Downtown West Area Redevelopment Plan
Overview
In 2013, The City of Calgary began public engagement for work on a draft Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) for the west end of downtown, referred to as Downtown West. The study area is roughly located between 8 Street S.W. and 14 Street S.W., bordered by the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks to the south and the Bow River to the north. Due to competing timelines of various projects being completed by The City and external parties that could impact the Downtown West neighbourhood, The City will focus on the results of these projects before continuing work on the Downtown West ARP.
The purpose of the planning study is to develop policy to ensure development in this area supports the goals of Calgary's Municipal Development Plan and is in alignment with the Greater Downtown Plan, as well as other plans and guidelines.
Please note the location of the proposed CalgaryNEXT project in the West Village falls outside of the study area for this project. The Downtown West planning process is unrelated to the CalgaryNEXT proposal. Please refer to the FAQ tab on this page for more information.
Timeline
March 2013
Circulation of amendment information to adjacent residents, community associations and other interested parties.
March to August 2013
Online MindMixer survey to collect ideas for Downtown West.
April 24, 2013 and June 26, 2013
Public information session to help establish a community vision.
August 2013 to October 2015
Analysis and review.
November and December 2015
Reporting back on how previous feedback was used and seeking further feedback to help inform policies within the policy document.
What We Heard report - for engagement between November 20 and December 11, 2015
January 2015
Draft policy document.
May 2016
Open House to seek feedback on the draft policy for the ARP. View the May 12, 2016 open house boards and the What we heard report for engagement that took place between May 12 to May 23, 2016.
June and July 2016
Open Houses to seek feedback on the draft Downtown West ARP, East Village ARP and Centre City Guidebook. View the June 28 open house boards and the July 28 open house boards. A summary of what we heard at these sessions is now available for review.
TBD
Tentative Calgary Planning Commission and Public Hearing of Council.
Get involved
Contact the planner on this project: You can contact the planner to provide feedback on the proposed Area Redevelopment Plan or to get more information about the amendment process.
Sign up for email updates: If you would like to receive updates about this project please subscribe to our mailing list.
Public hearing of Council: A public hearing is held by City Council before they make a decision on the ARP. You can speak directly to Council at the hearing, or submit written comments. You will have five minutes to speak, excluding any questions Council members may ask you. Comments should be brief and should address land use planning issues.
The public hearing date will be advertised in the Calgary Herald and details will also be posted on this webpage once they are confirmed. City staff's report to City Council on the proposal can be viewed prior to the hearing in the meeting agenda.
Planning process
When The City prepares an area redevelopment plan, we generally follow this process:
Notices are sent to adjacent landowners, the local community association, the Ward Councillor, various City departments (such as Transportation Planning, Urban Development, Parks) and other external agencies (such as utility companies) to gather their input.
At the same time, The City's planning staff create a plan based on its urban planning merits and compliance with City plans and policies, including (but not limited to) the Municipal Development Plan and other plans applicable to the affected area, in this case, the Centre City Plan.
After refining the amendment based on feedback, City staff prepare a report for the Calgary Planning Commission and make a recommendation on the proposed plan. The Calgary Planning Commission is a committee appointed annually by City Council to make recommendations to Council on land use planning matters. The Calgary Planning Commission can request changes or forward the report along with their recommendation to City Council.
Once the Calgary Planning Commission has made a recommendation to City Council, the proposed plan is advertised for a two-week period and then goes to City Council for the final decision. Council is required to hold a public hearing on all area redevelopment plans.
FAQ
Where is Downtown West compared to West Village?
The Downtown West study area is 35.46 hectares located between 8 Street SW and 14 Street SW, bordered by the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks to the south and the Bow River to the north.
The West Village ARP boundary is that tract of land bordered on the north by Bow Trail (westbound) and the Bow River, on the east by 11 Street SW, on the South by Bow Trail (eastbound) and the CPR Tracks and on the west by Crowchild Trail. See the MAP below.
Why is there overlap between the boundaries of West Village and Downtown West?
The area between 14 Street and 11 Street is a transition area with a significant road interchange to 14 Street. This area was kept in the Downtown West study boundary to allow for discussion on how this area relates to residents of Downtown West and to ensure alignment with the West Village area.
Is there a plan for Downtown West?
The Downtown West End Policy Consolidation (office consolidation 2009 June) is a non-statutory policy document for the Downtown West area. There is no legal requirement for proposed development to comply with this policy document.
The Downtown West policy project currently underway may result in a draft ARP that, if approved by Council, could provide statutory policies to guide future redevelopment in this area.
Other relevant policy documents include: West Village ARP, Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) Corridor Visioning Workshop Results, Sunalta ARP, July 2010 (consolidation), 2035 Sunalta: Community Planning and Urban Design Study, Centre City Plan, and Beltline ARP.
Is there a Community Association for Downtown West?
Yes. Please visit Downtown West Community Association for more information.
Why is the Downtown West ARP current on hold?
As our city continues to grow and change, we are constantly working proactively to ensure that we are responding appropriately to the changes within our communities. Having said this, there are a number of projects being completed by The City of Calgary and external parties that may impact the Downtown West neighbourhood. These include such projects as CalgaryNEXT, Downtown Parking Strategy and Road Network Alignment.
These projects have significant bearing on the future of Downtown West and it could be potentially short sighted to complete the ARP without these impacts factored into the statutory document that will support growth and change in the neighbourhood. In the meantime, The City will be focusing on the results of these projects before continuing work on the Downtown West ARP.