Eau Claire Area Improvements
Eau Claire Area Improvements
Project Update
Construction on the Eau Claire Area Improvements are well underway and will continue through the upcoming months. To ensure Calgarians can safely visit and enjoy the area, you will see construction fences and pathway detours.
Visit Eau Claire Area Improvements construction and detours for ongoing construction updates.
Understanding that construction projects of this scope have an impact on the communities we work in – we are always working to keep you abreast of the changes that are coming and make any detours clear and functional for people visiting or travelling in the Eau Claire Area. Thank you for your patience while we make our city more resilient, accessible and beautiful for everyone. Sign up for our email updates to receive the most up-to-date information about Eau Claire Area Improvement projects.
Sign up for our email updates to receive the most up-to-date information about Eau Claire Area Improvement projects.
About the project
Investing in the future of Eau Claire, Prince’s Island, Chinatown and the East Village is a fundamental piece of The City’s Downtown Strategy – the effort to support and incentivize private investment, generate visits and spending, and provide amenities and services to enhance the quality of life and experience for people living, working and visiting Calgary’s downtown.
Updating our downtown’s interface with the Bow River goes beyond designing improved pathways and public spaces. It involves a flood mitigation effort that will increase the resilience of our downtown and protect the economic drivers of our economy.
We are committed to:
- Improving connections in to and out of Eau Claire, and downtown as a whole, whether you travel by foot, bus, bike or car.
- Building on Eau Claire’s character to create great spaces to live, work, play, and shop.
- Planning for the near- and long-term to deliver thoughtful growth and development in the area.
Together these projects will support your community in the near future and for decades to come. Each of the projects in the area has the same objective of building and maintaining a wonderful neighbourhood. Some projects will be planned and constructed in the next two years, others that are in planning now won’t be realized for several years. It’s important that we implement each project to meet current needs and to lay the foundation for expected future demand as Calgary grows and evolves.
The Eau Claire Public Realm Plan (82MB file download) provides a comprehensive vision for the future of the Eau Claire Public Realm. It highlights key considerations, programs and elements that will allow Eau Claire area projects to capitalize on the many opportunities that exist in the area and that will accompany forthcoming projects such as the Green Line and the redevelopment of Eau Claire Market. The West Eau Claire Park project that was completed in 2019, is one of the first implementation projects of the Eau Claire Public Realm plan and showcases the vision of Eau Claire as a place for Calgarians to gather and connect at the heart of the city, where culture and nature intermingle.
We need to reimagine and reinvent our downtown to shift from vacancy to vibrancy. Our future success relies on downtown being a place where people want to live, visit and set up businesses. We need to move beyond the traditional 9 to 5 business district towards a vibrant city centre people enjoy 24/7 with a balanced mix of residential, office, retail, entertainment, tourism and culture. Projects such as those in the Eau Claire Area Improvements Program have been identified as infrastructure projects fundamental to our downtown strategy that will create jobs, drive economic recovery, and revitalize and transform the downtown with vibrant public spaces. Shovel ready projects are being prioritized by all orders of government to stimulate the economy and get people working. The Eau Claire Area Improvement Program will generate jobs in the short term through enabling works project and long term through main construction.
Eau Claire Area Improvements
Past Projects
West Eau Claire Park
A place to gather
With construction complete, The City of Calgary is opening the revitalized West Eau Claire Park, and celebrating completing its vision of a place for Calgarians to gather and connect where downtown Calgary meets the Bow River.
This space is the heart of the city, where culture and nature intermingle. The Park and Promenade connect to create a safe, efficient and beautiful riverfront park space, promenade and cycle network.
West Eau Claire Park has two focal points: the Delta Garden and the Cove. The Delta Garden is located at the south end of the Peace Bridge, and forms an architectural delta to move people through the park.
The Cove is a terraced seating area, to the east of the Delta Garden, where people can linger and relax on Muskoka chairs, while taking in the panorama of the Bow River, Peace Bridge and Delta Garden.
The new promenade east of the Peace Bridge connecting to Eau Claire Market is now open to the public. This promenade creates an inviting pedestrian connection along the Bow River with new spaces for seating and provides enhanced safety by separating cyclists and pedestrian users.
A place to reflect
West Eau Claire Park and Eau Claire Promenade are integral parts of flood protection for Downtown Calgary. Flood protection works harmoniously with the Park and Promenade design and is integrated right into public spaces. The City’s plan for flood mitigation is a multi-pronged approach with watershed, community and property-level components. West Eau Claire Park is one example of multiple community level flood barrier projects that are currently underway with support of the Government of Alberta.
These flood protection efforts result in:
- Increased resilience for critical services, public infrastructure and civic services
- Reduced business and economic interruption
- Improved public space adjacent to the Bow River
- Integrated flood protection measures as part of Eau Claire construction projects
- Increased resiliency for residential and commercial properties and future infrastructure projects
On May 1, 2018 the Government of Alberta announced that funding through the Alberta Community Resilience Program (ACRP) would be provided to construct a new flood barrier along the right bank of the Bow River and extending from Eau Claire Plaza to Reconciliation Bridge. This fold barrier will extend flood protection provided by the West Eau Claire Park flood barrier.
Learn more about the City’s Flood Resiliency and Mitigation Plan.
A place to connect
The new Park and Promenade make it easier for Calgarians to walk and cycle, with designated pedestrian and bicycle paths. They are designed to be active and multi-modal; part of a continuous, safe and accessible riverfront. These spaces are designed to encourage year-round healthy, active lifestyles.
A place to explore
An integral component of West Eau Claire Park is the Delta Garden – an architectural delta to move people from the Peace Bridge through the Park. The Gardens offer an opportunity to use public art to consider the disconnect between the regimented process of dividing landscapes, the land’s natural divisions and the power of people’s perceptions to transform any given place.
Local artists, Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, have created a piece of art that embeds 12,000 brass survey monuments in the sidewalk of the Delta Gardens, intended to glitter like light across water.
Inspired by Italo Calvino’s “Invisible Cities”, the Delta Garden explores the notion that a city differs through the eyes of different people. Each survey monument features Calgarians’ answers to the questions “Where are you going?” and where do you want to be?”.
To learn more about the artists and their artwork, please visit www.invisiblecitysurvey.com.
West Eau Claire Master Plan
The West Eau Claire Master Plan provides a high level vision for the area’s public space. It provides guidance for the first two phases of construction that are currently underway for West Eau Claire Park and the Eau Claire Promenade. The process taken to develop the West Eau Claire Master Plan is highlighted below.
| Date | Purpose | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| Date: August 13, 2014 | Purpose: Walking tour | Outcomes: results |
| Date: August 20, 2014 | Engagement meeting (internal) | Outcomes: internal |
| Date: August 20, 2014 | Purpose: Engagement meeting (external) | Outcomes: external |
| Date: August – October, 2014 | Purpose: Online survey, mapping tool and sounding board | Outcomes: results |
| Date: October 1, 2014 | Purpose: Engagement meeting (internal) | Outcomes: internal |
| Date: October 1, 2014 | Engagement meeting (external) | Outcomes: external |
| Date: October 28, 2014 | Purpose: Public Open house – review of concept plans developed and all feedback to date | Outcomes: results panels |
| Date: December 10, 2014 | Purpose: Public Open house – review of draft design plans | Outcomes: panels |
The City considered all input received during the 2014 engagement to make informed decisions, and balance opposing views when creating the final design for the area. The draft plan was presented back to citizens to ensure it was consistent with what we heard through our engagement process.
View the final report
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