Ship & Anchor urges Calgarians to speak up as development proposal raises fears

The Ship & Anchor's owner is urging patrons and neighbours to speak up regarding a proposed residential development above the pub and next door.

Regulars packed into the Ship & Anchor Friday, not just to catch a band or a game, but to voice concerns over a proposed residential development they fear could jeopardize one of Calgary’s longest-running pubs.

At a recent public hearing, councillors voted 12–3 in favour of land-use and policy amendments.

The decision clears the way for the project to advance to the development permit stage, where design details such as sound mitigation and construction impacts will be assessed.

The Beltline institution at 534 17th Ave. S.W. is now urging patrons and community members to submit comments directly to city planners, opposing the application that would add five storeys of apartments above the pub and redevelop the neighbouring property.

Owner James Ballantyne, the principal shareholder who has operated the Ship & Anchor for 35 years, says the plan threatens the future of the live music venue, despite assurances from the developer the project can coexist with the bar.

“I was first informed of the development in February of last year, and I was very concerned about how it might play out,” he said.

Ballantyne says he initially told Strategic Group he was willing to discuss construction impacts and lease considerations, noting the Ship still has 16 years remaining on its lease.

But he says key elements of the application involve areas the pub currently controls.

“Including our customer parking, for example,” he said.

“They have that utilized in their application, and they never mentioned this to us.”

Among Ballantyne’s concerns is noise.

“Based on the research I’ve done and the people I’ve spoken to, including architects, they all say you do not convert a building like this one into residential and think you’re going to just be able to dampen the noise with a bit of insulation,” he said.

Ballantyne says truly insulating live music requires complex engineering, including separating building structures—something he says he has not seen reflected in current plans.

“To insulate live music to the point it’s tolerable to people in the apartments above, even a couple of storeys above, involves all manner of complicated acoustical engineering,” he said.

He worries even tenants who expect noise could change their minds once they move in.

“They may have work at seven in the morning, and the fact is, they want to go to sleep, and we’re in violation of a bylaw. So they make that phone call. All we can do is turn off the music,” he said.

“If we keep turning off the music, we’ll eventually just be turning off the lights.”

Developer says pub ‘not going anywhere’

Strategic Group CEO Riaz Mamdani rejects the suggestion the project would end live music at the Ship & Anchor.

The proposal would convert existing office space above the pub into residential units, demolish a deteriorating apartment building next door and construct a new mixed-use development.

In total, about 130 apartment units are planned, including 29 designated as affordable housing.

“Only two apartments out of 130 actually touch the current Ship & Anchor space,” Mamdani said.

“We designed it to minimize the noise transfer. In addition, we have sound attenuation to avoid the noise transfer.”

Mamdani says Strategic Group has owned the building for 17 years and views the pub as an anchor tenant.

“They’ve been there for even longer. We like them. We want them there,” he said.

Mamdani believes future residents will choose the building precisely because of its location.

“I believe the tenants we’re going to attract when this project is done are going to want to live above the Ship & Anchor,” he said.

“They want the hustle, the bustle and the noise.”

In a social media post, Mamdani pushed back against speculation the pub could close, writing, “To be clear: the Ship & Anchor is not going anywhere.”

“We don’t see an issue here,” Mamdani said.

“We think the Ship & Anchor being there supports the block. We think what we’re creating fixes an eyesore on 17th Avenue.”

Construction could begin mid-year, with completion expected about 18 months later.

Regulars rally to defend community hub

For many patrons, the Ship & Anchor represents far more than a place to grab a drink.

Henry Fletcher-Wilson, who lives across the street, says the pub helped convince him to buy his condo.

“I sat there with my Realtor, and we came out on the balcony. We looked at the ship, and that’s what actually sold me on the condo,” he said.

Chandra Schatz, who has been coming to the Ship since the 1990s, calls it a safe and inclusive gathering place.

“All kinds of walks of life come through these doors. It’s a safe place for everybody,” she said.

Nearby resident George Kacha also opposes adding apartments along the busy corridor.

“This is a business area. It has to be a business section,” he said.

“People are going to go somewhere else, and this business will die.”

A different perspective

Not everyone believes preserving the Ship & Anchor at its current location is the only option.

“This may be a transformational moment,” said David Burns, who lives nearby and works in architecture.

“You could find maybe a more appropriate location with some design elements and stuff you never thought you needed.”

Burns says iconic venues can evolve.

“The owners of the clubs or pubs and things like that have to be flexible,” he said.

“Figure out how you take the cachet of the Ship & Anchor and create something even more special.”

Mayor Jeromy Farkas says the development permit stage will address sound concerns.

“I do believe the Ship is a really important part of Calgary’s inner city (and) Beltline,” Farkas said.

“We have to continue to allow for Calgary to be a place where you can go see a local live band, but also a place that you can live.”