One of Calgary's oldest motels could be rezoned for high-rise residential towers

The owner of a distinctive northeast Calgary motel is asking the city to rezone the property in favour of multiple new residential towers.

Lenard Perozni, owner of the Ambassador Motor Inn, says the motel has been hanging on through COVID-19 but times are tough in the industry.

"We've been there [since 1962]," Perozni said. "But things have changed. People are travelling, and they don't know what Calgary is, and just go to the [hotel] chains."

Conceptual drawings for the redevelopment show two 20-storey mixed-use buildings, along with a shorter six-storey multi-residential building to the north.

The area's city councillor Druh Farrell said the site would be a good one for increased density in the area.

"It's on a major transit corridor, bus rapid transit, as well as being quite centrally located with lots of amenities around it," Farrell said.

"So I would say that it's an appropriate redevelopment site, and it's really down to the detail of the scale and design."

Ambassador Motor Inn

The Ambassador Motor Inn has operated since 1962, initially built by Mike and Jean Porozni, Lenard's parents.

Mike had a number of successful small business ventures, including a motel in Banff and a 14-suite apartment block, before building the Ambassador Motor Inn in Calgary.

When he was 17, Perozni remembers his father dealing with significant pain for a period of months prior to learning he had kidney stones. In the interim, Perozni essentially ran the motel.

"So it was a little tough for about four months. I had to get out of school early," he said.

"But it was no problem. We [also] ran the motel in Banff. We did have maids, but my mom and I did probably 30 rooms a day, plus the laundry and everything else."

Growing up in a family that ran motels, Perozni didn't really know any other lifestyle. It wasn't like most jobs, where people leave the office at 5 p.m. to go home.

"My dad had his first hotel when I was born," Perozni said.

"You don't have to think about it, because you grew up that way."

Mike and Jean operated the inn until 1968, and Perozni ever since. He said while the Ambassador Motor Inn has been lucky given its location off 16th Avenue, the hospitality industry has changed.

"Everyone is going to hotels, rather than motels," he said. "[A lot of places] just closed up, and can't make it, especially with this COVID."

Site specifics

Farrell said the site could also complement a new residential and commercial area planned across the street on the former Midfield mobile home park land.

• Former Midfield Mobile Home Park to be rebranded as Winston Heights Village

On the website detailing the proposal to rezone the site of the Ambassador Motor Inn, it's mentioned that nearby residents may have concerns regarding building shadowing and parking requirements.

The proposal notes that the bulk of parking would be underground and street parking should not be necessitated.

As far as building shadowing, Farrell said there would be enough room to mitigate impacts on northern neighbourhoods.

"It does have the benefit of being large enough, there's enough space for it to have an appropriate transition," she said. "So those are the kinds of things that the city planning department will be looking at when examining the details of the proposal."

The website for the proposal is currently accepting survey responses and feedback. A potential application for the rezoning would potentially be looked at by the city next spring. 

Given the current state of the market, timelines for approved construction would be contingent on a number of variables.

"It all depends on the density they give us," Perozni said. "But all of these new buildings will benefit the look of Calgary."