Arriva and cancelled Arriva 42, etc.

The luxury-class Arriva One tower was completed and occupied in 2008 (NE corner of the block) with construction cancelled early in 2009 for a second tower, Arriva 42 (SW corner of the block). A third tower planned for the north-west corner of the site had already been cancelled by Torode late in 2008 due to the slower real estate market, and that location was to become a 10-storey boutique hotel, then also cancelled with Torode Residential's bankruptcy. The second residential tower, Arriva 42, was to be Alberta's tallest residential tower at 44 floors--they must have added a couple of floors after naming it.

The Herald reported in March of 2010 that Nicholas Hon of Jager Homes became owner of the balance of the Arriva city block of land after Torode's receivership, and planned two skyscraper "Hon Towers" in a couple of years. In 2011 the first of those appeared about to proceed as The Guardian condominium tower; see my Condo Directory entry under that name.

John Torode and his Torode Residential Ltd. intended to lead redevelopment of the old east Victoria Park neighbourhood. The company also had Viva Condos planned for two blocks east of Arriva plus five other projects to the west, but all have been cancelled. Yet Arriva One overlooks extensive new construction on the Stampede grounds and the new owners of some former Torode-owned land are already at their drawing boards. East Victoria Park won't be reverting to the sad old neighbourhood that it was when John Torode first strode in.

To recall a prouder earlier past, where Arriva become known as the Warehouse District. Nearby, the multi-block "Railtown" is to be built--eventually--on a half dozen city blocks to the east and abutting the rail lines to the north; see my Condo Directory entry for Railtown. This is also where the province now owns land that's set aside for Calgary's terminus of the proposed high-speed rail link with Edmonton (will I live that long?).

The one completed Arriva tower has a brick-clad low-rise "podium" with retail services to fit in with nearby older warehouse buildings such as the original Ribtor hardware store and the site retains the historic frame-built Bungalow School and the Sandstone School, once known as Victoria Park Elementary. Arriva (One) Condos is entirely high-end; you'll see floor-to-ceiling aqua-tinted windows, overheight ceilings, hardwood, granite, and only the best appliances. Of course most suites have fabulous views.

Arriva (we'll now drop the "One") houses 164 suites in its 34 floors, ranging from 818-square-foot one-bedroom palaces to 2,799-square-foot penthouses fit for Donald Trump or at least Ivana. Ceilings for most suites are barely short of nine feet high, while on floors 29, 33, and 34 they're 11 feet high. There's a spacious lobby and common property on the main floor. The commercial spaces along Twelfth Avenue and Olympic Way are not part of the condominium corporation. There are 270 titled parking stalls for condo owners in a three-level parkade that starts below a level of parking allocated to commercial functions in the podium. The surplus of parking means that 106 homeowners at Arriva have two stalls, and a handfull of stalls are already end-to-end double spaces.

When Hon Towers are built they will operate as an independent condo corporation(s). Exterior windows and doors at Arriva are common property. I keep on file all of Arriva's floor plans and the (very large) Condo Plan.