City administration has requested the City of Calgary double its financial commitment to a project set to overhaul the Werklund Centre, formerly known as Arts Commons, as budget estimates for the project rapidly rise.
The modernization of the existing Werklund Centre building is the final of three projects in the area, which includes an expansion of theatre space, as well as a transformation of Olympic Plaza.
“The modernization of Werklund Centre is pivotal for this larger campus to be successful,” said Werklund Centre CEO Alex Sarian. “Our current facility is over 40 years old and, like we all know, lifecycle becomes increasingly a challenge.”
According to an update Monday to the Arts Commons Advisory Committee, $74.5 million has been committed to the Werklund Centre modernization project to date, which has left a funding gap of $270.5 million.
City administration has requested an increase to the city’s commitment to the project from $63 million to $125 million in the upcoming four-year budget, committee documents said, as a result of an adjusted project scope and cost estimates.
The move comes as city council prepares to balance priorities that continue to stack up in the upcoming budget, including funding for infrastructure, recreation, and public safety.
Ward 6 Coun. John Pantazopoulos, who chairs the committee, argued the funding increase should proceed as the modernization of the arts facility could increase economic impact and revitalization for the city’s downtown core.
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“This is the kind of project we have to move forward,” he told reporters. “It’s a cornerstone of downtown Calgary, it’s a cornerstone of our arts and culture strategy at the City of Calgary, and it’s something we need to progress.”
The modernization project is set to include a redevelopment of the Jack Singer concert hall lobby as well as the lobbies of multiple theatres, an expansion to office as well as arts education space, and increased accessibility for operations both front and back of house, according to the city.
The project would also realign the Plus 15 connection, and include upgrades to the Public Building.
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According to officials, the expanded scope of the project and a more refined design has the project’s cost estimated at $345 million, up $75 million from previous estimates.
“This is about further understanding what the project is,” said Calgary Municipal Land Corporation president Kate Thompson. “So the further and more detailed understanding you have with the project, the more detailed you get in the budget and that’s where we are today.”
When asked about the significant change in cost estimates, Ward 4 Coun. DJ Kelly said the City of Calgary should look to improve communicating the range included in the cost estimate for city-funded projects.
The most recent estimate on the Werklund Centre modernization project was Class B, which can vary by up to 10 per cent.
“We need to get a lot better about communicating that range so that when Calgarians know they hear a solid number, depending on where we’re at in the process, it might not actually be a solid number,” Kelly told reporters.
Although shovels are in the ground on the Olympic Plaza transformation, as well as the expansion to the Werklund Centre, construction on the modernization is anticipated to start in 2029 if the project can be fully funded by the end of 2026, city documents showed.
The Government of Alberta has committed $103 million to the Werklund Centre, and officials have begun advocating the Government of Canada to match those funds in its upcoming budget. The remainder of the funding would from the Werklund Centre’s philanthropic donation campaign.
“We are confident that as we advance to the third and final phase of this project, with all the new information that we have as we advance, that the community will come along with us,” Sarian said.
Calgary city council will debate the funding request as part of its deliberations for the four-year budget in November.
