The Aster Project Update - November 17, 2021

This e-newsletter is for members of the Banff community who have registered project updates.  If you know other people who may be interested, please forward this newsletter or direct them to sign up at banff.ca/NotifyMe.

The Town of Banff is developing this 33-unit condominium complex in the heart of Banff to provide affordable, for-purchase housing for eligible Banff residents. Units will be sold at the cost of construction and well below market value, with a priority to sell to first-time home buyers.  

The Banff Housing Corporation will manage the building and sales of the dwellings.  The Town has contracted Studio North to construct the modern complex.

The Aster development is named after a perennial wildflower frequently found in Banff National Park. Construction is slated for completion in the summer, when the Aster flowers are in bloom.

Construction Update

Construction is making significant progress despite the recent change to winter conditions.
 
Activity at the location beside the Banff High School has caused some disruption outside the construction zone since the northbound lanes of Banff Avenue were closed on November 1, between Moose Street and Elk Street. The closure was required in order to connect the water, sanitary sewer and storm water drainage to the main lines, which are located under the centre boulevard on Banff Avenue.
 
The storm and sanitary sewers were completed, but the road closure was extended until Nov. 19 due to discovery of a degradation in main water line. A full section of aging pipe that had been installed before the Town took responsibility for the infrastructure has been replaced to ensure longevity.

Banff Avenue will reopen to vehicle and sidewalk traffic on Friday morning, after the Town’s Streets crews have cleared snow from the closure area.

Construction work recently completed includes the installation of the gas service and the water, sanitary and storm connections.
 
Inside the site, the underground parkade walls and structural columns were poured last Saturday, paving the way for construction of the apartments above.
 
In the next few weeks, the construction activity includes waterproofing and backfill of the parkade walls, building the parkade roof at ground level and suspended slab (ground floor of apartments). The plumbing conduits are all being installed now.
 
With the concrete work progressing well, the project is on schedule to have wood framing start early in the New Year. 

Completed work

At the beginning of the project, the site fencing and hoarding was installed to maintain aesthetic appeal of the main street, while providing information about the project. The fencing and scrim will be returned after the roadway opens.
 
Initial site preparation also involved establishing locations for demolition waste sorting and separation to maximize use of all materials and diversion from landfill. This involved planning the area to ensure retention of the large tree in the front of the property.
 
Early work on the Aster site included relocation of the heritage Hindes Cabin to the front of the site. The heritage structure will be restored as a shared amenity space up on the solar patio.

A significant amount of time was spent on soil testing ahead of excavation, and installing a dewatering well and managing the environmentally responsible removal of ground water. Due to the volume and content of the ground water, it was not diverted to the Town’s storm water system. The major challenge was excavating a water-tight chamber below the future elevator shaft. Foundations were poured after extensive excavation, forms construction and rebar preparation.

Sale of Dwellings

The Town and the Banff Housing Corporation opened the application process for prospective buyers in early October. Details were announced in a news release. About 400 people who had previously registered their interest in buying a unit were sent information about the application process.
 
So far, about 30 people have submitted complete applications for one of the 33 units. The Town has started advertising the units (with another ad in the November 18 edition of the Rocky Mountain Outlook) and more applications are expected.

All applicants are required to submit completed information to the online Application Form by the deadline on December 15. 
 
A lottery process will be held in January to select buyers from all qualified applicants who have submitted completed applications.