The future of Olympic Plaza in Calgary is becoming clearer as the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) released its public engagement report following online surveys and in-person events. The plaza has been a community hub in downtown Calgary since it was built for the 1988 Winter Olympics, hosting festivals, protests, and community events. The public engagement showed that Calgarians hope the revitalized plaza will include green space, a performance area, festive lighting, an outdoor eatery, and the return of the popular skating rink. Feedback also highlighted concerns about safety in the area and the need to increase awareness of programming taking place.
Calgarians expressed the desire for safety improvements in terms of lighting and layout design at the plaza. The transformed plaza will fall under the management of Arts Commons, which sees the space as an opportunity to blend civics and culture. Arts Commons will coordinate public programming at the plaza, opening it up to the more than 200 groups it currently serves. The plaza is considered a central hub in the city’s downtown strategy, connecting Calgarians with all the core has to offer in terms of arts, culture, and community activities.
There are questions about what will happen to the Olympic bricks that line the plaza, and the design team has determined that it is not feasible to incorporate them into the new design. However, they plan to give Calgarians the chance to commemorate their piece of history through a digital map on the city’s website and six family-friendly, free Brick by Brick events hosted at the plaza. The team is tasked with acknowledging the plaza’s history in the new design, paying tribute to the winter games that brought Olympic Plaza to Calgary in 1988.
The design team aims to incorporate the spirit of the 1988 Winter Olympics while looking towards the future in the new design of Olympic Plaza. The goal is to provide a space where Calgarians can gather, celebrate, and enjoy various cultural activities. Arts Commons sees ice skating, political protests, and other events as cultural activities that can be accommodated in the revitalized plaza. The redesign project is an opportunity to redefine the space and create a welcoming environment for the community to come together.
Overall, the public engagement process has provided valuable feedback from Calgarians about their hopes and concerns for the revitalized Olympic Plaza. The city and CMLC are taking these insights into account as they move forward with the redesign, ensuring that the new plaza meets the needs and expectations of the community. The project is an opportunity to honor the history of the plaza while creating a modern, adaptable space that can continue to be a gathering place for Calgarians for years to come.
