Row of downtown Calgary heritage buildings has new owner, meaning no more bubbles - Action News
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Calgary

Row of downtown Calgary heritage buildings has new owner, meaning no more bubbles

Downtown Calgary is about to be less bubbly as a new owner takes possession of a row of long-neglected old buildings along Seventh Avenue S.W.

Stretch of Seventh Avenue has languished as plans to refurbish storefronts stall

The building where Jonathan Sunstrum set up his office was the home of the Calgary Stock Exchange during the first oil boom. (Andrew Brown/CBC)

Downtown Calgary is about to be less bubbly as a new owner takes possession of a row of long-neglected old buildings along Seventh Avenue S.W.

The buildingsare currently occupied by a pawn shop, clothing store, convenience store, restaurantand the "bubble man," JonathanSunstrum, who blew suds over the street from his office windowfor years.

The businesses andSunstrumhave to be out by Friday.

A close up of a middle-aged bald man wearing a blue button-up shirt.
Jonathan Sunstrum won't be blowing bubbles onto Seventh Avenue anymore, with a new owner taking control of a row of heritage buildings on Friday. (Andrew Brown/CBC)

Tim Blair isthe executive vice president ofTriovestCapital, the new owner of the properties. He said the company "is looking forward to transforming these properties into a hip, cool enclave."

Blair said the company is still trying to determine exactly what that will entail.

"We believe that there's potential to do something very interesting on this block that will increase the safety and add to the vitality of the area," he said.

Protected heritage resources

The row of heritage buildings between Centre Street and First Street S.W.have been at the centre of redevelopment plans for years, with its former owner receiving permission from council to build an automated parking garage behind the storefronts in order to fund their restoration.

That plan never came to fruition.

The buildings are all municipally protected historic Calgary resources, meaning they can't be altered or torn down with prior consent from the city.

The block has been up for sale for many years. (Rachel Maclean/CBC)

According to the city, aside from Stephen Avenue,they are the only intact row of early 20thcentury buildings left in the core.

One of the buildings, from which Sunstrum would rain down bubbles, was home to the Calgary Stock Exchange in the early days of the first oil boom.

"The whole notion was just to try to make the city a little bit better. Why did I do it? Well because I live here," said Sunstrum of his bubbly antics.

It could be a while before the buildings can be safely occupied again, said Blair, asthe properties are in an "advanced state of disrepair."