Calgary highlights ‘progress’ in State of Downtown report

Downtown Calgary is not just bouncing back, it’s transforming — that’s the message from city hall in its ‘State of Downtown’ report.

Years of empty offices, tax pressure on small businesses and a global pandemic hit hard, but with $200 million from the city and millions more from the province and Ottawa, Calgary launched a full-on downtown reboot in 2021.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek, alongside the directors of downtown strategies and partnerships, shone a light on the changes on Tuesday with Century Gardens as a backdrop.

The report from the city emphasizes growth in the downtown core from 2022 to 2024, with the mayor herself emphasizing that a strong downtown is good for everyone in the city.

“The vitality of our downtown matters to everyone of us, because it is the heart of our city,” says Gondek. “Even if you’re someone who doesn’t make it to downtown very often, the work we’re doing matters to you.”

“A thriving downtown helps to keep head offices here. It helps to attract talent and broaden our non-residential tax base.”

The city’s measuring points for success include most livable city in the world rankings, of which Calgary was fifth in 2024, the number of head offices calling Calgary home, and an increase in playing host to major events.

“We have achieved a major milestone, and this is something that was intended as a 10-year plan,” says Gondek. “Four years in, we have already accomplished a lot.”

Gondek says the push to revive the core has helped boost property assessments by $1.8 billion since 2022. The mayor added that more property taxes from downtown will ease the burden for homeowners and provide more resources for the things residents value.

Ongoing changes to the core includes Olympic Plaza upgrades, Eau Claire and the Arts Commons expansion.

The city admits the glowing satisfaction numbers may not be in line with feelings of many Calgarians who frequent downtown.

“I don’t know what the results of the downtown specific survey is and I’m looking forward to those results,” says Kay Choi, the city’s director of partnerships.

Pulse surveys specific to those who reside and work downtown are upcoming and may address more accurately how residents actually feel about the state of the downtown area.

Tuesday’s report marks a year of progress since the city’s Safety Leadership Table made big recommendations.