Even now, as Battistella Developments celebrate their 35th anniversary — with Giovanni and Jacqueline’s sons, Paul and Simon, having long taken over day-to-day operations of the company — their imaginative designs continue to inform the evolving look and life in the downtown.

“My parents were always open to new ideas and they loved Calgary’s inner-city, they saw the potential here where they can offer something different and change the way we look at housing and living life in and around the core,” Battistella Development General Manager Paul Battistella tells Condo Living.

Family matriarch Jacqueline recently passed away, but the imprint she and her company left in Calgary’s condo industry remains a source of inspiration. Their designs continue to impress with cutting-edge élan and grace. To this day, their earliest developments remain indelible landmarks in the evolution of urban life in Calgary, and their latest offerings continue the tradition of design excellence and functional appeal.

Their very first multi-family residential development, Connaught Gardens (1992), is still regarded as one of the company’s signature projects, and was recognized by the Alberta Architects Association as one of the best condos of the millennium.

People have to remember that back then that no one wanted to live in the inner-city, but the more contemporary designs that developers like Battistella had espoused began to shine a light on the potential for an exciting, livable urban core.

Battistella’s 11-unit Connaught Gardens townhomes was groundbreaking in more ways than one. It introduced the courtyard design for multi-family developments in Calgary, and which has now become a favourite feature in a lot of current inner-city developments. It also changed Calgary’s land usage bylaws to allow for live/work units in this Beltline neighbourhood.

Built all those years ago, Connaught Gardens has aged gracefully even as developments go up around it. “The passage of time is the true test of quality, and Connaught Gardens proves that Battistella condos never go out of style,” Paul adds. 

It’s not just in the modern architecture of their buildings that Battistella seems a step ahead in; it’s also in the choosing of the sites for their developments. Take for example choosing East Village to be the site for Orange Lofts (2003). The decision to build here came long before the City of Calgary had decided to go ahead with the massive redevelopment of the area that has today has made this once rundown area into one of the most desirable neighbourhoods to live in.

Indeed, Battistella’s portfolio is filled with developments like Colours (2008) in the Beltline, Brunette (2011) in Bridgeland/Renfrew and their most recent, PIXEL (2014) and LIDO (ongoing) in Kensington that seem to herald rejuvenation in the inner-city communities they go up in.

“Higher density developments translate to vibrancy in the streets,” Paul says. “And it’s not just young people living in the urban centres now, we’ve seen a reverse migration where people from the suburbs are attracted to a more active lifestyle offered in the city,” he says.

“And what Battistella offers are the kinds of developments that will fit their lifestyle with more spacious condos, stylish finishes and a location that offers the best of inner-city living.”

Their latest development, LIDO, is a perfect example of how Battistella condos are designed to add value to the larger surrounding community they exist in. 

LIDO brings a new vibrancy to the busy corner of 10th Street and 2nd Avenue N.W. by having a retail component at its base. Though the final list of retailers still has to be announced Ijmal Haider, Battistella Developments Sales and Marketing Manager, says they will no doubt add to the flavour and character of this hip and trendy village-style community.

“There’s already a tremendous village vibe existing in Kensington and both our developments here, PIXEL and LIDO, brings new life to the streets,” he points out.

LIDO is also unique in that it will have a hotel component and a parkade that adds to the vitality and convenience of the whole Sunnyside/Hillhurst area.

Still available are two- and three-bedroom units, most range from 780 to 1,500 square-feet and come with one parking stall. “These are the biggest suites that Battistella has ever designed,” Haider says. Smaller one-bedroom units are also offered from 430 to 500 square-feet with no parking. 

Regardless the size, all the suites reinforce the theme of comfortable living for the building. After all, “lido” in Europe can mean beach or shore, but has a broader meaning as “a place for relaxation,” Haider says. “It’s also a way of honouring the Italian heritage of the Battistella family.”

Battistella is also one of the few Calgary-based developers actively building in the inner-city. “We have a small dedicated team and we focus our energies on doing one development at a time, which is a huge reason for us in remaining competitive and not expose ourselves to financial risks,” Paul says.

The affordability of their products is also something that resonates with Battistella’s buyers, LIDO remains one of inner-city condos with the best value per square foot. LIDO’s one-bedrooms start in the $280,000s; two-bedrooms start in the $520,000s; while three-bedroom are from the $900,000s.

Battistella’s previous development, PIXEL, of course, is sold out, and the 60-unit LIDO is getting close to that as well, sitting at around 85 per cent sold.

But commercial gain isn’t the yardstick that Battistella measures its success by, it has always been about beautifully designed buildings that enhance the life of residents as well as bring an aesthetic element to the community.

“Financially, we would have been much more profitable if we had decided to build in the suburbs, but that was never our goal. The inner-city is where we want to focus all our energies, and to be successful in the inner-city you really have to offer something unique,” he points out. 

“Like the Connaught Gardens, that our parents created, how our products hold up in time is how we measure our success,” Paul says. All it takes is just a little imagination.