Although that often means a frustrating waiting period for buyers and developers alike, and prices climbing in the interim, seeing a condominium through from concept to construction can be a long haul with many important steps along the way.

Jaydan Tait, development manager for Assured Developments, whose multi-family projects include Xolo, Kabo, The Galleries of Marda Loop and Altadore, and most recently counts a 122-unit six-storey project in Bridgeland in its workload, says the challenge starts long before a potential site is even spotted by a developer.

“You actually have to take it back a step to before you acquire the land,” says Tait. “You have to have an idea of what the market wants and what the market might not be getting, and then we look at the possibilities out there.”
This means scouting areas of the city “where there is the greatest potential,” including some which may be yet untapped, says Tait.

So after a builder has bought the land, many might think the hard part is over. But this is only the beginning, as the hard part often comes when seeking approval from the City, say the experts.

Barry Chow, executive vice-president of Resiance Corp., known for its multitude of Gateway condominiums across the city landscape, Chow the process differs in multi-family construction because developers wear the hats of both builder and developer, and getting a project approved means seeing through everything from applying to re-zone land to making sure T’s are crossed and I’s dotted in development and building plans.

A common first step is applying to have the land-use designation (or zoning) changed if an area is designated by a land-use classification that disallows building the envisioned project. Some land-use redesignation concepts are met with opposition from the City, or community associations and residents, while others are more acceptable to communities more open to density being increased and “urban revitalization,” says Tait.

“The Beltline is an area where the City and community are open to higher-density development. That’s why you see so much development there right now,” he says, adding the City is approving land-use redesignations on a per-case basis to bring people to the core.

Tait adds that it is important throughout the process to understand how the City views an area, as well as trying to work with community associations and residents when hoping to get a project approved, so as not to go against the vision of a particular part of town.

Public hearings are often held at this point as part of the application process, often in conjunction with council meetings, giving citizens a chance to voice their concerns.

After getting the nod from both the City administration and the community and final approval from city council for land-use redesignation, a developer is free to submit to the city for final approval, first for the development and secondly, for a building permit to start the construction ball rolling.

It’s at this point a developer must present to the City a set of development permit plans for the project, to establish the site layout, exterior elevations, elevators, as well as any allotments for parking and general layouts of units for the project.

After a development permit is granted, submission of the building permit is the next step, and sometimes a hurdle, the developer must get past. These establish how a building will be built, and include the actual blueprints for a building or complex, a step which generally adds at least another month to the process.

Once building permits are granted, a developer is free to start construction — and selling — if that’s not already in the works. Technically, the development permit signals the green light to start marketing, but every developer varies on this practice.

Often the entire process is very much a waiting game, adding up to nine months to a year for the land-use redesignation, while the lead time for the development permit adds on another four to eight months with the current activity levels. Meanwhile, the land-use redesignation application first goes through the Calgary planning commission, and then to city council — sometimes taking as much as two years from initial land-use redesignation application to building permit drawing approval.

After getting this final OK, timing for building a condominium can also range depending on type of structure and level of finishing, including whether a parking garage — which the lion’s share of high-rises, especially inner-city, now include. Possessions from the start of construction will also range anywhere from seven months for a small townhome complex to two years or more for a 30-storey tower, say the experts.  CL