Calgary's beloved Ship & Anchor isn't being demolished, despite redevelopment signs

If you stumble upon redevelopment signs near the Ship & Anchor, don't panic too much — the beloved Calgary pub isn't being torn down.

A pending land use redesignation application submitted in April has caused panic online and among regular Ship-goers, who worry what this means for the local landmark, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.

"The Ship & Anchor won't be affected. The main floor remains retail and is not being touched," said Manu Chugh, the applicant and architect behind the project.

Alongside his client Strategic Group, Chugh told CBC News he's proposing to add two more storeys to the building that houses the Ship on 17th Avenue S.W. He's also proposing to convert office space above the pub into residential units and demolish the brick building next door to make way for more residential units, resulting in roughly 130 units in total.

Chugh said his firm intends to ensure the Ship & Anchor can remain operational during construction. The city is expected to make a decision by October, as the city's website says it is committed to making decisions on land use redesignation applications within 180 days.

The news comes as a relief for Calgarians who frequent the pub, but the Ship's management say they still have many unanswered questions about how the development would affect their operations.

Construction's impact still unclear

Staff and customers have had many questions for the Ship's management since a sign about the proposed land use change went up next door in May, said Nicola Trolez, the pub's marketing manager.

But they haven't made any public announcements, because they don't have much information to share.

"We haven't heard anything to the effect that the Ship would disappear through this process. We do have many years on our lease. But we certainly haven't had any assurances either," said Trolez.

The overall impact the proposed development would have on the Ship is still unknown, she said.

"We have concerns about how the development will affect the pub, will affect our business during the development, how it will affect our patios, how it will affect parking, how the increased density of the new building will affect travel traffic for our neighbours, for our community, for the people that we share the alley with," said Trolez.

"All of these are big concerns. We just don't have any answers yet. We hope that they come soon enough, but I would imagine with a job this big, perhaps there are still some questions that [developers] don't have answers to."

A long-time community hub

The Ship is an important part of Danielle French and Rodney Brent's story. So they say it's a huge relief the pub won't be added to the list of other local live music venues that have relocated, like the Blues Can and Mikey's Juke Joint.

As musicians, French and Brent started performing separately at the Ship roughly 30 years ago. It's where they first met, then became good friends, then became a couple.

Now, decades later, they live back and forth between Calgary and Nanton, about an hour south of the city. And when they're back in town, they always make sure to stop by the Ship & Anchor.

"So many friendships, bands, relationships have been formed from this community hub, which is just a tribute to what it stands for as a community space," said French.

"It's not just the nostalgia of like, 'Oh, back in the day, it was so great.' It's still relevant today and it's a multigenerational space that has been part of the community for so long."

Mona Pinder, executive director of the Alberta Hospitality Association, said the Ship & Anchor is a Calgary institution, and it's where many hospitality workers go at the end of their shifts.

"Everyone knows your name. I think people feel welcome," said Pinder.

Redevelopment can be an opportunity for businesses to find bigger spaces, reinvent themselves and connect with new customers, said Pinder. But there are often downsides, like construction, which can lead to businesses closing.

Pinder points to construction in Marda Loop as an example. A group of businesses in that southwest community are suing the City of Calgary for $75 million over an ongoing construction project.

"Ultimately, this will be a better place. Marda Loop will be a more vibrant community. But the problem is, the people that are already there — the restaurants, the small businesses that have been there for years — are they going to be there to get the benefits when this is all done?" said Pinder.

Pinder wants the city to recognize that delayed construction hurts businesses, and she wants developments to stick to their timelines so restaurants can plan ahead.

CBC News reached out to the City of Calgary for comment about the redevelopment, but did not hear back by the time of publication.