Construction has officially begun on a new 13-storey rental apartment building in Calgary's East Village, marking another step forward in the neighbourhood's decades-long transformation. Developer Slokker Homes held a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday for Vibe, a mixed-use tower that will add 218 rental homes and six retail storefronts to the burgeoning downtown community.
Located at 616 7th Ave. S.E., the highrise is slated for occupancy in 2028. It will offer a mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom suites, ranging from 450 to 670 square feet, which will be offered at market rates. The development sits directly across from a playground, community garden, off-leash dog park, and new pickleball courts, adding to the suite of amenities for new and existing residents.
Vibe is Slokker Homes’ third project in the area and is considered the second phase of its Q Block investment, following the completion of the Verve condo tower in 2019. The two buildings are positioned on either side of the “Riff,” a pedestrian corridor that enhances the walkability of East Village. On-site amenities for Vibe will include a dog wash and bike wash, as well as indoor and outdoor common spaces on the second and third floors.
Milad Kondori, a project manager with Slokker Homes, called the project a “landmark development” for the city and a “thoughtfully designed building” that will bring contemporary urban living to the heart of East Village. “That makes Vibe a true destination for a mixed-use building where people can gather, shop and connect,” Kondori said.
A 'critical mass' of development
The project is part of a larger wave of investment injecting new life into the district. Vibe is one of five major developments breaking ground in East Village this year, representing a combined capital investment of $700 million. Kate Thompson, president and CEO of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), said the flurry of activity signals renewed confidence from the development sector, especially in the wake of the pandemic.
“This is the biggest investment in East Village since the pandemic, and we’re really starting to see some activity happening and bringing more residents, more vibrancy to the street, more people using our parks and spaces, more people using our retail, and also new retail added to the mix,” Thompson says.
The first of these five projects, Bankside Properties’ six-storey Library Square, began construction in January. The other developments starting this year include the six-storey Lyric building by Ayrshire Group, the nine-storey Edgewater project by Trico Communities, and a five-floor hotel led by local developer Truman. Together, these five projects will deliver approximately 600 new housing units and 132 hotel rooms to the neighbourhood.
Building a community from the ground up
The recent construction boom is a significant move toward fulfilling the vision laid out in the 2007 East Village Master Plan. The plan, developed by CMLC, imagined a dense, vibrant, and diverse inner-city community with a target population of 11,500 residents. Currently, the population sits at less than half of that goal, but the new additions are set to accelerate that growth.
For years, revitalization has been changing the face of the neighbourhood, which was once one of Calgary’s most neglected districts. The area is now home to architectural landmarks like the Central Library and Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre. Its riverfront pathways and growing number of shops and patios have made it a destination for all Calgarians. This growth addresses Calgary's pressing need for more housing, an issue recently highlighted by city-wide debates over zoning, such as the now-repealed blanket rezoning bylaw. For instance, Miami restaurateurs are building workforce housing above Wynwood restaurants, providing more options for Calgarians seeking an urban lifestyle. By adding hundreds of new rental units near the city core, these developments provide more options for Calgarians seeking an urban lifestyle.
When we did some research into who we thought would be attracted to live here, we coined the term urban explorer. It was really somebody who had the attitude of wanting to live downtown, wanting to have accessibility to the rivers, to downtown offices and to what East Village could avail. And that has proven out over the past 18 years.. (but we also) do see some strollers. We see some young families down here.
An evolving demographic
While the initial vision for East Village targeted “urban explorers” like young professionals and empty nesters, Thompson notes that the community is increasingly attracting a different demographic: young families. The prevalence of strollers on the sidewalks and the busy playground are testaments to the neighbourhood's evolving identity.
As cities across the country grapple with how to manage growth and transportation, East Village's development offers a localized example of creating a dense, walkable urban centre. Similar conversations are happening in other major centres, like in Toronto, where officials are considering the implications of new technologies on urban life, as noted with doubts about robot-taxis.
With construction underway on Vibe and other projects, East Village is moving closer to realizing its full potential as a complete, family-friendly community. The addition of nearly 600 new homes will not only boost the local population but also enhance the vibrancy and sustainability of Calgary's downtown core for years to come.
