Minto Communities Canada has been selected as the next developer to construct new housing in the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation's (CMLC) East Village revitalization project.

The multiresidential project, named Vita, will be located on the last riverfront property in the East Village, contributing approximately 100 new residential units in a nearly 100,000-square-foot building.

It is expected to break ground in late 2023.

The 49-acre East Village project, overseen by the CLMC, is spread across 15 city blocks and eventually will be home to about 3,500 residential units. The idea of revitalizing the area began in 2005 and two years later the CLMC was created by the City of Calgary to spearhead the project.

CMLC ran a competitive request for proposals (RFP) process in 2021 to find the right partner for the 27,000-square-foot lot, which overlooks Jack & Jean Leslie RiverWalk and sits at the base of the George C. King Bridge and St Patrick’s Island.

“We are thrilled to welcome Minto Communities to the neighbourhood,” said Kate Thompson, CMLC’s president and CEO, in a statement on the partnership.

“Through the RFP process, they proved themselves to be a people- and future-focused developer who delivers high-quality projects that contribute positively to the fabric of the community and brings a strong understanding of what it means to develop in an urban, downtown neighbourhood.”

Minto’s Vita project

Vita will be the sixth development in Calgary by Ottawa-based Minto Communities. It follows the recent The Annex in Kensington and Era in Bridgeland, both of which are fully sold.

A release refers to Vita as “the signature site” in the East Village.

“We’re excited and proud to launch our next project in East Village,” said Norah Fraser, Minto's vice-president of development in Calgary, in the announcement.

“The master plan for this vibrant and diverse community is directly aligned with our goal to create innovative, inclusive and sustainable places to live, work and play.”

The East Village has seen $$396 million in infrastructure investments and will feature $2.8 to $3 billion in private investment over its 20-year master plan.

Since its 1955 founding, Minto has built over 95,800 homes. The firm and its entities manage 14,600 rental units and are responsible for 2.4 million square feet of commercial space.

Other East Village developments

The tower will join several other projects on the go at East Village.

In spring 2023, Winnipeg-based Alston Properties Ltd.'s EV606 will break ground, featuring 44 new residential units and 9,000 square feet of retail space.

BOSA Development’s 42-storey, 337-unit tower is already under construction and set to be complete by end of 2023.

It marks the first concrete high-rise in the city to convert entirely from condos to rentals, as well as the first rental building with in-house grocery store and other retailers.

A Real Canadian Superstore is part of the interconnected, one-block project on the east side of the downtown core just behind Calgary’s City Hall.

The project is a joint venture with RioCan consisting of two towers on top of the commercial podium.

Bosa is managing the residential towers and RioCan the retail/commercial portion of the site.

Apartment sizes range from 630 to 1,565 square feet.

CLMC expects to announce additional development sites in the coming months.