An additional $300 million in development and as many 500 new condos are slated for East Village after a partnership announcement between RioCan Investment Trust and Embassy BOSA including a Loblaws grocery store.

"Calgary is on the tipping point right now, with condo living becoming a more sought after alternative to suburban life," said Ryan Bosa, president of Embassy BOSA. "The future of Calgary is up not out, and developments like the East Village showcase how Calgary is creating vibrant, sustainable communities."

*CREB®Now real estate news luxury feature*

Calgary has always had a flair for luxury living

Luxury comes in many shapes and sizes. Earlier this year, a penthouse unit in the Princeton Hall highrise at Eau Claire sold on MLS® for a record $4.4 million. A Priddis-area home, meanwhile set a provincial record in June when it went on the market for a cool $38 million.

Yet set amid today's multimillion-mansions and copious condos comes a reminder of just how far Calgary luxury housing market has come.

*CREB®Now real estate news luxury feature*

Calgary's prosperity driving demand for high-end housing

While the final tally won't be in for a few more months, it appears Calgary's luxury homes market is on the verge of the best year in the city's history.

According to CREB®, 611 homes priced at $1 million or more have sold through the first eight months of 2013. That number includes a record-setting 69 properties sold in August alone, which broke the previous record of 64 .

New development to bring restaurants, retail to RiverWalk

East Village's historic Simmons Building will soon have a fashionable new neighbour.

A fitting mix of Calgary's past and future, the new project will bring 17,000 to 20,000 square feet of retail and office space to M2 – a quarter-acre lot alongside the Bow River in downtown Calgary.

"M2 is a highly visible site and, even though it's small, it will have a huge presence in East Village," said Kate MacGregor, president of Calgary's XYC Design + Development.

Doors Open YYC running Sept. 27-28

The Doors' frontman Jim Morrison once said "there are things known and things unknown and in-between are the doors."

That couldn't be more true for Doors Open YYC, which returns to the city Sept. 27-28.

This represents the third incarnation of the local program, which originated in Europe 25 years ago as a way of promoting civic pride.

What's a life hack you may ask?

"For the uniformed, a life hack is a strategy or technique that helps manage one's daily activities in a more efficient way," said a release from the Calgary Home + Design Show running Sept. 18-21 at BMO Centre. "And the ideas out there are endless: from storing holiday decorations in an egg carton to painting keys with nail polish for easy identification."

When it comes to Calgary City Council, a tie on a specific vote equals defeat.

At a Sept. 10 Standing Policy Committee meeting, a proposal by city planners looking to streamline Calgary's secondary suite approval process was voted down 4-4.

"First thing, I want to make a point of is enforcement is not a housing policy," said the City's General Manager Rollin Stanley. "If a person remains homeless, we fail as a city. If a suite is made safe, we succeed."

Calgary's multi-family sector continues to surpass single-family growth

It's déjà vu for Calgary's condominium market, which is on pace to outperform the city's single-family homes sector in sales growth for the second consecutive year.

After the first eight months of the year, condominium apartment and townhouse sales have totaled 3,388 and 2,685 units respectively, representing a combined jump of nearly 20 per cent. Single-family sales, meanwhile, have increased by a more modest 6.9 per cent.

More than 350 exhibitors on hand for 2014 Home + Design Show

Born in Calgary, interior designer Heather Draper spent seven years in Victoria before realizing her heart remained in Alberta.

"There's a vibrancy," she said. "Calgary resonates this positive energy that I absolutely love."

Draper will be sharing that positive energy, as well as some ins and outs of interior design, when she presents on the main stage of the Calgary Home + Design Show Sept. 18-21.

City's history lives on in Doors Open YYC site Fort Calgary

When the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) arrived at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers in 1875, they likely didn't know their small fort would eventually evolve into a metropolitan hub for more than one million residents.

Yet 139 years later, Calgary has flourished to become one of the most influential cities in Canada – all thanks to a series of small wooden structures constructed by a federal order to force whiskey traders from the area.