Tuxedo Park School future use planning

Tuxedo Park School future use planning

The City of Calgary is conducting a future use and feasibility study to find the best future use for the 2.39 acres site that was formerly the location of the Tuxedo Park School.

Project overview

The City acquired the Tuxedo Park school site after exercising its Right of First Refusal, as directed by the Council, when the Calgary Board of Education decided it no longer needed the site. The City onboarded the school site in December 2022.

The 1920 heritage school and the annex built in 1956 are in very poor condition. With a deep respect for the 1920 heritage school, The City is interested in conserving the historic bungalow school, while the annex will be demolished. Right now, the heritage schoolhouse is being kept in cold storage until a decision is made and funding is available for its conservation.

The City is doing a Future Use Exploration and Feasibility Study to confirm the needs over the next 25 to 30 years for the site and the historic schoolhouse. The study will also tell us what capital improvements are needed to address those needs especially related to the heritage building’s conservation.

Best Future Use

The City is working on the future planning of the entire site and how the 1920 schoolhouse can be conserved for adaptive reuse. What we do know is that this site has great value and potential for Transit Oriented Development. It is currently serviced by Bus Rapid Transit and is in proximity to a future Green Line LRT station. 

This work will take time to complete, and The City will consult with internal interest holders (departments and service lines) and civic partners before communicating the long-term plan to the public. Once the proposed plans are ready for release, we will share them with the community and let community members know if there will be opportunities for engagement.

Project update

The City has finished replacing the roof on the old 1920 school and has reinforced the inside to make sure it's safe before we start tearing down the 1950s annex.

The annex demolition will begin in late June 2025 and is expected to finish by September 2025, depending on the weather. Before we take it down, we'll safely remove any hazardous materials like asbestos and mold.

Once the annex is gone, the area will be covered with gravel until future plans for the site move ahead. The grassy area nearby will be lightly maintained by Parks & Open Spaces so it doesn’t become overgrown and will stay open for public use.

Annex demolition

To make way for the future use of the site, The City has determined that the 1950s annex needs to be demolished. When The City decides to demolish a building there are always questions. The truth is, not all buildings are worth saving. In this instance, this annex building:

  • Is in extremely poor condition
  • Would be costly to renovate, and
  • The future potential reuse or leasing to a third party would not justify that investment.

In addition to the annex, the basketball court will also be demolished because it will continue to deteriorate and will eventually become a safety issue. The funds are available to demolish the 1956 annex and the failing paved areas surrounding the school. Our research supports this decision as the best course of action.

The benefits of this work are to improve the look of the site for the next few years, help ensure the future viability of the 1920 schoolhouse, and remove the hazard created by the continued deterioration of the other facilities.

Heritage significance

The original school built in 1920 is an example of the Bungalow school design. Between 1913 and 1920, the Calgary School Board (governing body at the time) erected a series of "bungalow" schools in response to Calgary's rapid growth. The buildings were intended to be sold and converted into four-unit apartment buildings when larger schools were built. Several of these bungalow schools continue in use today (Cliff Bungalow School is an example).

Tuxedo Park School site is identified by the City’s Heritage group as:

The one- and two-story addition (annex) was constructed in 1956-1957 and has no heritage value as it is based on generic design that could be constructed quickly.

Site overview and location

The site is a 2.39-acre parcel of land on the corner of 1 Street N.E. and 28 Avenue N.E. in the community of Tuxedo Park. The vacant land appraisal is about $8M. The cost to maintain the site as it was purchased from the CBE costs about $28,000. These holding costs will be significantly reduced when the 1956 addition and some concrete areas are demolished. 

Timeline

Investment

The City is investing $400,000 into the Future Use and Feasibility Study for this site. We will use this information to provide information for a budget request in the 2027-2030 budget cycle.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

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This information has no legal status and cannot be used as an official interpretation of the various bylaws, codes and regulations currently in effect. The City of Calgary accepts no responsibility to persons relying solely on this information. Web pages are updated periodically. ​

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