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BMO Centre Expansion

Priority Capital Projects BMO Centre Expansion

The expanded BMO Centre will provide Calgary with an event venue that will attract large international and national conventions and conferences.

As a priority capital project that is already underway, the BMO Centre expansion highlights The City‘s dedication to invest in our community and Calgary’s future. 

Project update - June 2023

The BMO Centre Expansion is on track and on budget to open for Stampede 2024. 

The Project

When construction is complete on the expansion, the BMO Centre will be Western Canada’s largest convention centre with over 1 million square feet, including more than 100,000 sq. ft. of new exhibition space, 38 new meeting rooms, two new ballrooms totalling 70,000 sq. ft., and gathering spaces throughout. The modernized facility will provide the opportunity to host large national and international events.  

Located on Stampede Park, the expanded BMO Convention Centre is key component of the Rivers District Master Plan. It is an investment in Calgary’s envisioned Culture + Entertainment District, serving as an anchor to attract private investment and new local business to the area.

Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), a wholly owned subsidiary of The City of Calgary and steward of the Rivers District Master Plan, is serving as Development Manager for the BMO Centre expansion on behalf of the project partners: The City of Calgary and Calgary Stampede. 

Benefits to Calgarians

  • Job Creation

    Ernst & Young prepared an Economic Impact Assessment on the full build out of the Culture + Entertainment District. The report released in January 2019, states that 4,750 full-time jobs could be created during the construction phase of the district, with an additional 1,536 permanent jobs created once the new facilities are open.

  • Invest in Calgarians

    Between now and 2024, the BMO Centre will be a major catalyst in the development of the Cultural + Entertainment District serving as an anchor to attract private investment into new local businesses. It is a key component of the Rivers District Master Plan and supports the Downtown Strategy.

  • Economic Growth

    An expanded BMO Centre will increase total floor space to over one million square feet when complete, essentially doubling its rentable space. Upon completion, the BMO Centre will be the largest facility in Western Canada and enable Calgary to compete for national international meetings and conventions.

Download the Ernst & Young Economic Impact Assessment.

Investment

The expansion of the BMO Convention Centre is estimated at $500 million. It is funded through equal contributions from the Government of Canada, Government of Alberta and The City of Calgary.

Project background

BMO location map

The BMO Centre has been Calgary’s premier venue for consumer and trade shows, special events, meetings and conferences since its opening in 1982. The venue has undergone two major expansions since its opening, in 2000 and again in 2009. It currently consists of 285,000 sq. ft. of rentable exhibition halls, meeting rooms and a ballroom.

Timeline

Complete list of project milestones 

Fast facts

  • At completion, the max occupancy of the building, including the existing BMO Centre facilities, will be 33,000 people.
  • The construction site of the expansion is currently tipping at 600 workers a day, working from 6:00 am to midnight, six days a week.
  • As of June 2023, there are 32 confirmed bookings in the new expansion and booked out as far as 2032.

Project partners

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