Centre sector
Downtown Commercial Core
A 1.3 km² centre city community in Calgary’s Centre sector, served by eight CTrain stations and a business improvement area.
About
5% of the ground is under tree canopy and 3% is parkland, both below the Calgary community median.
Getting around
Eight CTrain stations and 107 bus stops sit inside the boundary.
Parks, paths and trees
0.1 km of pathways and trails and 4.2 km of bike routes. The city counts 1,894 public trees here.
When it was built
- 1880s
- T.C. Power & Bro. · Vernacular1885
- Imperial Bank Building · Classical Revival1886
- Lineham Block · Commercial1886
- Calgary Herald Block (Calgary Wine & Spirit) · Edwardian Commercial1887
- Alberta Hotel · Romanesque Revival1888
+3 more
- 1890s
- Calgary Hardware · Romanesque Revival1891
- Hudson's Bay Company Department Store (1891) · Romanesque Revival1891
- Tribune Block · Romanesque Revival1892
- Jacques Jewellery Store · Romanesque Revival1893
- Thomson Brothers Block · Commercial1893
+1 more
- 1900s
- Clarence Block · Italianate1901
- Hodder (Hull) Block · Edwardian Commercial1901
- Alberta Block · Edwardian Commercial1903
- Calgary Milling Company · Edwardian Commercial1903
- First Street West Subway1908
+14 more
- 1910s
- British America Paint Co. (Demolished - 2007) · Edwardian Commercial1910
- Grain Exchange Building · Chicago Commercial Style1910
- 100 Block of Seventh Avenue SW · Commercial1912
- Diamond Residence · Edwardian Gable Front1912
- Original Centre Street Bridge Lions1917
+22 more
- 1920s
- Allen (Palace) Theatre · Renaissance Revival1921
- Self Serving Grocery · Edwardian Commercial1921
- Calgary (Royal Canadian) Legion #1 · Classic Revival1922
- Calgary Electric Light Co./Hinds Meat Store · Edwardian Commercial1922
- Calgary Plumbing & Heating/Tyndale Memorial Bible House · Gothic Revival1926
+2 more
- 1930s
- Bank of Nova Scotia (1930) · Art Deco1930
- Compton Apartments (& Parking Garage) (Demolished - 1996)1930
- York Hotel (Demolished - 2008) · Commercial1930
- Calgary Public Building · Modern Classical1931
- Bank of Montreal · Beaux-Arts1932
+1 more
- 1950s
- Barron Building · Art Moderne1951
- J.H. Ashdown Hardware Warehouse · Commercial1952
- Eighth Avenue Building · Modern1953
- Royal Bank of Canada Building · International1953
- Bay Parkade · International1956
+11 more
- 1960s
- W.R. Castell Central Library · Modern1963
- Holiday Inn (Ramada Hotel) · Modern1964
- Natural Resources Building · International1966
- Phillips Building · International1968
- John J. Bowlen Building · International1969
+5 more
- 1970s
- Century Gardens · Brutalist1975
- Glenbow Museum Exterior Murals · Modern1975
- NOVA Building Complex · Modern1979
- 1980s
- Olympic Plaza · Post Modern1987
104 resources on the City of Calgary inventory, by construction decade.
Public art
- Balancing Act · Roy LeadbeaterMunicipal Building plaza level, 800 Macleod Tr. S.E.
- Bears · Leo MolCentury Gardens, 826 Eighth Ave. S.W.
- Below/Before/Between · Jill AnholtFifth Street S.W. and Ninth Avenue S.W.
- Bronze Spaceflower · Roy LeadbeaterTelus Convention Centre
- Brotherhood of Mankind · Mario ArmengolFirst Street S.E. between Fifth Avenue S.E. and Sixth Avenue S.E.
- Calgary Scroll · David RokebyEighth Street S.W. Underpass between Eighth Avenue S.W. and 10th Avenue S.W.
- Convergence · FilipinX Kasaganaan Artist Collective149 Fifth Ave. S.E. on the Good Neighbour Community Market Building
- Conversation · William Hodd McElcheranStephen Avenue Mall at First Street S.W.
- Day and Night · Katie OheDevonian Gardens (317 Seventh Avenue S.W., Third Floor)
- Daydream · Derek BesantPlus 15: 777 Eighth Avenue S.W.
- Ex/Diamond · Vera GartleyPlus 15 on Macleod Trail S.E. between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue S.E. - 616 MacLeod Tr. S.E.
- Family of Horses · Harry O'HanlonMunicipal Building plaza level, 800 Macleod Tr. S.E.
- Jerry Potts, Metis Scout (1840-1896) · David GarneauMunicipal Building Atrium
- Joy · Roy LeadbeaterMunicipal Building main floor, 800 Macleod Tr. S.E
- Lion · JamesL. ThomsonMunicipal Building west entrance, 800 Macleod Tr. S.E
- Luminous Crossings · Cliff GartenCity Hall LRT Station (Third Street S.E.)
- Natural Engineer · Don BeggPark East of the Municipal Building, 800 Macleod Tr. S.E.
- Offering to Selene from an Elephant God · Isla BurnsPlus 15: 540 Fifth Avenue S.W. (end of plus 15)
- Past, Present and Future · Gernot KieferHarmony Park, 115 Fourth Ave. S.W.
- Patrick Burns, Cattleman (1856-1937) · David GarneauMunicipal Building Atrium
- Pete Pig · Gwen HughesPlus 15: Third Street between Fourth Avenue S.W. & Fifth Avenue S.W.
- Pristine · Blake SeniniFirst Street S.E. and Ninth Avenue S.E. (Plus 15)
- Robert Chambers Edwards, Publisher (1864-1922) · David GarneauMunicipal Building Atrium
- Roseta · SebastiánDevonian Gardens (317 Seventh Avenue S.W.)
- Samuel Livingston, First Farmer Rancher in Calgary (1831-1897) · David GarneauMunicipal Building Atrium
- Stroll · Derek BesantSeventh Avenue between First Street S.W. and Centre St.
- The Alberta Family · Stanley BleifeldCentury Gardens, 826 Eighth Ave. S.W.
- The Bears · Suzanne SableMunicipal Building main floor, 800 Macleod Tr. S.E
- The Little Mermaid · Edvard EriksenTelus Convention Centre
- Wander · Derek BesantFirst Street S.W. LRT Station
Community association
Downtown Core Neighbourhood Association · Calgary Downtown Association (CDA) BIA
Compared with Calgary
- 5.2%Tree canopyBelow city median 14.6%
- 3.2%ParklandBelow city median 11.9%
- 0%Natural areaBelow city median 2%
- 0.1 kmPathways and trailsBelow city median 4.1 km
- 4.2 kmBike routesAbove city median 1.7 km
Permits and housing
Building permits
389 building permits, 51 development permits and 2 land-use redesignations in the last twelve months, with a declared building value of $238.1M.
Housing stock
The city lists 4 licensed short-term rentals.
Downtown Commercial Core — common questions
- Which part of Calgary is Downtown Commercial Core in?
- Downtown Commercial Core is in the Centre sector of Calgary.
- Is Downtown Commercial Core on the CTrain?
- Yes. 7th Street SW Station, City Hall Station, 8th Street SW Station, 6th Street SW Station, 1st Street SW Station, Centre Street Station, 4th Street SW Station, and 3rd Street SW Station sit inside the Downtown Commercial Core boundary.
- How big is Downtown Commercial Core?
- Downtown Commercial Core covers about 1.3 square kilometres.
- Which communities border Downtown Commercial Core?
- Downtown Commercial Core borders Beltline, Chinatown, Downtown East Village, Downtown West End, and Eau Claire.
- Does Downtown Commercial Core have a Business Improvement Area?
- Yes — Downtown Commercial Core is served by the Calgary Downtown Association (CDA) BIA.
- How many historic resources are in Downtown Commercial Core?
- Downtown Commercial Core has 104 historic resources on the City of Calgary's heritage inventory.
- Is Downtown Commercial Core good for walking and cycling?
- Downtown Commercial Core has 4.2 km of bike routes and 0.1 km of pathways and trails.
- Does Downtown Commercial Core have public art?
- Downtown Commercial Core has 30 public artworks.
- What is for sale in Downtown Commercial Core?
- Every home for sale in Downtown Commercial Core is on the listings map, with prices and photos, scoped to this community.
Sources and notes
- City of Calgary Open Data: community boundaries and classes, permits, parks and off-leash areas, urban forest, pathways and bikeways, historic resources, public art, schools, transit stops, secondary suites, short-term rentals, land supply. Permits, suites and short-term-rental licences refresh daily to weekly.