Calgary,
31
August
2018
|
10:30
America/Denver

Revitalizing Calgary’s Downtown West

Note: Clips available for media use

CALGARY ­— The City of Calgary is adding to the vibrancy of the Downtown West neighbourhood through community murals, façade improvements and temporary park space.

“When our Centre City thrives, so does the rest of the city,” said City Planner Natalie Marchut of the planned enhancements for the community between Eighth Street and 14th Street S.W. “Partnering with the Downtown West Community Association on these initiatives allows us to support revitalization and reinvestment in commercial properties and create places for residents and visitors to gather and enjoy.”

Two locations have been selected for murals that reflect the neighbourhoods’ principles of inclusion, sustainability and community pride. The first mural by Jason Botkin has been installed at 1010 Sixth Ave. S.W. This real-life depiction of a young girl from an Attainable Homes housing development drawing with chalk, symbolizes hope, home, and community. Requests for murals are still being accepted and building owners in the Downtown West are encouraged to visit calgary.ca/downtownwest for more information.The City is also supporting business owners in the Downtown West through a Façade Improvement Program and the creation of temporary parks in the area.

“Upgrading business facades enhances the streetscape and brings vibrancy back to properties in need of renewal” said Marchut. “We are also looking at using vacant, City-owned land as temporary parks to help create a welcoming and lively environment in the neighbourhood.”

The Downtown West Initiative is part of a larger Downtown West Revitalization Strategy that aims to provide immediate benefit to the area through short-term and low-cost community building programs. The Downtown West neighbourhood is bordered by the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks to the south and the Bow River to the north. It is home to residential towers, businesses, historical buildings and post-secondary institutions. This area has been the site of development since Calgary’s earliest days and continues to be more than 130 years later.

For more information about Centre City planning initiatives such as Downtown West, please visit calgary.ca/downtownwest.

-30-

Clips for media use

Media are welcome to use the following clips and photographs. Please note that files are compressed until downloaded. Please send notification to media.relations@calgary.ca if you use these files in your coverage.

1. A-roll: City of Calgary Planner Natalie Marchut

  • Downtown West Revitalization Program (NATALIE Copy 04 2CH AUDIO.mp4)
  • Downtown West Community Mural Program (NATALIE Copy 01 2CH AUDIO.mp4)
  • About the two community murals in Downtown West (NATALIE Copy 02 2CH AUDIO.mp4)
  • Call for building owners – Downtown West Community Murals (NATALIE Copy 05 2CH AUDIO.mp4)
  • For more information on the Downtown West Revitalization Program (NATALIE Copy 06 2CH AUDIO.mp4)

2. A-roll: Community Mural Program Artist Alex Kwong

  • Downtown West Community - Kwong talks about the mural (ALEX Copy 02 2CH AUDIO.mp4)
  • Downtown West Community - Kwong  provides his thoughts on this art (ALEX Copy 03 2CH AUDIO.mp4)
  • Downtown West Community – Kwong talks about comments from the community (ALEX Copy 04 2CH AUDIO.mp4)

3. B-roll: video footage of murals located at 1010 6 Avenue S.W. and 920 9 Avenue S.W. 

4. Photographs: photographs of each mural and a photo of Jason Botkin, the artist for 1010 Sixth Ave. S.W.

Please click here to access the files