We’re preparing to transform Olympic Plaza, and we need your input.
Take the online survey
The plaza has served our city well for 35 years, but it has reached the end of its lifecycle and Calgary now has an incredible opportunity to revitalize the plaza as a modern, inclusive, arts-focused gathering place.
We want to hear how you use the plaza day-to-day, what cultural and recreational experiences you want to enjoy in the revitalized plaza, and how Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, Arts Commons and The City of Calgary can ensure that Olympic Plaza evolves as a beloved gathering place for many years to come.
Complete the survey online before June 5 or watch for our team of ambassadors popping up around Olympic Plaza all month long.
Complete the online survey and have a chance to win an Arts Commons experience package. The Arts Commons Experience Package contains two subscriptions to the 2024-25 season of National Geographic Live from Arts Commons Presents, which includes two tickets to all four presentations from National Geographic's leading Explorers in the Jack Singer Concert Hall at Arts Commons, and a gift certificate to dine at Teatro Ristorante.
FAQ's
Q. What is the intention of the Olympic Plaza Transformation project? Why are you pursuing this project now?
Olympic Plaza was built more than 30 years ago as a venue for the 1988 Olympic Winter Games medal ceremonies. Since then, the population of Calgary has more than doubled and the outdoor space has outgrown its mandate. The current reflecting pond and ice surface are past their lifecycle and operating costs are increasing each year. The full redesign of Olympic Plaza will create an innovative, flexible and active space in the downtown core.
Olympic Plaza’s proximity to Arts Commons, currently undergoing its own transformation, provides a unique opportunity to create a modern and inclusive outdoor event and gathering space that will have a seamless connection between the Arts Commons campus’ indoor and outdoor spaces. Designing the plaza congruently with the expansion of Arts Commons will create a larger impact on downtown Calgary’s arts and cultural space, ensuring Olympic Plaza evolves as a beloved gathering place for many years to come.
Q. What is the timeline for the project?
Olympic Plaza’s redevelopment has been in consideration for nearly a decade. In January 2016, Calgary City Council approved the Civic District Public Realm Strategy which prioritized Olympic Plaza and its surrounding spaces for a significant review of its design and function. The City of Calgary led a public engagement program that garnered participation from nearly 2,300 Calgarians to gather insights into the plaza's strengths and opportunities. The findings were published in a report in October 2016.
In June 2023, City Council approved the Olympic Plaza Transformation project and allocated $40M to the project through The City’s 2023-2026 budget. CMLC was named as Development Manager to deliver the project on behalf of their partners at Arts Commons and The City of Calgary. After a robust procurement process, the prime design team for the project was announced in November 2023. Design began in fall 2023 and will progress through 2024. Designs for the new plaza are expected to be shared in early 2025.
To support construction of both the Arts Commons Transformation expansion and the Olympic Plaza Transformation project, Olympic Plaza will be closed in late 2024 through 2028. The City of Calgary will work with event organizers to identify alternate locations for events for the duration of construction.
Q. Why are you doing public engagement? What will you do with the learnings?
Public engagement will inform the design of the plaza through an online survey and series of in-person pop-up events around Olympic Plaza through May 2024.
Building on the findings from The City of Calgary's 2016 public consultation on the plaza's future, insights collected from this engagement will inform the design process through 2024. The designs for the new plaza are expected to be shared in early 2025.
Q. What is happening to the Olympic Plaza bricks?
Due to their age and condition, the bricks are not expected to be used structurally in the new design of Olympic Plaza. As we are still in the early stages of the project, we do not have all the details about the future of the bricks yet but will communicate the next steps in due course.
Q. How will the new design consider the historic significance of the site?
In developing a programmatic design for the Olympic Plaza Transformation, CMLC and the selected design team will explore the plaza’s historic elements and significance as a gathering place during the 1988 Winter Olympics, along with learnings from The City of Calgary’s 2016 Olympic Plaza Cultural District engagement and CMLC’s 2021 Arts Commons Transformation public engagement.
Q. How is the expansion of Arts Commons related to the Olympic Plaza project?
The revitalization of Olympic Plaza is a key component of a significant $660M investment in Arts Commons, Western Canada’s largest performing arts centre, which also includes an expansion of Arts Commons in the form of a new 162,000 sq. ft. building, the modernization of the existing Arts Commons facility and a $50M endowment fund. Once completed, Arts Commons will serve as the steward of the revitalized plaza, managing the programming and ongoing maintenance.
Arts Commons’ management of the plaza will offer diverse programming, curate public and private outdoor events, and foster greater connections between artists and audiences, enhancing Calgary's downtown cultural vibrancy and resilience.
Q. What is the project budget and how is it being funded?
The reimagination of Olympic Plaza is part of a larger $660M transformation of the Arts Commons campus, which also includes the Arts Commons Transformation expansion and modernization, and a $50M Arts Commons endowment. The transformation of Olympic Plaza has an anticipated project cost of $70M, of which $40M is already committed through The City’s 2023-2026 budget for downtown revitalization. Efforts are underway to secure the remaining required funds.