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Calgary Heritage Initiative forums • View topic - Lougheed Building and Grand Theatre news

Lougheed Building and Grand Theatre news

Moderator: newsposter

Lougheed Building and Grand Theatre news

Postby newsposter » Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:46 pm

here is a link to the company that is restoring the Lougheed Building:
http://www.heritageproperty.ca

Here is a link to the promotional leasing material for the Lougheed Block:
http://www.barclaystreet.com/calgary/pd ... final2.pdf

Here is a link to Theatre Junction, new occupant / owner of the Grand Theatre. http://www.theatrejunction.com/
Last edited by newsposter on Sat Jun 17, 2006 2:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Lougheed Block gets first tenant

Postby newsposter » Thu Mar 09, 2006 1:23 pm

The under-renovation Lougheed Building on the corner of 6th Avenue and 1st Street S.W. has secured its first tenant.

The Barclay Street Real Estate team of Mark St. Pierre and Tanja Colasurdo has completed a lease with Rapid Technology , currently housed in Home Tower, to 13,500 square feet -- the sixth-floor and penthouse level. The support service company for oil and gas companies will make a bold cultural statement with its move to the new location in April 2007.

- David Parker, Calgary Herald, March 7, 2006
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Grand Theatre re-opening

Postby newsposter » Thu Mar 09, 2006 1:27 pm

Fast Forward - February 23, 2006

The Grand is grand again
Theatre Junction reclaims Calgary’s neglected historic venue
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/Issues/2006/0223/cover.htm

A new Junction
Company enters the Grand with a fresh vision
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/Issues/2006/0223/cover2.htm
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Postby newsposter » Thu Mar 09, 2006 1:38 pm

A Grand Day: Theatre Junction's Mark Lawes revives Calgary's original stage, and ushers in a new theatrical era

Bob Clark
Calgary Herald

Friday, March 03, 2006

Spotlight

The new Grand will be revealed at a news conference today. The first public peek occurs at Saturday night's opening gala. That event is sold out. The first production, Far Away, opens March 21.

Glenbow photo republished in Calgary Herald:
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For half a century, the Grand Theatre was the heart of Calgary's social, cultural and political life.

Indeed, some say, Calgary would not boast the vibrant cultural scene it enjoys now were it not for the grand old theatre.

Today, a new chapter in the Grand's storied evolution -- from vaudeville stage, to movie theatre to golf facility -- comes full circle as Theatre Junction reveals the results of its two-year, $13-million renovation project that again will make the historic site a focal point of the downtown arts scene.

The same energy and promise that surrounds today's media unveiling, to be followed Saturday by a sold-out opening gala, was felt when the Grand first opened, says University of Calgary historian Donald B. Smith.

"What we're living now is exactly what folks were living in 1912," says Smith, author of the recently published book, Calgary's Grand Story. "It was a superheated economy, with predictions that the population of Calgary would double in 10 years, that it was an unlimited boom which was going to last forever."

Accordingly, he says, "the Grand was built in anticipation of a continuing momentum. It was a showpiece theatre. It was a tremendous addition to the city."

And, says the new Grand's principal architect, Jeremy Sturgess, it was way ahead of its time.

"It was a real visionary piece of urban design for Calgary or anywhere at that time," says Sturgess, "because the theatre was hidden behind the Lougheed Building, as if Calgary's land was too valuable to give a whole site away to a theatre, so you better build an office building to support it, which is the kind of stuff we're doing today.

"Having said that, they built this phenomenal space that was 60 feet wide, 130 feet deep and 54 feet tall -- unencumbered space -- that would be far too extravagant for us to build today as a new theatre."

Such a grand vision matches that of Mark Lawes, the founder and artistic director of Theatre Junction, who chose the Grand as a home for Theatre Junction and spearheaded the fundraising and renovation project.

"The fact that the Grand is coming back now really speaks of this same kind of energy and dream for the future that Calgary has today," Lawes says.

The theatre's return as The Grand: A Culturehouse of Contemporary Performance, as it's more formally titled, will see the extensively renovated space in the 600-block of First Street used as a showcase for the performing arts.

"I see the new Grand as being one of the leading contemporary theatres in the country, as it was in 1912, with a program that includes theatre, dance, music and film," says Lawes. "Really, it's returning the Grand to its original purpose."

When it opened more than nine decades ago, the Grand -- owned by Senator James Lougheed, a prominent Calgary financier and lawyer -- was not only one of the largest and best stages in Canada, but also the first major venue for cultural entertainment in the history of the rapidly growing young city with a population of 50,000.

Calgarians were able to experience the cultural richness of a world that lay beyond the means of most people of the day.

"It becomes Calgary's centre for the performing arts -- that's the only way I can describe it," says Smith.

With a seating capacity of 1,500 and featuring stage, dressing room and other facilities that were state-of-the-art -- not to mention acoustics which compared favourably with those of the leading legitimate vaudeville theatres on the continent -- the Grand played host to some of the greatest names on the entertainment circuits of the day.

Renowned French actress Sarah Bernhardt, Sophie Tucker, Fanny Brice, Ethel Barrymore, Lillie Langtry, the Marx Brothers and Fred Astaire all performed at the Grand, which also lent its stage to political rallies, boxing matches and vaudeville and circus acts.

Essentially, the Grand afforded Calgary what any developing young cultural community requires -- some measure of the excellence that existed beyond its borders and a place to gather socially.

And what held true then, still holds true, says Lawes, whose philosophy for the new Grand involves artists from different disciplines who will create new works while expanding the form of theatre and live performance.

"It's all part of the vision of this building -- about breaking down the barriers between the public and the cultural space. We're trying to bring the whole experience into a contemporary setting," Lawes says.

Yet another integral tenet of the vision for the new Grand is incorporating a much grander perspective by looking far beyond what's happening in Calgary's admittedly vibrant theatre scene.

"A big part of our mandate now is to have local, national and international perspectives and connections," says Lawes. "We're not just inward-looking. We're outward-looking, sharing work from other places here and sharing our work with other places in the country and, indeed, the world.

"The world is becoming a smaller place. We need to understand people and culture from other places -- like they need to understand us. The best way we can do that is to share our art with each other."

Today's unveiling is certain to stir a flood of memories for former Grand patrons and performers, some of whom supported the building fund with their money and will help celebrate the Grand's rebirth Saturday.

"It will be so nice to be able to say, 'It's playing at the Grand,' " says longtime Calgary actor Grant Reddick. "We haven't been able to do that for a long time in Calgary."

By the end of Second World War, the Grand Theatre's salad days were well over. Beginning in 1947, successive renovations of the Grand led to the eventual removal of most of the theatre's original decor as well as the big stage itself (1965). In 1972, the Grand was converted into twin cinemas, dividing the original hall.

Acquired and renovated yet again by Cineplex Odeon in 1983, the theatres re-opened as the Showcase Grand. The side-by-side cinemas had become an up-and-down twin with a combined seating capacity of 1,200 and state-of-the-art sound and projection equipment.

In 1999, Calgary's oldest operating theatre became an indoor golf driving range until, threatened by developers and damaged by fire in 2004, the owner of the Lougheed Block was granted funds by Calgary City Council for the building's salvage and restoration.

That in turn paved the way for the bold $13 million renovation of the venerable theatre housed within it -- and the subsequent Grand renaissance which begins today.

bclark@theherald.canwest.com

© The Calgary Herald 2006
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Barrons kept theatre alive

Postby newsposter » Thu Mar 09, 2006 1:42 pm

Barrons kept theatre alive

Bob Clark
Calgary Herald


Friday, March 03, 2006


As a 16-year-old teenager, Dick Barron worked long hours converting the Grand into a modern motion picture house immediately after his father, Jack, bought the building.

Jack Barron owned and operated the Grand Theatre from 1936 until his death in 1965.

The theatre was subsequently sold by the Barron family to Odeon four years later.

Interior renovations in 1937 included a larger projection booth, the installation of fluorescent lighting -- a recent invention -- a better sound system and additional acoustical improvements.

Among the latter was a bandshell, capable of accommodating a 40-piece orchestra, such as the Calgary Symphony.

"At intermission, the scenery would go up and the bandshell would move forward," Barron says.

The Grand generally featured "B" pictures -- mostly British films from Odeon as well as Westerns with stars such as Gene Autry.

But vaudeville continued to share the bill every evening (except Sunday) as well as Saturday afternoons, as intermission entertainment.

The live shows only dwindled in popularity when the Grand started to show movies with a broader appeal, such as the epochal Jane Russell cleavage flick, The Outlaw, "which had them lined up around the block," Barron recalls.

And not all the action was up on the big screen, either.

After the War, Barron says, "Famous Players was selling popcorn and candy in their theatres -- and we weren't.

"I told my father that we had to get into it, so we bought a big showcase, went to the wholesaler, and bought two boxes of every candy bar there was."

Censorship, both private and public, could play havoc with movie showings at the Grand (and elsewhere), the former cinema manager recalls.

© The Calgary Herald 2006

Note: Jack Barron also developed the Barron Building and it's theatre, the Uptown. http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/calgary ... ner/bb.htm
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Building changed with the times

Postby newsposter » Thu Mar 09, 2006 1:45 pm

Building changed with the times

Calgary Herald

Friday, March 03, 2006

The original theatre, and the building that housed it -- constructed of Medicine Hat brick, sandstone and concrete -- were built in 1911-'12 by contractor L.R. Wardrop at a cost of $600,000 to $700,000.

The theatre occupied the ground floor of the multi-purpose commercial building, known as the Lougheed Block.

The building was owned by a Calgary lawyer, real estate developer, and later federal cabinet minister and senator James Lougheed, grandfather of former Alberta premier Peter Lougheed.

Architectural style was classical commercial; the building's six storeys featured giant pilasters at every second bay and a decorative tin cornice. The theatre itself had an elaborate interior design that included brass rails, velvet curtains, two tiers of private balcony boxes and ornate plaster work.

Renovations to the Grand in 1936, aimed at turning it mainly into a motion picture house, included an overhaul of scenery, props and stage equipment; installation of modern stage lighting; and removal of seats and walls for the construction of a new projection room.

Renovations costing $50,000 were completed in 1947. The modernization included relocation of the box office, addition of new marquee and entrance, new seating and the installation of the first electronic doors in North America.

Interior renovations to the tune of $500,000 in 1965 resulted in the stage and much of the original ornate decor being either encased or removed.

© The Calgary Herald 2006
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Calgary's Grand Story

Postby newsposter » Thu Mar 09, 2006 1:59 pm

Calgary's Grand Story is a book by U of C historian Don Smith that tells the history of Calgary from the viewpoint of the Lougheed Building and Grand Theatre. Timely in the midst of our current 'boom', this book is a testimony to the relationship between built heritage and the soul of our city. Available at bookstores, online booksellers and University of Calgary Press.

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Read more:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/oncampus/weekly/ ... eatre.html
http://www.uofcpress.com/1-55238/1-55238-174-9.html

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Postby newsposter » Wed Aug 09, 2006 1:50 pm

Lougheed Block gets $1M from Ottawa

On August 4 it was announced that the Lougheed Block, home to the Grand Theatre and a commercial building, has received a $1-million grant from the federal government. It was among seven historic commercial properties across the country that will receive a total of $3.46 million.

Link to the government news release:
http://news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.js ... id=231279&

Parks Canada Backgrounder
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LOUGHEED BLOCK, CALGARY, ALBERTA
Heritage Designation

Located at 604 1st Avenue Southwest, Calgary, Alberta, the Lougheed Block was designated a municipal heritage property in 2004, because of its representation of Calgary’s tremendous commercial growth prior to World War One; it is an excellent example of the Chicago Style of commercial architecture; the building served as a major centre of commercial activity for of the twentieth century; and the building was home to some of Alberta’s most important political organizations and business enterprises.

Historical Background and Use

Built between 1911 and 1912 by James MacNeill and David Trainer, the Lougheed Building is a pre-World War One, L-shaped, six-story steel and concrete Chicago Style building clad with brick and limestone. The building was used for office and retail space but has been underutilized for some time and has been at risk since 1998. In 2000 the then property owner obtained permission to demolish and replace the building with a high-rise office tower. The vacant building was minimally maintained over the past decade and suffered fire damage to the elevator penthouse structure in the past year.

Proposed New Use and Its Impact

The Lougheed Block Inc. purchased the building in 2003 and plans to maintain it as a combined office and retail structure. The proposed work includes rehabilitating the north and west façade, some of the interior spaces including the entrance foyer, central staircase, the upper floors, the penthouse and the roof. The pending rehabilitation of the building has already served as a catalyst in the proposed rehabilitation of adjacent buildings.

Estimated Costs and Parks Canada Contribution

Parks Canada’s contribution could be up to $1 million, the maximum allowance contribution, of the $13,334,395 total eligible costs.
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Postby newsposter » Tue Nov 07, 2006 8:01 pm

Good Earth Coffeehouse and Bakery will be a key ground-floor tenant in the Lougheed Building, opening in mid-2007 (according to the Herald's David Parker). It's good to see an indigenous Calgary-based company make a stand in this iconic Calgary building.

http://www.goodearthcafes.com/
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Postby newsposter » Tue May 01, 2007 9:14 am

Tarps come off the 1st Street side of the Lougheed Building - late April 2007. Chris Edwards photo.

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Postby Chris E » Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:03 pm

On May 25 We had the pleasure to attend the Lougheed building grand opening/ribbon cutting. A number of guests were in attendance as well as MC Jillian Roulet, Mr Lee Richardson, MP Calgary City Centre on behalf of Minister of the Environment and responsible for Parks Canada, John Baird, ALderman Druh Farrell, and of course Neil Richardson the of Heritage Property corporation. Here are some photos (I apologize for the over compressed nature of some of them)

Placards of photos from the renovations
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(Note the bed of nails found in the basement)

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Jillian Roulet, Lee Richardson, Neil Richardson, Druh Farrel (L-R)
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Field Law Offices
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Tour of the building
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Door that was 'marbled' over on the other side of the wall
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7 layer process to mimic wood grain
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Between the Lougheed and the Grand is a gap, here is the base of it at the 2nd Floor
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And looking up
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Orginally these windows were uncovered at the bottom of the gap, to provide natural lighting to the back of the main floor
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Basement
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Postby newsposter » Sun Aug 05, 2007 7:29 pm

The restoration of the Lougheed building will include the placement of period streetlamps on the sidewalk. The sidewalk itself will be replaced with old-style 'dimpled' concrete, like you see on the old pre-WW1 sidewalks around town. Sounds cool.

Lougheed Building's new tenants
Excerpt from David Parker's Herald column, August 3, 2007

With scaffolding coming down, the Lougheed Building across from Petro-Canada Centre at the corner of 6th Avenue S. and Centre Street certainly shows it was well worth the effort to save and restore it. Office floors are filling up and the ground floor retail space is now on the market, but a large portion has already been leased.

Ron Salverda, who has done such a good job in running Murrietta's West Coast Bar & Grill, the Tribune, Siding Cafe and Palette Coffee House in Art Central, and the Cellar wine store where he is 50 per cent owner, will open Parkerhouse Restaurant & Wine Bar in the heritage building.

Through Kevin McCann of Barclay Street Real Estate, he has leased almost 10,000 square feet from just east of the corner to the former AGT/Telus building.

Plans are for a 100-seat dining room, 45-seat mezzanine, and 60-seat lounge and wine bar on the main floor. The lower level will have a private dining room, a prep kitchen and guest washrooms.

Salverda contracted Abugov Kaspar Architects to design his new restaurant -- the company was also responsible for all of his other locations -- telling them they must keep the individual store fronts along 6th Avenue, but to include a historic-looking new entranceway. With high ceilings over an open-concept kitchen and a 4.9-metre high, walk-in, glass-enclosed wine cellar for 2,200 bottles, I've no doubt it will be a spectacular new addition to this city's collection of fine dining establishments when it opens in February.
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Postby newsposter » Sat Nov 17, 2007 12:53 pm

Lougheed Building unveiled - Boris 2k7 photo originally posted in the calgary construction forum at www.skyscraperpage.com

November 2007
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Postby Admin » Fri Nov 30, 2007 10:29 am



As of yesterday Nov 29 the Good Earth Cafe is open for business as the newly renovated and restored Lougheed Building's first retail business. Please head down and show your support for heritage based businesses.
Corner of 6th Ave and 1st St SW.
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Postby newsposter » Tue Dec 04, 2007 8:39 pm

David Parker, Calgary Herald, Dec. 3 2007

The restored facade of the Lougheed Building looks great but now that Good Earth has moved into the main floor of 6th Avenue and 1st Street S.W. it is getting to be a bustling corner of downtown again.

Good Earth Coffee House and Bakery has leased 1,500 square feet in the Heritage building and has fitted its space out to complement its historic surroundings with Italian marble table tops and counter, older designed suspended lighting and reproductions photos of old Calgary. It will seat 40 and is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays until spring time.

President and co-founder Michael Going says this is his 12th shop in Calgary and he has opened one in Red Deer and another in Edmonton. By mid-2008 he plans to open in Okotoks, another in Edmonton and his first B.C. location will be serving Kelowna.

Connie Chan, Good Earth's director of marketing, says the Lougheed Building shop is selling Nicaraguan Los Milagros coffee. But it won't last long as the company could only get 200 pounds of the Cup of Excellence award winner from the small amount available for auction. Premier quality and very rare, the coffee was grown by a small farmer on his five-hectare plantation. Hurry down.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/new ... 9faf9e&p=2
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