'Spectacular' 4th Avenue Flyover project needs funding

There's a lot of potential packed under the 4th Avenue Flyover just off of Memorial Drive and now there's a fundraiser to make fantasy a reality.

The Bridgeland-Riverside community-driven project started nearly two years ago with a simple plan: activate the space to help the neighbourhood cut down on crime and graffiti in the vicinity.

Quickly the plans morphed into a city-endorsed pilot project and a partnership with the University of Calgary's landscape architecture students.

With the students, grade-school kids took over the project and injected their imagination to make a playful plan.

Some of the concepts that came from those workshops now include a climbing wall with a swing attached and plenty of other play elements and seating.

The community has just launched a fundraiser to bring those dreams to life.

Ali McMillan, planning and development director with the Bridgeland-Riverside Community Association, said the dream project may cost close to $1 million. And now the community is fundraising on the Calgary Parks Foundation website to make the vision for the space a reality.

"The project is scalable," said McMillan. "We're probably not going to have the everything under the sun version but to get people thinking about that, let it be a try and get as close to it as possible. I think it's really important."

Dirty dead zone

Right now, the space that was once a dirt pit and dead zoneis lined with Astroturf donated from the City of Calgary after it resurfaced Shouldice Park. There's wooden seating benches, stumps, birdhouses hanging from sculpted trees and a ping pong table made to live through the summer and winter elements.

Over the winter, there was a snowman building contest, and this summer the community hosted a party under the flyover complete with a band and food trucks apparentlythe acoustics in the space are great.

Area resident Nathan Harewood said he's noticed the changes and thinks they have already transformed the community for the better. He's lived in Bridgeland-Riverside on and off for years.

"There's more traffic, there are more things to do, it's a little more trendy. So, I think it is a real positive change, for sure, for Bridgeland," he said. "When you're contributing to your community, it's going to do nothing but bring up property value, looks nicer, cleaner, and then we feel like we're part of it as well."

He's looking forward to contributing cash to the fundraiser and knowing he's helped improve the area for the better.

Alanna Murray has lived in the area for more than 15 years and used to ask her kids to steer clear of the space under the 4th Avenue Flyover. She said it used to be filled with garbage and needles.

Now her kids can actually play in the area, and she's volunteering to keep programs goingin the makeshift park.

"I just think it's fantastic," she said. "It's really exciting to tell people to come on over, and we'll go down and hang out at this really cool spot. You wouldn't expect there to be a park here, or you wouldn't expect there to be something interesting going on."

She said her son envisioned a skate park in the space, and renderings she's seen of swings hanging from the underpass and a climbing wall are especially enticing.

"You have friends who live in other areas of the city who think we're kind of crazy for living downtown with kids," she said, adding these kinds of cool projects show having a family downtown is cool and fun.

"Vision is spectacular"

Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra said the project so far has been worth investing in, and he hopes to help bring more public funding to the initiative.

"I think when you're talking about creating a real space, activating a problem area and drawing people in, I think the price tag is appropriate," Carra said. "I think the vision is spectacular."

The Ward 9 councillor thinks there should be a fund dedicated to similar community revitalization projects.

McMillan said the community hopes to phase the project in, beginning next summer.

Donations can be directed at the Parks Foundation Calgary website.

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