Calgary planning commission approves 343-unit mixed-use development in Marda Loop
The planning commission voted 6-1 Thursday to approve the Marc and Mada Block project at 33rd Avenue and 20th Street S.W., which will include a Calgary Co-op grocery store and residential units.
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Calgary's planning commission voted 6-1 on Thursday to approve a development permit for a mixed-use project that will reshape a corner of Marda Loop. The Marc and Mada Block, named after the founders of the former Marda Theatre that once stood on the site, will bring 343 new homes to the 1.76-acre block at 33rd Avenue and 20th Street S.W.
The project partners Calgary Co-op, Truman Homes, and Liberty Housing Organization. It will include a roughly 26,000-square-foot Co-op grocery store at ground level, along with 11,265 square feet of additional retail and restaurant space. Above will be residential units ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments, with 17 units designated as below-market-rate housing — about 5 per cent of the total.
The development includes three towers facing different streets: a 6-storey tower on 33rd Avenue and two towers on the remaining sides reaching 19 and 11 storeys, configured in an L-shape. A four-level underground parkade will provide 588 parking stalls — 127 for the grocery store and 461 for residents — plus 244 bike stalls.
The approval required an amendment removing rooftop amenities that would have exceeded the maximum height allowed under the zoning district and city's land-use bylaw. Jacob Weber, a planning commission member, noted that height limits in direct-control districts cannot be relaxed. The city council supported rezoning for the site last summer.
How many of the 343 units are expected to be rented versus owned?
What timeline was the developer given to begin construction?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
At a glance
Where is the Marc and Mada Block being built?
The Marc and Mada Block is located at 33rd Avenue and 20th Street S.W. in Calgary's Marda Loop neighbourhood.
How many homes will the Marc and Mada Block add?
The project will bring 343 new residential units to the site, ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments.
What retail will be included in the development?
A roughly 26,000-square-foot Calgary Co-op grocery store will occupy the ground level, along with 11,265 square feet of additional retail and restaurant space.
What changed to get the project approved?
The planning commission required removal of rooftop amenities that would have exceeded the maximum height allowed under zoning regulations, since height limits in direct-control districts cannot be relaxed.
