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Impact statement

By aligning with the long-term ​strategic vision for Calgary and Alberta, ACT and OPT will contribute to the cultural fabric of our city and province, to both attract talent and retain lifelong citizens​. ACT will serve the needs of our growing city by creating additional space for informal and formal gatherings, community activations, and an opportunity for Arts Commons resident companies to grow and innovate, while OPT will play a pivotal role in making our downtown a safer and more attractive destination. 

This shovel-ready project also provides the opportunity to lean into today’s unique challenges to invest in a better tomorrow, supporting the creative economy and the growing arts and culture workforce, and contributing to an economically diverse community by jump-starting both short and long-term job creation and economic activity. 

As a vibrant thread in the social fabric of our city and province, the new Arts Commons campus will be one of the largest contiguous arts-focused spaces in Canada. Together, the expansion and modernization of Arts Commons, alongside Olympic Plaza's redevelopment, will honour Calgary's past and will create a new model for engagement and business sustainability that will be a paragon for other cities around the world.

How Arts Commons Transformation and Olympic Plaza Transformation work together

In order to achieve the vision of a new, vibrant campus in the heart of Calgary, as of June 2023, Arts Commons and its partners on ACT – Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) and the City of Calgary – integrated the revitalization of Olympic Plaza  into the original Arts Commons Transformation project plan, creating a comprehensive $660 million shovel-ready project ($315M is already secured).  

The expansion of the Arts Commons facility will be the first to break ground, with the Olympic Plaza Transformation happening in tandem, ensuring cohesion of the two. The modernization of the current Arts Commons facility will take place once the new facility is online, providing resident companies and community groups a space to gather, rehearse, perform, and celebrate, while the current building’s modernization is underway. 

The new Olympic Plaza will ultimately become an extension of the Arts Commons campus, under Arts Commons management. Leveraging this outdoor community space to connect more artists to more audiences will not only foster an organic flow between arts and recreation but will create a more vibrant and resilient cultural and civic presence in our downtown core

When construction is complete, the Arts Commons campus will be one of the largest contiguous arts-focused spaces in Canada. Together, the expansion and re-designing of Arts Commons alongside the Olympic Plaza Transformation will honour Calgary’s past while reimagining the role of an arts centre as a city-builder, ensuring Calgary continues to be one of the world’s most livable cities for generations to come and securing continued success for Calgary and Alberta’s growth. 

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