Crews have begun installing rebar and pouring concrete into 35-foot-tall foundation wall forms at Scotia Place, marking the first phase of structural construction on Calgary's new downtown event centre.
The City of Calgary confirmed Monday that excavation is nearing completion, and foundation work is now underway. Rebar panels are being raised, and concrete is being poured into the site's first vertical elements, which are 35 feet below ground.
"This concrete and rebar work will support the entire Scotia Place structure; it is the literal foundation for all that is to come for Scotia Place as the new heart of entertainment for Calgary," said Bob Hunter with the Scotia Place Project Team.
By early 2025, crews had installed more than 1,100 structural piles around the site's footprint — a critical step in ensuring Scotia Place's stability.
"This work supports more than the foundation, though — it's the groundwork for a new destination for celebration, connection and community in Calgary's emerging Culture + Entertainment District," Hunter said.
Calgarians will soon see the next phase take shape as the structure begins to rise toward street level later this year. The project remains on track for a Fall 2027 opening.
Structural concrete and steelwork will continue throughout 2025, starting with the current foundation walls and expanding to include underground columns, stairs, elevator cores and access ramps. Underground mechanical, electrical and plumbing connections will also be installed.
The event and ice surface is being constructed 35 feet below ground, allowing for seamless access to ground-floor amenities that include indoor and outdoor spaces and accessible seating options.
Beyond concerts and major sporting events, Scotia Place will also include a 1,000-seat community arena, public plazas and gathering spaces, year-round dining options, and The Calgary Flames Store.
Once complete, Scotia Place will have removed more than 308,000 cubic metres of dirt — the equivalent of 123 Olympic swimming pools — to make space for more than 41,000 cubic metres of concrete (enough to fill 24 hockey rinks one metre deep), 9,000 metric tons of rebar (the weight of 1,500 elephants), and over 4,450 kilometres of wire — approximately the distance of a round trip from Calgary to Chicago.
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