HISTORIC BUILDING’S RED-BRICK STYLE WON’T BE CHANGED
Developer that bought Bannerman Block mainly focusing on renovating the interior
After news that the Bannerman Block in the 2300 block of 4th Street S.W. had been purchased by a developer, concern spread on social media that the historic Mission District building would be torn down to make way for a more modern structure.
But Jim Mitchell, president of Calgary developer Certus Developments that purchased the building, is renovating the interior space but will keep the 1911 red-brick exterior to preserve its historic character.
What will change is the retail frontage, where Lululemon is relocating its shop from the corner of 17th Avenue into what will be a generous space, doubled in size with the addition of a new construction in the rear of the building.
Mitchell says he looks for his developments to be leased before construction begins, giving tenants the chance to be involved in the design to better fit their requirements.
And Certus looks for neighbours that complement each other.
Lululemon expressed a desire for its customers to have a fitness studio close by, and Mitchell and local Lululemon area director Lindsay White- O’Neil worked together to attract Barry’s Bootcamp in leasing the lower levels of the Bannerman Block.
Barry’s Bootcamp has international high-intensity workout studios across the U.S. and in Europe, the Middle East and Australia. Its first Canadian studio opened in Toronto and its second will open shortly in Vancouver.
Its entry into the Calgary market will offer a first-class studio with 16 treadmills and 20 benches, spacious locker-rooms and a Fuel Bar for protein shakes.
Above the retail floor, Calgary designer Nam Dang-Mitchell is creating three stylish, furnished apartments with a common large outdoor patio area.
The Bannerman Block will reflect the planning and quality that has earned Certus such an enviable reputation among Calgary developers.
Chairman Ron Ghitter and Mitchell did their first project together in 1989 and have been business partners since 1994.
The company is run like a family business relying on a tight group of contractors, including Dang-Mitchell for interior design, David Lam of Meiga for construction and architect Steven Ho.
Other developments currently underway or planned include the Spider Block on 14th Street S.W., named after the huge spider mascot that once sat on the site of the former Mechanics Garage shop and now graces the roof of the Starbucks a little to the north.
Certus will move its head office into the fourth floor of the new 36,000-square-foot building that is under construction. Fully leased, the main floor retail will include a relocation of Our Daily Bread, a pharmacy and a fitness concept. A financial firm will occupy the second floor and the third has been leased as a surgical centre.
The same team is responsible for interior design and construction, but Bao Nhan of McKinley Burkart is lead architect.
Also under construction is a new 6,500-square-foot, singlestorey location for Cattle Baron Steakhouse in Certus Development’s Royal Oak Park shopping centre in the northwest.
Also in the northwest sector, one of the first developments that Certus completed — Northland Plaza in 1995 — will soon welcome a new single-storey, free-standing restaurant on the south side of the landscaped area across from Starbucks.
NOTES:
■ Calgary-based NovAtel has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to design, produce and deliver 40 next-generation Ground Uplink Station signal generators to support the FAA’s safety of life WAAS navigation service. The WAAS network allows aircraft to use the U.S. GPS for all phases of flight. Every time an aircraft takes off or lands within the WAAS coverage area, NovAtel technology is generating and processing data that allows aviators to make precision approaches to any airport.
■ RJC Engineers believes in developing local talent. The three new promotions in its structural engineering group — Mark Ritchie to principal and Geoff Kallweit and Kyle Schonknecht to associates — are all graduates of the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering.