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Downtown Calgary revitalization report optimistic as safety concerns persist

Click to play video: 'Downtown Calgary revitalization report optimistic, but safety concerns remain'
Downtown Calgary revitalization report optimistic, but safety concerns remain
WATCH: The City of Calgary says its strategy to revitalize the downtown core is paying off nearly halfway through the plan’s timeline, but some business owners say safety concerns continue to create challenges. Adam MacVicar reports. – Apr 22, 2025

It paints a rosy picture of the city’s efforts to revitalize downtown Calgary.

The 2022-2024 State of the Downtown report was released Tuesday morning, providing an update on the city’s efforts to convert empty office space to residential apartments, reduce crime and public disorder and attract more people to live and work and play in the downtown core.

Between 2021 and 2026, the city will have spent approximately $335 million on the initiative.

Between 2021 and 2026, the city of Calgary will spend approximately $335 million on a variety of projects to help revitalize the downtown core. Global Calgary

“The vitality of our downtown matters to every one of us because it’s the heart of our city, and when the core is strong the entire city thrives — and even if you’re someone who doesn’t make it to downtown very often, the work we’re doing matters to you,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek.

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

“After the oil crash in 2014, the value of our downtown office buildings dropped by 62 per cent in four years,” said Tom Mahler, director of Downtown Strategy with the City of Calgary.

“And because our city operates on a revenue-neutral tax system, those dollars don’t just disappear. We have to collect them from other properties across Calgary, ”

Click to play video: 'Toronto looks to Calgary’s experience converting office space to housing'
Toronto looks to Calgary’s experience converting office space to housing

The city points to such projects as the 11 office-to-residential conversions that will create almost 1,500 new homes in downtown Calgary, a $1.8-billion increase in downtown property values, record transit ridership (10 million trips in October 2024) and a 12-per cent decline in callers concerned about social disorder and downtown safety (year-over-year) as proof that progress is being made.

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The city of Calgary estimates the eleven              office-to-residential conversions taking place in downtown Calgary will create almost 1,500 new homes and add $1.8 billion to property values. Global News

However, not all Calgarians share city hall’s optimism.

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Wendy Irvine is operations manager of the Unicorn Pub on Stephen Avenue.

“The homeless is one thing, but drugs and crack and just people walking in, punching my staff — and I know it’s not just here, it’s all through the downtown core,” said Irvine.

“The back alleys, just bodies everywhere, bins getting lit on fire, just sucking your soul — I’m just ready to throw in the towel. I can’t do it anymore, it’s horrendous.”

Irvine said the Unicorn was recently forced to spend $4,000 on better lighting, new cameras in the back alley and other improved security measures.

Despite the city’s claims of stepped-up crime prevention, Irvine said she hasn’t noticed any difference.

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“A lot of people are just scared to come down to this avenue,” added Irvine.  “A lot of us are just used to it — it’s really scary to think its just an everyday occurrence, to just put up with it. It’s an embarrassment.”

Wendy Irvine, Operations Manager of the Unicorn Pub on Stephen Avenue, said despite the city’s claims, she hasn’t noticed any difference in the amount of drug use, crime and social disorder in the downtown core. Global News

Irvine’s concerns appear to be supported by a recent report from the Calgary Police Service to the city’s community development committee.

It said homelessness, drug activity and transit safety are among the biggest concerns Calgarians have,  with 61 per cent of respondents saying the city’s police service is under-funded and 41 per cent saying they want a more visible police presence.

When asked about the discrepancy between what was presented in the State of the Downtown report and what some business owners are saying, the city pointed to the same report that said Calgarians’ overall perception of the city as a safe place to live has increased from 69 per cent in 2023 to 75 per cent in 2024.

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However, city officials admit that despite the progress that has been made, there’s still a lot more work to do.

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