Nothing melts the edge off a bitterly cold commute faster than a walk through a tropical paradise such as Devonian Gardens in Calgary.

Or so says Earl Strueby, a city business development co-ordinator and the guy who oversees preliminary work on a proposed facelift for one of the world's largest indoor gardens.

Located on the fourth floor of TD Square at 317 Stephen Ave. S.W., Devonian Gardens offers visitors a year-round oasis, replete with the refreshing sounds of water features and the chirps of a few wayward sparrows, as well as the earthy smells of a garden fairly bursting with some 20,000 plants.

Heat, plain and simple, is the No. 1 reason so many Calgarians visit Devonian Gardens for a physical respite from the vagaries of our own less-than-tropical climate, says Strueby.

Mike Sturk, Business Edge
At Devonian Gardens, architect Walker McKinley shows drawings of what it could look like after a makeover.

Built at a cost of $9.2 million (which translates to $25.2 million in 2005 dollars), the 2.5-acre park garnered worldwide attention when it opened in 1977. Established by the Devonian Group of Charitable Foundations, Oxford Development (which owns TD Square) and the City of Calgary, it opened with a 99-year contract that will see the space turned back to Oxford in another 73 years.

Until then, the city leases the space for $1 year and is responsible for an annual operating budget of approximately $1.2 million.

Open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

year-round, the existing space includes more than 1.6 km of walkways and is 90-per-cent wheelchair accessible. Special features include a playground, an art gallery, water features with koi fish and turtles, and an array of more than 135 varieties of plants.

Devonian Gardens currently attracts more than 700,000 visits a year. "Obviously, a lot of that is repeat visitors," concedes Strueby, who says the park draws heavily from area businesses.

It's also a frequent destination for youngsters attending childcare centres in the downtown core and a favourite venue for weddings and corporate events. The latter provide an important source of revenue for the gardens.

The proposed redesign, led by project consultants Janet Rosenberg & Associates of Toronto and Calgary's own Eleven Eleven Architecture, includes a butterfly garden and a restaurant and lounge that's meant to boost the gardens' reputation as a destination venue in the downtown core. Given the operational complexities of a large indoor garden, Keen Engineering Co. Ltd. of Calgary was also on the conceptual redesign team.

Computer-generated designs, recently revealed to stakeholders and at two public meetings, show a restaurant with a water wall feature and a lounge with walls that move to provide the illusion of flower petals that open during the day and close at night. The restaurant/lounge areas comprise about six per cent of the total area.

Decisions on the final design, cost and timeline of any major redesign to Devonian Gardens are months away. But early response to the stakeholder presentation and two public meetings have made three things clear, says Strueby.

First, the redesign must appeal to the park's multiple stakeholders. Secondly, it must be more energy efficient and meet the requirements of the city's sustainable buildings policy and thirdly, the koi and turtles will stay.

Walker McKinley, a partner with Eleven Eleven, says it's exciting to be on the team redesigning a venue he frequently visited as a child. It's "looking a little tired," he adds, but definitely has the potential to be an international tourist attraction.

Richard White, executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association (CDA), says his organization agrees the venue needs a major facelift. But it is reserving a formal decision of whether it supports a specific redesign concept.

The association, which represents 3,500 businesses employing 130,000 employees in the downtown core, wants more details before it speaks for or against a redesign, says White.

The CDA recognizes the Devonian Gardens' importance as an indoor oasis in the downtown core, but is not yet convinced a major renovation of the existing space is a cost-effective use of city money, given that the space is most heavily used by downtown employees and residents in the immediate vicinity.

Recognizing that downtown employees "don't all work within two blocks of Devonian Gardens, we're trying to get a broader perspective on the issue," says White. "Maybe there's another place that a park would work."

Strueby says a redesigned Devonian Gardens, especially since it will qualify for certification under the leadership and energy in environmental design (LEED) program of the Canada Green Building Council, is appropriate given the 28-year-old venue's existing popularity and the fact little has been done to revitalize the park.

A more contemporary look is expected to increase use and enjoyment of the park by workers and residents in the downtown core, adds McKinley.

(Joy Gregory can be reached at joy@businessedge.ca)