Audio Transcript

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Just past the parkade ahead on the right, you'll see a staircase that leads down to the street below. We're going to take that, but first let's talk about the beautiful Eighth Avenue Place, the huge glass skyscraper in front of you!

This twin office tower features 41 and 51 storey towers, although you may not be able to see the shorter one as it's on the other side. There's also a 3 storey high indoor urban park inside! The real story though, pun intended, behind these two modern skyscrapers is what used to be here.

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This was the site of the historic Penny Lane Mall, which was built in 1973. Now you’re probably wondering what’s so historic about a mall from 1973. Well, the mall actually kept and preserved the facades of even older historical buildings on 8th avenue, one of which was Calgary's first hospital!

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The idea was that Penny Lane Mall shoppers would be surrounded by an atmosphere of quality and elegance.

When in 2006, the Penny Lane Mall was torn down, the Calgary Herald mentioned that the demolition marks the end of a chapter in Calgary’s history. I guess it’s safe to say then that these twin skyscrapers mark the beginning of a new and much taller era in Calgary’s history!

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I've put a picture on the stop description if you'd like to see what the Penny Lane mall looked like.

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