings. The goal is to prepare the land for the master plan, which involves developers building an "urban village," replete with stores, residences and recreation. Completing the RiverWalk now provides a gateway to Fort Calgary, a heritage site important to Calgary, but which sits today in an awkward spot on the edge of downtown. Construction along the pathway system and in the area has pushed down the numbers of visitors to Fort Calgary, according president and CEO Sara Gruetzner. There's no question RiverWalk will now draw more people, with hopes the whole redevelopment of the East Village will turn the fort and its green space into a kind of Central Park in Calgary. "It's physically now connecting us into the city," Gruetzner said. "A transition from here into downtown along the RiverWalk will be wonderful." rcuthbertson@calgaryherald.com
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