Construction has begun on the new apartment complex that will replace Citadel Mews West, after the seniors facility burned down in May 2021. The hope is the new building will be up sometime in summer 2026.
Demolition of the assisted-living facility owned by Christenson Group of Companies (CGC) began in late November 2024, after being sold to Nova Group of Companies in September 2023 and following a fire that tore through most of the facility, resulting in the evacuation of 110 people.
Demolition finally finished around three weeks ago and the building permit was issued, 3M Property Developments Ltd. construction manager Mich Kolar said.
"Most of the building was in decent shape," Kolar said. "Unfortunately, it just sat for too long to be able to salvage it."
With the demolition now complete, construction proper is able to begin. Crews are framing, Kolar said, before beginning work on the interior and the exterior, a combination of brick, stucco, and Hardie panels, all considered to be non-combustible material.
"[We are] just trying to make sure we've got a safe building during construction, and obviously when it's done," Kolar said.
The new building will share some common elements with the old beyond location. The plans for the new build are for a 114-unit rental apartment complex for ages 55-plus. Unlike the former Citadel Mews West, it won't be an assisted-living facility with in-home care, but more of a mature apartment complex. It will also operate as a standard rental apartment.
The former Citadel Mews West, owned by CGC, operated on a life lease model, meaning that residents would make larger up front payments — often in excess of $200,000 — in exchange for cheaper rent payments. These are meant to be paid back after the resident moves out or dies, but hundreds of Albertans are stuck in a queue and still waiting for their payments.
Kolar felt it was important to move away from the model for the new building.
"It's a risky model from a business perspective; not a good outcome for everyone involved," Kolar said. He added the company also felt with the housing crisis currently sweeping Canada, a standard rental model was a better way to go.
The new complex is planned to have a similar footprint to the previous building, with some "minor tweaks to the design to modernize it." They're working with the original architect, which he said was, "vital in terms of blending the old to the new."
Kolar also said the roof of the new complex will have solar panels, partly because of financial incentives with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) by "achieving 25 per cent better than energy code," Kolar said.
"By doing those things, we end up getting better terms on our long-term mortgage. But having said that, the building will be designed and built as a very energy efficient building. And all of the units will have upgraded heating and ventilation systems."
He added there should be a rental inquiry number posted at the construction site in the coming months for potential residents.
