Qualico Communities Calgary Acquires Trafford Lands in City’s Southeast

Calgary, AB – Qualico Communities Calgary has acquired the last of the Trafford family lands in southeast Calgary, bringing an additional supply of housing product to this fast-growing and busy area. The acquired land includes 160 acres, with an option to buy an additional 160 acres to the north.

Qualico Communities Calgary will begin development at the site in approximately five years, and the completed community will likely include transit, a school site, commercial amenities, and plenty of residential housing. The site is also very close to established amenities in nearby Seton, including the South Health Campus Hospital, and both Deerfoot Trail and Stoney Trail (ring road).

Cary Kienitz, GM Acquisitions and Development, Qualico Communities Calgary, finalized and closed the deal on the lands in a record time of just five weeks due to the new capital gains rules affecting landowners as of June 25, 2024. This was additionally impressive due to complications with a foreign resident.

Thilo Kaufmann, Vice-President, Qualico Communities Calgary, noted the importance of acquiring this particular site.

“We are excited that we were able to buy the last lands owned by non-developers in the area,” said Thilo. “This land falls within the southeast quadrant, which is a priority growth area for the City of Calgary. We believe this will assist us with our planning approvals for this project.”

Qualico Communities Calgary has strong land positions in all other quadrants of Calgary. While the team has partnered with another developer for the southeast community of Hotchkiss, they have been looking for some standalone land in southeast Calgary for some time, which makes the Trafford lands acquisition that much more significant.

“Acquiring the Trafford lands continues the robust land acquisition strategy Qualico Communities has been pursuing the past couple of years,” said Emily Smith, Director, Marketing & Customer Care, Qualico Communities Calgary. “Medium-term lands like this will help Qualico Communities continue to be the largest land developer in the Calgary market.”

The Trafford lands purchase also helps fulfill the Southern Alberta region’s overall goals, including providing additional land for Qualico and external homebuilders, and will benefit Calgarians who are looking to live in the city’s desirable southeast quadrant.