About ACT

The Opportunity

Since Arts Commons opened in 1985, Calgary’s population has nearly tripled and the amount of resident companies that call our complex home has doubled. As importantly, we welcome approximately 200 local groups into our building every year, providing the necessary spaces and support to build community. Calgary has grown, and so too must Arts Commons.

With 10 years of research, development, and community-engagement behind it, the Arts Commons Transformation (ACT) project includes two phases to achieve a new, vibrant campus in the heart of Calgary:

• Phase 1 is the Expansion, which will provide the much-needed increase in the number of venues and spaces (adding an additional 25%-35% in seating capacity) necessary to meet growing market demand and community aspirations.
• Phase 2 is the Modernization of the existing 560,000 square foot facility, elevating the public’s experience through upgraded amenities and technology, while also addressing over $71M in lifecycle work. 

ACT will also help make Calgary Canada’s most livable city by enhancing our citizen’s quality of life and providing all Calgarians with increased access to arts and culture experiences. ACT will renew Arts Commons’ world-class commitment to a new Calgary with a focus on local impact. Calgary will become a place not only to make a living, but also to make a life.

Support for ACT

With funding commitments from all three levels of government, as well as 320 letters of support from the business community and almost 2000 signatures from private citizens, ACT has the backing of the community. In October 2010, the Government of Alberta provided a $1M grant in support of ACT. In September, 2011, Calgary City Council approved $25M in Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) funding. In December 2018, the Provincial government announced the extension of the River’s District Community Revitalization Levy (CRL) for 20 years, providing Arts Commons with $135M in future funding. In March 2019, City Council approved the $135M from CRL and in September 2019, Council voted to endorse ACT as one of the City’s four priority capital projects.

An additional $80M has been pledged by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Infrastructure and Communities. The entire ACT project is projected to cost $450M. With 53% of funding accounted for, the fundraising threshold has been surpassed to allow the project to break ground. A public fundraising campaign for the remainder of the project costs is currently underway and will launch in parallel with the ACT design process.

Project Timeline