Excitement is Building: Culture + Entertainment District prepares to celebrate more milestones in 2024

Big year of development progress in The C+E continues with preparations for 17 Ave S.E. Extension & Victoria Park/Stampede Station Rebuild grand opening and warm welcome back to hockey fans.

Excitement continues to build in The Culture + Entertainment District in 2024. Following the grand opening of the BMO Centre expansion in June and the groundbreaking for Scotia Place in July, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), as steward of the Rivers District Master Plan, prepares for another exciting quarter of development progress with important district access updates.

Station closure, roadway changes ahead of 17 Ave S.E. Extension and Victoria Park/Stampede Station Rebuild grand opening

The 17 Ave S.E. Extension and Victoria Park/Stampede Station Rebuild project is nearing completion. In early October, the 17 Ave S.E. Extension will open, enabling a gateway across Macleod Trail into Stampede Park for the first time in 40 years. At the same time, CMLC and its partners at Calgary Transit and the Calgary Stampede will celebrate the substantial completion of the new Victoria Park/Stampede station, which has been operational since December 2023.

In anticipation of this significant project milestone, Calgarians can expect to see station and roadway changes in the area this month:

September 21/22 – Closure of Victoria Park/Stampede Station.

• Victoria Park/Stampede Station will be closed early Saturday, September 21 until Monday, September 23 before start of service to enable critical interface work between the station and the 17 Ave S.E. extension roadway. Shuttle service will be in place between City Hall/Bow Valley College and 39 Ave stations. Visit CalgaryTransit.com/service-updates for shuttle information.
• Pedestrian access between Macleod Trail and Stampede Park will similarly be closed on September 21 and September 22. Pedestrians should detour to 12 Ave S.E.

September 20-23 – 17 Ave S.E. returns to two-way traffic between 1 St and Macleod Trail S.E.

• To enable construction on the extension and station project, the one-block stretch of 17 Ave S.E. between 1 St and Macleod Trail S.E. has operated as a one-way westbound road since 2021. Now, with the project nearing completion, the road will revert to its two-way condition.
• 17 Ave S.E. in this block will be closed from 11:59 PM Friday, September 20 until 5 AM Monday, September 23 to enable crews to repaint road markings, change signage and restore parking to its original condition.
• When it re-opens on September 23, 17 Ave S.E. in this block will once again operate as a two-way road.

“While the new Victoria Park/Stampede CTrain station has been operational since late last year, we’re looking forward to welcoming Calgarians to experience the full impact of this transformational infrastructure project once the new 17 Ave S.E. extension opens,” said Kate Thompson, President and CEO, CMLC. “We’ve been able to maintain access to the station and to Stampede Park through most of this project, leveraging a phased construction approach that saw a series of changes to pedestrian access and a handful of weekend station closures, as well as the nine-day Switch. We’re grateful to Calgarians for their patience and understanding through all stages of this critical infrastructure project, and in this last phase as we bring the project over the finish line.”

Watch for more information about the 17 Ave S.E. extension’s official early October opening date soon.

Getting to The C+E this hockey season

Construction in The District has shifted over the past months, resulting in a few notable changes for fans making their way back to the Scotiabank Saddledome this hockey season.

1. Parking lot 14 & 20 closed. With construction underway on Scotia Place, parking lots 14 and 20 are now closed. If arriving to The C+E by car, arrive via 25 Ave S.E. where construction is less impactful and park in one of the south parking lots. To the north, parking is available in the 11 Ave Lot or at Platform Innovation Centre and Parkade.
2. Park Plus active in all Stampede parking lots. Parking at the Calgary Stampede is now managed and enforced by Calgary Parking. Enjoy a new parking experience – you can even pay from your seat at events! Park and easily pay using one of the following convenient payment methods: Download the MyParking App and use your phone; pay at the virtual pay machine — vpm.parkplus.ca ; or pay at the pay machines located throughout parking lots on Stampede Park. Learn more about getting to Stampede Park here: calgarystampede.com/stampede/plan/getting-to-stampede-park.

As always, walking, wheeling and taking transit are great options to get to The C+E. Visit The C+E Access Map at cedistrict.com/access-map to plan your trip ahead of time.