Crews move to build foundation for Calgary’s new event centre

The construction of Calgary’s new event centre has hit a significant milestone, the city announced Monday.

Below-ground and foundation construction has started at Scotia Place, putting the project on track for a fall 2027 opening.

Construction in the The Culture + Entertainment District is expected to reach street level later this year.

“This concrete and rebar work will support the entire Scotia Place structure; it is the literal foundation for all that is to come for Scotia Place as the new heart of entertainment for Calgary,” said Bob Hunter with the Scotia Place Project Team.

As of early this year, crews had installed more than 1,100 structural piles around the site; key in the building’s stability, the city says. Last week, crews started to stand up rebar panels and pour concrete into 35-foot-tall forms for the first set of foundation walls.

Workers will continue to install structural concrete and steel across the site before columns, stairs, elevator cores, and access ramps are added throughout the year. This year will also see underground mechanical, electrical, and plumbing connections installed.

Scotia Place is 35 feet below ground, a set-up which the city says will allow for seamless access to ground floor amenities, including indoor and outdoor spaces and accessible seating.

The redeveloped area will also include a 1,000-seat community arena, indoor and outdoor public plazas, year-round dining options, and the Calgary Flames Store.

Upon completion, project construction will have seen the removal of more than 308,000 cubic metres (123 Olympic swimming pools) of dirt to make space for more than 41,000 cubic metres (24 hockey rinks filled one metre deep) of concrete and 9,000 metric tons (weight of 1,500 elephants) of rebar that will reinforce the structure and more than 4,450 kilometres (a round trip from Calgary to Chicago) of wire throughout the walls.