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Walking through the former Scotia Centre, it is hard to remember just what it looked like before new owner Slate Asset Management went ahead with its $30-million renovation project.
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Major task was in relocating the east/west elevators that had always created a barrier wall for those walking into the centre from the mall. Today, they have been tastefully redesigned to take shoppers in a south/north direction, allowing for a much easier flow-through of pedestrian traffic.
And the old, crowded food court is no more, replaced with comfortable seating with easier access to Tim Hortons.
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Leasing of all of the available retail spaces over the three floors has been awarded to Taurus Property Group. Its vision, according to senior partner Bernie Bayer, is to create a destination retail centre, although already 30,000 people pass through each working day.
Newer tenants include Social Beer Haus next to Hudson’s Bay, Phil & Sebastian, H&R Block and Henry’s Jewellers. Bayer says he is also delighted to renew the lease of the Stephen Avenue Barber Shop in the same location for the past 30 years.
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The avenue level and mezzanine space where Scotiabank had its branch is being renovated into a large-scale restaurant operation by Concorde Group.
Under construction on the main floor, a 380-seat restaurant has been designed by Frank Architecture to offer, under the direction of Concorde’s vice-president culinary operations, J. P. Pedhirney, a fresh, West Coast-style menu. Another 160 seats will be available in the huge outdoor patio wrapping around the mall and 2nd Street S.W.
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The design also includes a private dining room and an Italian West Coast dedicated pasta room.
On the Plus 15 level, the plan is to open a 60-person restaurant featuring Concorde’s Greatest Hits — food offerings from the best of the group’s 20 food and beverage operations around the city.
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Concorde Group has such a huge presence in Stephen Avenue Place already. Goro + Gun, its 150-seat Japanese noodle bar, is located on the second level of the shopping floors while National on 8th on the +30 level also sports Western Canada’s largest rooftop patio.
Concorde’s latest venture is the recently opened, and super successful Major Tom on the 40th floor of the office tower.
Aly Lalani and his team at Colliers International have undertaken the responsibility of leasing the remaining 15,000-square-foot, column-free office floors and currently have only 32 to 39 available plus smaller pockets throughout the tower and the remainder of the 40th not taken up by Major Tom that affords spectacular views looking down and across the city.
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Slate commissioned Zeidler Architecture to redesign the public spaces of the centre as well as a comfortable tenant lounge and games room that includes basketball, pool table, ping pong and TV screens, open for all tenants of the office tower with an access card.
Other new amenities Slate is offering to its office tenants spread over the 4th floor of the tower include a 4,500-square-foot conference centre, full kitchen, well-equipped gym with lockers and showers, and a spin cycle studio.
Lucas Manuel, a partner at Slate Asset Management, says, “We acquired Stephen Avenue Place in 2018 because we recognized the potential of this important downtown location. Slate is thrilled to have transformed it into a vibrant new destination. We are proud investors in Calgary and continue to believe in the resilience of the city and are very encouraged by the uptick and sentiment we’re seeing across the market.”
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BMO Financial Group has given $1 million to the Glenbow Museum in support of the campaign to reimagine its future.
Glenbow Reimagined is about creating a foundation for a vibrant, thriving cultural resource in the heart of Calgary, that serves all Albertans, Canadians and beyond.
Nicholas Bell, Glenbow president and CEO, says, “We are excited to receive this generous gift from our long-time supporter. Their exemplary commitment to funding arts and culture underpins a strategic understanding that access to creativity and innovation benefits everyone.”
In recognition of the donation, the feature exhibition space of the newly renovated Glenbow will be named BMO Hall.
David Parker appears regularly in the Herald. Read his columns online at calgaryherald.com/business. He can be reached at 403-830-4622 or by email at info@davidparker.ca.
Around Town: Renovated Stephen Avenue Place has become a destination retail centre - Calgary Herald
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