The summer sun rises eagerly in the early morning sky, casting a glittering cascade of twinkling light on the surface of the Bow River. Joggers and dog walkers scoot along the river pathway, enjoying the public art and the perfection of nature against the city's skyline. The smell of freshly roasted coffee and savoury bready morsels wafts from the Simmon's Building, its glass-sheathed doors flung open in anticipation of the day. Just steps away, store owners set out their wares in the newly launched pop-up retail park, as brightly coloured shipping containers frame the backdrop and the East Village hums to life.

"The East Village is all about connecting people and the new pop-up retail park – East Village Junction – is one of the major place-making initiatives happening this summer," said Jessa Morrison, senior manager of marketing and communications for Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, the developer behind the East Village, a 49-acre revitalization project on the east side of Calgary's downtown.

The master-planned vision for Calgary's East Village revitalization, launched in the mid-2000s, is becoming a living, breathing reality, now more than ever.

Alain Dupere has lived in East Village since 2011. He's watching the transformation happen one day at a time, observing the changes while he walks to and from work. Dupere, who is also president of the East Village Neighbourhood Association, says that although the area is still under construction, its vibrancy is increasing as more buildings become move-in ready and amenities continue to pop up.

"It's a great place to live and to visit. Anyone can use the amenities in our neighbourhood," he said. "It's becoming a destination for the greater Calgary (area) and beyond, and that's a nice thing."

Some might believe that the excitement around this developing community, and the desire to live and work there, are new phenomena. But according to Harry Sanders, Calgary's former historian laureate, it's not far off from the activities of the space over a century ago, when non-indigenous people first arrived in the area often referred to as the "birthplace of Calgary."

Zoey Duncan is what you might call an engaged citizen. Having showcased her unique commentary on Calgary life through social media and blog zoeywrites.com, it didn't come as a major surprise when she was chosen as the East Village's first resident ambassador.

Having now added the ability to survey city life from high above, CREB®Now caught up with Duncan to find out what's going on in and around Calgary's "oldest newest neighbourhood."

CREB®Now: ?How exactly did you come to have a rent-free condo in the East Village for a year?

Duncan: The Calgary Municipal Land Corp. (the brains behind East Village) began a competition earlier this year in search of an East Village resident ambassador – someone who could see the revitalized neighbourhood through the eyes of a resident and share it with the rest of the world.

First breaking ground in 2008, the reviltalization of Calgary's "newest, oldest" community is now beginning to come to completion. Recently welcoming the area's first new occupant, the area is eventually expected to welcome more than 11,000 Calgarians to what was once one of the city's most notorious neighbourhoods.

CREB®Now takes a look at the rebirth of the neighbourhood, how it came to be, and what it will become.

History

The site of Calgary's first Northwest Mounted Police detachment, which would later become Fort Calgary, East Village was originally the centre of a then-fledgling Calgary. Later falling into decline, the area would be largely neglected, with the city's medical officer declaring it "skid row" in 1941. With various revitalization projects failing to take hold, the community would remain a blight on the city until the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation's (CMLC) revitalization project began in 2008.

Simmons Building now open to public

Calgarians had their first opportunity to break bread at East Village's long-anticipated Simmons Building last week.

The grand opening celebrated three local food and beverage brands – Charbar, Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters and Sidewalk Citizen Bakery – and furthered the completion of what's being dubbed Calgary's "oldest, newest community."