On Thursday, the Calgary Planning Commission approved the development permit application for Phase One of the Arts Commons Transformation (ACT) project.
The Arts Commons Transformation project is a $660 million project that will expand and modernize Calgary's premier performing arts centre, Arts Commons, which is located at 205 8 Street SE adjacent to Olympic Plaza in downtown Calgary.
The project was initiated in 2019 before Phase One was finally unveiled in April 2024. It will feature the development of a new three-level building that will include a 1,000-seat theatre, 200-seat studio theatre, and 162,000 sq. ft of modern amenities.
This new expansion building will be located at 222 8 Avenue SE, located just west of Olympic Plaza, at the corner of 7 Avenue SE and 1 Street SE. The site is currently occupied by a greenspace located next to the historic Dominion Bank Building that's currently occupied by Teatro Ristorante.
The Arts Commons Transformation (ACT) project. / City of Calgary
The development permit application approved by the Planning Commission on October 31 in a 7-0 vote (after two members declared conflicts and one was absent) is only for this first phase. As part of this phase, the Women are Persons! Monument will also be relocated and all of the trees from the full Olympic Plaza site will be removed, but work related to the other public realm areas will not be included and will instead be included as part of the Olympic Plaza Transformation project.
According to a City planning report, the primary entrance of the new building will be located on the southern side of the building, along 8 Avenue SE. A secondary entrance will then be located on the eastern side of the building, facing Olympic Plaza. The main 1,000-seat theatre will be situated at the centre of the new building, while the smaller 200-seat theatre will be situated in the northeast corner. Additionally, two small cafés will be located inside the building, one near each theatre, and the ground floor will also be home to all of the back-of-house facilities.
The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) is serving as the development manager on behalf of the City and Arts Commons, while EllisDon will be serving as the construction manager. The architectural team then consists of Hindle Architects, KPMB Architects, and Tawaw Architecture Collective.
The exterior of the new Arts Commons expansion building. / Arts Commons, CMLC
This first phase is expected to cost $270 million, which will be fully funded by the City of Calgary and CMLC, which is itself funded via the Community Revitalization Levy, which directs a portion of property tax revenue generated within a designated district towards the investment in infrastructure improvements for that same district.
The Province, as part of Budget 2024, has also committed $103 million towards the overall ACT project. Earlier this year, entrepreneur David Werklund also announced a donation of $75 million towards the ACT project.
The second half of the Arts Commons Transformation project will then see the existing Arts Commons, which was originally constructed in 1985, renovated to include upgraded amenities and modern technology.
Construction on Phase One is expected to begin before the end of the year and complete in 2028-2029.
