Land adjacent to Westbrook LRT station sold to developer

The city has sold the land surrounding the Westbrook LRT station to a company with plans for a residential, office and retail development on the site.

Much of the four-hectare parcel of land at 17th Avenue and 33rd Street S.W. has sat unused since Ernest Manning High School was torn down to accommodate the new West LRT line.

The development site is situated immediately above and surrounding the Westbrook station, Calgary's first underground transit stop, which opened in 2012.

Calgary-based Matco Development Corp. plans to build a mixed-use, transit oriented development that will feature homes, office space, retail outlets and community spaces such as a fitness centre and daycare.

"As a condition of the land purchase, Matco is also committed to provide a proportion of non-market housing which will be integrated into the residential unit mix," the city said in a release.

The buildings will also have urban plazas with pedestrian and cycling routes.

The project is part of a larger proposed Westbrook Village redevelopment, a 21-hectare site that stretches from Bow Trail and 17thAvenue to 33rdand 37thstreets S.W.

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