Calgary council approves development plan for site of former SW high school

Calgary’s mayor and councillors were kept past closing time at city hall Tuesday night.

After a public hearing lasting several hours, council approved a controversial redevelopment plan in Richmond.

Council voted 9-5 in favour of a revised plan submitted by Minto Communities at the site of the former Viscount Bennett High School.

The housing developer, which bought the land in 2023, is proposing 1,200 to 1,500 units, mostly in buildings between four and six storeys tall.

However, Minto’s plans include three towers reaching as high as 16 storeys — roughly half the height they were initially proposed at two years ago.

Council heard from at least 40 Calgarians, with opponents arguing local traffic will become worse.

“If Minto gains access to the site via 33 Avenue, homeowners will be shocked by hundreds of vehicles passing right by their front windows every day,” one man said. “Loud, obnoxious, and dangerous.”

Kevin Widenmaier, president of the Richmond-Knob Hill Community Association, says the plan is still far too dense for the area, and fails to address local traffic problems and infrastructure concerns.

Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott says the city is focused on addressing the housing crisis.

“Habits in our city, traffic changes, they don’t change overnight, they take time, they take time to shift, and our accommodations have to take that time accordingly,” he said. “If we think that one day we’re just going to pop a building up somewhere and people are just going to change their habits immediately, and that’s the only acceptable outcome, that’s not realistic and honestly not fair for anyone.”

Meantime, the demolition of the old school continues.

A statement from Minto says it hopes the site will provide benefits for current and future residents.