Reimagining a Critical Connection in The C+E
The Culture + Entertainment District will be Calgary’s next great city neighbourhood, the next chapter in downtown life, and an engine of development and tourism in a dynamic, evolving city.
The C+E will become – and has always been – a place of inspiring people and big ideas. As the Master Plan continues to evolve from a vision on paper to a multi-dimensional reality, The C+E Blog will periodically feature guest writers and thought-leaders— experts in the fields of placemaking, community-building and development to highlight how The C+E is shaping Calgary’s future.
Guest writer and VP of Building & Infrastructure Kelly Coles at CMLC, the organization leading the 20-year vision for the redevelopment of Stampede Park and east Victoria Park as Calgary’s Culture + Entertainment District, discusses the complexity of the Victoria Park/Stampede Station rebuild project which will make The District more accessible and more connected — 365 days a year.
Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), development manager for the project and steward of the Rivers District Master Plan, is working in partnership with Calgary Transit and Calgary Stampede to deliver this critical connector.
Reimagining a Critical Connection in The C+E
By Kelly Coles, VP of Building & Infrastructure, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC)
The Victoria Park/Stampede Train Station has been operational in Calgary since 1981. Now, after more than 40 years, the station, used by thousands every week, is being reimagined and rebuilt to better serve Calgarians for many years to come.
A complex project in an evolving district
The project, under construction since 2020, is a complex one. Building a project of this scale and significance in a tight right-of-way while maintaining transit service in the heart of one of the most active destinations for entertainment and cultural programming in the city, is a complicated matter.
CMLC challenged the consulting and construction teams, lead by ISL and PCL, to be intentional and innovative in project approach and phasing. The team rose to the challenge and has leveraged a range of strategies, including limiting major construction milestones to long weekends, building a temporary platform to enable transit service during construction, and even doing full mock-ups of speciality tracks off-site to ensure it would fit and tie-in to the existing rail before bringing to site for installation. As a result, we’ve been able to minimize disruption to transit service and to area residents and businesses, and the project remains on schedule for completion in 2023.
A modern, accessible station for all
The new station, with side-loading platforms twice the size of the existing centre-loading platform, will be more modern, more accessible and better integrated with its surroundings. Barrier-free access, clearer sight lines and heated shelters will make the experience easier, safer and more comfortable for all users.
Accessibility at the station has already improved, with the 2021 demolition of the ramp and +15 that connected pedestrians to Victoria Park/Stampede Station across Macleod Trail and the opening of a new at-grade crossing at 17 Ave S.E. With the new at-grade crossing, what had previously been a 400m pedestrian journey up the ramp and over the +15 was shortened to less than 60m straight across 17 Ave, making the trip faster and more accessible for transit users and visitors to Stampede Park alike.
Critical Connections
The station rebuild project will be completed in coordination with the BMO Centre expansion and the extension of 17 Avenue S.E. The extension of 17th Avenue is integral to linking The District to neighbouring communities such as the Beltline and 17th Avenue S.W., East Village and Inglewood. Winding past the BMO Centre’s future outdoor plaza, the 17th Avenue extension will meet Stampede Trail (currently Olympic Way/4th Street S.E.), expanding access to Stampede Park and reshaping the way Calgarians and visitors experience The C+E beyond event days and festivals..
Neighbourhoods thrive when they have no borders—when people can get into and out of them effortlessly. The Victoria Park/Stampede Station rebuild will do just that and make The C+E more accessible for a future-ready Calgary.
Conceptual rendering of the Victoria Park/Stampede Station
Kelly Coles, Bio
Kelly joined the CMLC team in April 2019. In her role as Vice President of Building & Infrastructure, Kelly is leading the delivery of the master plan vision for East Village and The Culture + Entertainment District through her oversight of the development management on key city-building infrastructure projects, including BMO Centre Expansion, 17th Avenue S.E. Extension / Stampede Crossing and Arts Commons Transformation.
Kelly brings with her a wealth of project management experience from her role in the Facility Management Department at the City of Calgary. Before joining the City of Calgary, Kelly gained experience as a team member and leader at an architectural and interior design firm. Kelly holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration through the University of Victoria, a Bachelor of Interior Design, a Diploma in Architectural Technologies from SAIT, and a Project Management certificate. Kelly’s passion for learning and city building is a valuable asset to the CMLC team.