$154 M investment to support six capital recreation projects
On June 21, Council approved $154 million to support the development of six capital projects that will increase recreation opportunities in under-served areas of Calgary, allowing more Calgarians to be more active, more often.
Earlier this year, Council directed Administration to develop a capital investment strategy to address gaps in play and practice spaces in new and established areas of Calgary. This included addressing aging recreation infrastructure, service needs, and equitable distribution of in-demand amenities throughout Calgary. Six proposed priority projects addressing community needs, accessibility and readiness were approved by Council. The projects and budget allocations are:
- Northeast regional fieldhouse at Skyview Ranch — $32 million
- Northeast athletic park at Saddle Ridge — $25 million
- Northwest athletic park at Rocky Ridge — $14 million
- Southeast air-inflated structure (dome) at the Calgary Soccer Centre — $6 million
- Southwest regional fieldhouse at Belmont — $32 million
- Southwest twin arena redevelopment at Glenmore Athletic Park — $45 million
“I’m so pleased Council came together to make this generational investment that will address recreation gaps across our city,” says Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “This will have a lasting impact, opening up new and much-needed sports and play opportunities for children and adults in our community.”
These projects will address growth and service needs throughout the city using funding from Offsite Levies and the Community Investment Reserve. Council also recently approved investments in downtown Calgary, including $45 million to the Repsol Centre for community aquatic amenities and $200 million for Calgary’s Greater Downtown Plan.
The six new projects will include public engagement during the master planning stages of each site. They are slated to be completed over the next several years, with the last project to open in 2027.
“This is an investment in the collective health of our children, families, and communities,” says Ward 5 Councillor George Chahal. “Healthy neighbourhoods need high-quality spaces where people can play and be active. Healthy cities are committed to filling gaps in services and amenities, so everybody has the same opportunities regardless of their address. Now is the time to invest in recreation as we emerge from a pandemic – it is a key to our collective recovery.”
“Recreation is central to Calgarians’ sense of ourselves, and as we emerge from the downturn and the pandemic,” says Ward 9 Councillor Gian-Carlo Carra. “The time is now to double down, not just on opportunities to re-create ourselves but also to activate the driving role recreation must play in re-creating our city.”
More details on the projects can be found at https://calgary.ca/recreationprojects