Calgary-based developer Jayman Living has broken ground on a 400,000-square-foot private club southeast of the city, as part of its larger Nostalgia Townlet community.
The Nostalgia Club will sit within Nostalgia Townlet, a 500-acre, phased master-planned residential community that Jayman is also developing. The company says strong demand for exclusive club memberships, a shortage of similar options and overall growth in Calgary make this the right time to build the facility.
The club is expected to open in Fall 2029 near the Bow River. It will include recreation, athletics, aquatics, wellness, dining and business space, and is designed to appeal to families and multigenerational users, according to the developers. Construction will be carried out by CANA, a company also involved in building Scotia Place.
Jay Westman, chairman and CEO of Jayman Living, said this marks the company’s first venture into developing a private club. He said there is pent-up demand for such a facility in Calgary, noting that existing clubs in the city are already experiencing strong subscription levels.
Betting on Calgary’s Growth
Westman said the Nostalgia Club will offer a private club option located outside the city core, and that Calgary’s current political and social dynamics make the timing right for the project. According to the Alberta government’s regional dashboard, Calgary and its greater metropolitan area are projected to reach two million residents as early as the late 2020s, up from a population under 1.3 million in 2016.
Kevin Boyles, executive director with the Nostalgia Club, said Calgary has reached a scale that can support another private club of this size. He pointed to Vancouver and Toronto, which he said each have six or seven comparable clubs, as evidence that Calgary is ready for more such offerings.
Boyles said initial memberships will be sold for $103,000, with the price varying depending on family size, plus additional annual fees that also vary by family size. Members would pay extra for additional services, classes, and food and beverage offerings.
Planned amenities include an NHL-sized ice rink, a climbing centre, indoor and outdoor racquet courts, a gymnasium and gymnastics centre, a 25-metre swimming pool, and a rooftop spa with a sauna, steam therapy and hot and cold plunge pools. A wellness centre will offer physiotherapy, chiropractic care and acupuncture. For business use, the club will include a ballroom, banquet services, private dining rooms, business lounges and boardrooms. Five dining venues are planned, including a coffee shop, sports lounge, fine dining restaurant, wine bar and a speakeasy-style lounge. Financial details for the club’s development have not been disclosed.
Shifting Club Business Models
Northstar, a company that provides club management software to 1,500 clubs worldwide, has said the business model for private clubs is shifting. In a recent post, the company said wellness offerings now need to extend beyond fitness and sports facilities to include mental health and wellness spaces, recovery services and personalized nutrition. Northstar said clubs need to move away from a traditional, more formal country club atmosphere toward flexible, family-centric amenities and programming that appeal to younger members as well as older ones.
Part of a Larger Community
The club will be integrated into Jayman’s broader Nostalgia Townlet development, which is planned to eventually include single-family detached homes, townhomes, semi-detached homes, condominiums, rental properties and seniors’ living. Westman said sales and initial construction are already underway in the community, with 18 show homes completed so far.
Membership in the club will not be restricted to Nostalgia Townlet residents. Boyles said many members are expected to come from outside the community. Westman said the sales and marketing program for the club has begun, with a large model of the facility on display at the development’s presentation centre. He said the club is expected to be open within 36 months.
Jayman Living, which operates under the broader Jayman BUILT and JWI Investments umbrella, is one of Alberta’s largest residential developers and homebuilders. It was founded by Westman and his late father, Al, in 1980.
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