Spike in development applications as Calgary's blanket rezoning reversal looms large
CBC
As the clock ticks towards Calgary city council's potential repeal of blanket rezoning, some developers may be trying to get their proposals in before that happens.
The number of permit applications in low-density housing established areas jumped in the final quarter of 2025 compared to the previous quarter, according to new data made public by the City of Calgary.
Applications for townhouses and rowhouses largely drove the increase, with 140 submissions in the fourth quarter, compared to 51 in the third and 43 in the second.
In total, developers submitted 304 permit applications in the fourth quarter, a 27 per cent increase from the same time period in 2024.
Of those, 104 were for single detached homes, 26 for semi-detached, 15 for front-back semi-detached, 140 for townhouses and rowhouses and 20 for multi-unit dwellings.
The city said 161 of those proposals would have required a land use amendment were it not for blanket rezoning.
The applications, if approved, would create 947 more units.
Shameer Gaidhar, chair of the Calgary Inner City Builders Association, said the increase is likely twofold. He said the winter months can be a good time to get applications submitted with the intent of building once the spring thaw comes.
And he said there are likely some developers looking to get their permits in under the wire before a repeal might happen.
Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean said it does appear developers are moving quickly to get applications in while they can, something he said is to be expected. He said he looks forward to council settling on a new policy.
"All I'm hoping for is a better solution going forward than what we just passed. Blanket rezoning was lazy," he said.
The fourth quarter of 2025 notably included the October municipal election, where the majority of councillors elected, as well as Mayor Jeromy Farkas, expressed their desire to overturn the controversial policy.
The bylaw was approved under the previous council following marathon public hearings in an effort to boost the city’s housing supply.
It removes the requirement of a land use amendment for permits, speeding up approval timelines and allowing for new units to be built more easily in established neighbourhoods.
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