Olympic Plaza Transformation

Redesigning and transforming downtown's gathering space Olympic Plaza Transformation

The Olympic Plaza Transformation will see a full redesign of the plaza as an innovative, flexible and active space in the core, building on the momentum of the investment and work already underway in downtown Calgary.

Built as a venue for the 1988 Winter Olympic Games medal ceremonies, Olympic Plaza is an urban park and popular gathering space, located along Macleod Trail between 7 and 8 Avenue SE. Since its construction more than 30 years ago, the plaza is aging and has outgrown its mandate and lifecycle costs.

The City and its partners Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) and Arts Commons announced the transformation of the plaza on June 6, 2023. As development manager for the project, CMLC will steward design and construction on behalf of its partners, while also managing the expansion and modernization of Arts Commons and the redevelopment of Stephen Avenue on this block. Olympic Plaza’s proximity to the Arts Commons Transformation project, currently undergoing its own $480-million transformation provides a unique opportunity to allow for design synergies, construction efficiencies and coordinated leadership of both projects.

Given Olympic Plaza’s intimate connection to Arts Commons’ evolving campus, the Arts Commons team will lead curated programming, operation and maintenance for the revitalized plaza after construction is complete.

In its budget for 2023-2026, The City earmarked $108 million for downtown revitalization through Calgary’s Downtown Strategy, including upgrades to Olympic Plaza and Stephen Avenue. $40M has been allocated to the Olympic Plaza Transformation for project initiation, design team procurement and design development. Additional funding will be required prior to construction.

Construction timelines for the Olympic Plaza Transformation will be defined as the project plan is refined. The design of the plaza is expected to take place through 2023 and 2024, in alignment with the design process for the Arts Commons Transformation. 

This information has no legal status and cannot be used as an official interpretation of the various bylaws, codes and regulations currently in effect. The City of Calgary accepts no responsibility to persons relying solely on this information. Web pages are updated periodically. ​

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