Construction begins on Olympic Plaza transformation project
Posted May 28, 2026 1:19 pm.
Last Updated May 28, 2026 5:01 pm.
Construction has officially begun on Calgary’s long‑planned Olympic Plaza transformation, marking a significant step in the overhaul of one of the city’s best‑known public spaces.
Launched on Thursday by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), the Werklund Centre and The City of Calgary, it follows earlier demolition that began after the plaza closed in January 2025, and is part of a broader effort to redevelop two downtown blocks into a major cultural and civic hub.
The Olympic Plaza project, the Werklund Centre expansion and the future modernization of the existing Werklund Centre are all tied to the larger cultural campus transformation. While construction on the Werklund Centre Expansion started in January 2025, Thursday’s announcement confirms that work on the plaza itself is now underway.
The redesigned plaza will include a new east‑side pavilion with food and drink options and public washrooms, a new green space along the north edge, and a direct connection on the west side to the 170,000‑square‑foot Werklund Centre Expansion, which will feature the Osten‑Victor Playhouse and a 200‑seat studio theatre.
The updated space will be fully accessible and built to support everyday use, markets, community programming, large events of up to 5,000 people and a winter skating rink, according to CMLC. Key Olympic legacy elements, including the 1988 cauldron, the motto Citius, Altius, Fortius, and a 12‑metre “sunflake” feature, will remain part of the design.
The plaza is expected to reopen in 2028.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas said projects like this are essential to Calgary’s future, noting the role of arts and public spaces in building a vibrant and safe downtown.
“There’s no city of two million people or more, that is successful and competitive in this world, that does not invest in the arts, and more so invest in the spaces and places of people that invest in the arts,” Farkas said.
The $70‑million project is funded by the Government of Alberta, the City of Calgary and the Werklund family.
Work continues to secure funding for the final phase, including modernization of the existing Werklund Centre, which isnow entering its second year of construction.
