Shawnee Slopes Community Spotlight

The name Shawnee pays homage to the Algonquin speaking Indigenous North American Nation.  

Shawnee Slopes is located in the SW quadrant of Calgary and is conveniently located South of Fish Creek Park, West of McLeod Trail, East of Evergreen Street and the new West Calgary Ring Road, and North of James McKevitt Road.

Approximate drive time to the downtown core is 23 minutes, whereas the alternate would be a quick 4-minute drive to the Fish Creek / Lacombe LRT Station and then roughly 20-minute C-Train ride into the core. South Centre, Midnapore, Shawnessy Shopping and the new Costco are all within 10 minutes. An easy bike ride or short walk takes you into Fish Creek Park!

Shawnee Slopes History

The community was once built around the Shawnee Slopes Golf Course however in 2011 the golf course closed, and after quite a contentious and acrimonious period the development plan was approved by the city in 2013 for the construction of 1,400 new homes on the former golf course lands by Cardel Homes.

According to the 2016 City of Calgary statistics, which are slightly outdated, there are 640 properties in the community.

·      61% of these properties being single family detached

·      14% Semi-detached

·      30% Town House (Row Housing)

·      20% being apartments

89% of owners live in their homes whereas

12% of properties are rental units.

The population of Shawnee Slopes is 1,550 according to 2016 City Statistics with the Average household size being 2.4 people per dwelling.

·      65% of the population is between 15 and 64 years of age

·      13% under 14 Years

·      22% over 65 years

Substantial population projections for the future as a result of the redevelopment. 

Schools include Evergreen School, Janet Johnstone, Our Lady of Peace, Samuel W. Shaw, Bishop O'Byrne High, Centennial High, and a number of private schools. 

For more information of community demographics as provided by the City of Calgary click here!

The Current Real Estate Market in Shawnee Slopes

Shawnee Park, on the former golf course, is the area under development, and has earned the Title of “Community of the Year” in 2019 and 2020 at the annual BILD Calgary Awards. The Building Industry and Land Development Association Awards, honours excellence in development, home construction, architecture, design, sales and marketing.

April Statistics from the Calgary Real Estate Board

Featured Property - On MLS Friday, May 28, 2021

All current listing can be found here!

Latest Developments in Shawnee Slopes

In 2015 a portion of the redevelopment at James McKevitt Drive and Shawnee Street was purchased by Graywood Developments and marketed under the name Fish Creek Exchange. Fish Creek Exchange has built stylish Townhouses and Condominiums (Fish Creek Exchange and Park South) that allow for easy access to the C-Train Station.

The initial land use designation for the Fish Creek Exchange Area of Shawnee Slopes was for one large multifamily parcel zoned as C-N1 which fits with the Transit Oriented Designation (TOD) Policy as defined by the city as per the proximity of the Fish Creek / Lacombe LRT Station being 500 meters away. Given the current environment however Graywood Developments has proposed to the city that land use be changed to include two smaller multifamily (C-N1) areas and one commercial district (C-N2). The proposal included a senior housing project and another multifamily building in the C-N1 areas and commercial development that would support the current 8000 sq. ft. of commercial space that is currently available in the multi-use buildings in Phase 1. Unfortunately, only 1000 sq. ft. of the available 8000 sq. ft. of space has been leased given the current economic environment. A survey of potential tenants indicated the need for anchoring businesses to make leasing of this space viable.

Some area residents had concerns about increased traffic 24 hours a day. The City’s TOD policy prohibits such a use as it would make the development auto-oriented, and as such, contradict the greater city-building objectives. The city administration has recommended maintaining the C-N1 designation by a 5-3 vote. Graywood Developments has indicated that without the C-N2 designation they may not be able to proceed with the completion of the development for some time without the aid of a partner. The matter is to be discussed at a full meeting of city council on June 15, 2021.

It would be interesting to survey residents that do commute to the Fish Creek / Lacome C-Train parking lot from the surrounding communities to determine their needs as well. (Perhaps they have, as I am not a journalist!) One would think that grabbing a coffee, fuel, lottery tickets, or a jug of milk from a convenience store located close by would, perhaps, add value to the community if designed in a thoughtful way as it would cut down on commute times to other areas? For many families, it is simply not feasible to eliminate the use of an automobile in this city.

If you are interested in Shawnee Slopes, or any community in Calgary and area, vehicle or not, please give me a call to discuss how we can work together to find your next home!

Brenda Field

Royal LePage Benchmark

403.899.3177

brenda@brendafield.com

www.brendafield.com

Resources:

https://livewirecalgary.com/2020/05/22/new-twist-in-shawnee-slopes-development-has-residents-riled-about-24-hour-traffic/