Calgary introduces program to incentivize more downtown developments

Andrew Jeffrey · CBC News

· Posted: May 07, 2025 7:59 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

The metropolis is launching an inducement program in a bid to promote the instauration of much than 1,500 caller homes successful Calgary's downtown.

More details were released Wednesday.

The inaugural is the Downtown Density Bonusing Offset Program, which is acceptable up to connection a fiscal inducement for gathering caller homes arsenic a mode to much rapidly physique up Calgary's lodging proviso successful the city's core.

The program's purpose is to trim the outgo of operation and promote much high-density residential improvement successful downtown Calgary, the metropolis said connected Wednesday. It works done density bonusing, a instrumentality that allows developers to adhd suites, floors oregon quadrate footage successful speech for investments benefiting the greater community.

The metropolis said it would see investments successful assemblage amenities similar parks oregon nationalist art, successful practice conservation, arsenic good arsenic assemblage funds oregon affordable housing. The programme would offset the outgo of these contributions.

"With the explosive maturation we are seeing here, it's wide that Calgary needs to physique much homes," Mayor Jyoti Gondek said successful a quality merchandise connected Wednesday. "Building homes downtown ensures we're gathering demand, boosting affordability, providing options for Calgarians, and creating a much connected and livable metropolis for everyone."

The caller programme is meant to enactment the city's downtown and lodging strategies, alongside different programs similar the office-to-residential conversions. It's unfastened for applications arsenic of June 1.

Thom Mahler, Calgary's manager of downtown strategy, told CBC News the metropolis would instrumentality applications from immoderate developer who has included density bonusing successful their improvement plan, who conscionable a minimum barroom of fiscal viability for the metropolis to transportation it forward.

"We're looking astatine however galore lodging units tin we get retired of this, what's the assortment of lodging units that we have, is determination affordable lodging arsenic portion of it? Those would beryllium immoderate of the considerations successful presumption of which projects mightiness beryllium eligible for funding," Mahler said.

Because the barroom to make downtown is expensive, due to the fact that the onshore determination is typically much costly than galore different parts of the city, Mahler said this programme volition mostly beryllium moving with well-financed developers.