The City of Calgary is investing in Eau Claire, Chinatown, and the East Village to enhance areas where Calgarians can proudly participate in a desirable, active, and lively cultural destination. We’re working towards building more resilient and vibrant communities that support future growth and development for the people who live, work, visit, and travel the area. The projects in the area combine flood protection, lifecycle improvements, upgrades to public spaces, walking and cycling paths, and enhanced safety measures, all with the goal of building and maintaining downtown vibrancy.
Below you will see more information about the projects, community impacts, and opportunities to learn more. For more information, please visit calgary.ca/EauClaire.
October virtual information sessions
As we move forward and finalize the designs and construction plans for Eau Claire Area Improvements projects, we want to provide you with an opportunity to connect with the project teams, learn more about the projects, and ask questions.
With many projects in the Eau Claire Area, we know a lot is going on. To help reduce repeated disruptions and impacts to the community, we are coordinating all the projects in the area to work together to offer a series of virtual sessions from October 19 to 30. Each project, including Tomorrow’s Chinatown and Green Line, will host at least two project-specific sessions. Sessions will run between 60 and 90 minutes in the evenings and on Saturday, October 24.
Previously we came to the community in April and October 2019 as one large open house with all of the projects under one roof, but given our current landscape, we are offering these online and at varying times and dates to ensure you are able to attend the sessions you are interested in.
Please visit calgary.ca/EauClaire to view the information session schedule and to register to attend sessions.
Please note: Space is limited, and sessions will be added or removed based on registration.
Construction impacts
Construction on Eau Claire Area Improvements projects is expected to start in Q1 2021, with enabling works starting as early as November 2020. You will start to see an increase in on-site construction activity, including construction crews, vehicles, and heavy equipment. Your walking and wheeling routes may have detours to navigate the area safely. We are committed to keeping business access open throughout construction.
Our project managers and contractors have extensive experience with bridge replacement, flood barrier, and public realm improvements. They use lessons learned from previous projects to find new, alternative, and better ways to mitigate Calgarians’ direct impact. While construction will be disruptive over the next few years, we are committed to working closely with Calgarians to minimize impacts where possible. More information will be provided closer to when construction is set to begin.
Tree removal and replacement
Throughout the construction period, about 160 trees on the south side of the Bow River and along the Prince’s Island lagoon will be removed between November 2020 and summer 2021. Some of the trees being removed are already sick and/or dying.
As part of the program’s compensation and restoration plan, about 40 of the trees will be re-purposed as fish and wildlife habitat at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary; about 10 of the trees will be re-purposed as woody, organic matter in planting beds on Prince’s Island; and 114 trees, shrubs and flowers, including native species, will be planted in the area. We will be replanting species of plants that will provide canopy coverage, age diversity through successional planting, and resiliency against Calgary’s unpredictable weather.
We are working closely with the Government of Alberta to preserve as many trees as possible throughout construction. Jaipur Bridge, in particular, has been redesigned to preserve more existing trees.
3 Avenue South Walking and Wheeling Improvements update
In August, we asked Calgarians to provide input on preliminary design options for the 3 Avenue South Walking and Wheeling Improvements project. We received over 1,000 individual comments on all three zones of the project. The information received through online engagement will be reviewed and balanced with our technical understanding of the area.
To see our What We Heard Report, and for more information about 3 Avenue South Walking and Wheeling Upgrades, please visit calgary.ca/3AveUpgrades.
Downtown Flood Barrier and Eau Claire Promenade
These projects combine flood protection, lifecycle, and placemaking improvements, enhanced safety measures, healthy social distancing spaces, and the goal of building and maintaining downtown vibrancy. Construction could begin as early as Q4 2020, with work ramping up in 2021
Construction is anticipated to be complete by Q3 of 2023. We will be executing our work in the area using a staged approach to minimize impacts on the Bow River Pathway Network.
Jaipur Bridge Replacement
In June, the Jaipur Bridge Replacement design was presented to The Calgary Planning Commission and has since been reviewed from a technical perspective to finalize the design specifications. With the technical design at 90 percent complete, we expect to tender in November and have a contractor on board in the New Year.
To see renderings of the designs presented to The Calgary Planning Commission, please visit Calgary.ca/JaipurBridge
For more information about the above projects, visit: www.calgary.ca/EauClaire
