The future of Olympic Plaza is a little clearer now that Calgarians have had their say.
The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) has released its public engagement report following an online survey and in-person pop-up events.
“We’ve heard from Calgarians who live near this area and live far and use this as a destination to come into,” says Kate Thompson, CMLC president and CEO. “It’s all important feedback to start informing the design and what’s to come, and what Calgarians are really looking forward to is to gather in a place that’s easy to gather.”
Olympic Plaza has been a community hub in the downtown core since its construction for the 1988 Winter Olympics when it was used for medal ceremonies. Since then, it has hosted numerous festivals, protests and community events.
“This space is used by so many different communities and different groups to celebrate, and we want to make that as easy as possible and as adaptable as possible,” says Thompson.
Public engagement shows Calgarians hope the revitalized plaza has green space, a performance area, festive lighting, outdoor eatery, and the return of the popular skating rink. Feedback also highlights concerns about safety in the area and to increase awareness of the programming taking place.
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“Safety in lighting, safety in terms of how the spaced as laid out, in terms of corners in the design,” explains Thompson. “The team will be factoring that into their response on how to make people feel safe and secure.”
The transformed plaza will fall under the purview of Arts Commons. The organization describes the space as an opportunity to redefine what it means to blend civics and culture.
“Ice skating is a cultural activity, political protest is a cultural activity,” says Alex Sarian, president and CEO of Arts Commons. “How do we provide the same stewardship like we do now and have been for 40 years?”
Public programming will be coordinated by Arts Commons, opening the space to the more than 200 groups it currently serves.
“We provide the environment in which they can do whatever they want,” says Sarian. “They can innovate, and we provide the shared resources and economies of scale and all the things that should be provided to community groups.”
The central hub is part of the city’s downtown strategy, connecting Calgarians with all the core has to offer.
“It’s one of those spaces that Calgarians travel through on their way to different destinations,” says Thom Mahler with the City of Calgary. “Similar to a living room in a house, they pass through it, but they also hang out.”
Many questions have been asked about what will happen to the Olympic bricks that line the plaza. The design team has determined it is not feasible to incorporate them in the new plaza but want to give Calgarians the chance to commemorate their piece of history.
A digital map has been added to the city’s website, and there will be six family-friendly, free Brick by Brick events hosted at the plaza giving everyone a chance to come see the 33,000 bricks before they’re gone.
“We’re offering name rubbings and a photo of your brick to document it so Calgarians can feel a part of this space,” says Thompson.
The team has also been tasked with acknowledging the plaza’s history in the new design, paying tribute to the winter games that brought the plaza to Calgary.
“I think you have to understand where you came from to understand the next stage,” says Thompson. “I’ve seen some early ideas, and I think they’re doing a great job of trying to incorporate what happened in ’88 and the spirit of ’88 while also looking to the future.”
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