Louise Station project details
The Louise Station development project, located at the northeast corner of Fourth Ave and Eighth St SW within the Eau Claire community. The development is a two-storey podium building with two separate high-rise towers; the east tower containing 88 affordable housing units and the west tower containing 116 market housing units and 3 floors of office space. A Firehall and Alberta Emergency Health Services (EHS) station along with two commercial retail spaces is included in the west tower.
For more information on Louise Station:
Completion Dates:
Affordable Housing Tower - Winter 2010
Fire/AHS EMS Station - Spring 2010
Market Tower - Fall 2010
Development Team:
City of Calgary, Land Development and Sales
Alberta Emergency Health Services
Architect: GEC Architecture
Construction Project Manager: ITC
Fire and EMS Services
Growth in the downtown has created an immediate need for a west downtown Fire and Alberta Emergency Health Services (EHS) station. The two existing downtown Fire stations were operating at over capacity, and two new stations were needed to serve the current downtown population, as well as to prepare for the anticipated larger densities resulting from population growth.
The location of Louise Station was identified as the only immediately available site that met the Fire and AHS EMS location criteria with adequate access and exiting options (see 
Fire and Alberta Emergency Health Services routing map).
Traffic flow & Congestion
Access and egress into the Fire and Alberta EHS station occurs via eighth St SW. The designated fire route runs southbound on eighth St SW and allows for direct one-way eastward access to fifth Ave SW and one-way westward access to sixth Ave SW. Third Ave SW is not a designated fire route. However, Fire, AHS and EMS will go where they are called to go. Signalization with Opticom technology allows for the fluid movement of emergency vehicles from the site to the desired destinations.
The remaining roads within the Eau Claire community will not be impacted or altered physically to accommodate the development with the exception of eighth St SW which has been converted to two-way traffic between fourth Ave SW and sixth Ave SW.
Noise due to Fire and Alberta EHS Services
The Calgary Fire Department and Alberta EHS enacts noise abatement programs at the new location. Vehicle sirens are activated only when necessary for as short a period. The pre-empting of traffic signals prior to the departure of the fire engines and EHS vehicles prevent the need for siren use.
Pedestrian Safety
When a Fire or EHS vehicle is required to navigate the residential streets within the community of Eau Claire, standard operating procedure require that great care and caution be taken to ensure the safety of pedestrians.
Affordable Housing
The creation of affordable housing has been an important priority for The City of Calgary for the past several years. Since 2002, City Council has had a target of realizing 200 additional units of affordable housing per year.
The new 88 non-market housing units in Louise Station will be operated by the Calgary Housing Company (CHC).
The apartments provide homes for working singles, couples, families and individuals with mobility challenges. Being in close proximity to public transit, shops and services, and potential employment opportunities, the units are well located to serve the needs of residents.
Mixed-income Model
The goal of the mixed-income model is to merge market housing with non-market housing. In doing so, affordable housing is both physically and visibly integrated into the community. Research has proven that the integration of market with non-market housing provides a balance of income levels and lifestyles, enriching the overall community.
The aspiration is to achieve an appropriate balance in both housing types and incomes to provide an appropriate mix and to avoid concentrating certain types of housing.
Building Heights and Shadowing
The total height of the market tower, including roof top mechanical and parapet is approximately 69m (22 stories). In relation to the potential overshadowing of adjacent buildings, the proposed height of the two towers conforms to the Sun Shadow Guidelines as outlined in the Eau Claire Area Redevelopment Plan and Land Use Bylaw.
Parking Availability
The impact of this specific project on parking availability in the community is limited. The development contains four levels of underground parking to address needs of the Fire and EHS departments as well as the residential tenants.
The residential parking permits/passes are intended for single family, semi-detached, triplexes, rowhouses, fourplexes, etc. They are not intended for apartments as these buildings are designed to contain all their parking requirements on-site.