After work was paused during the 2026 Calgary Stampede, construction is ramping up again in Calgary’s Culture and Entertainment District.
Starting Monday, Calgarians can expect temporary lane reductions and street or sidewalk closures as major capital projects east of downtown continue to advance, including Scotia Place, the Autograph Collection Hotel on Stampede Park, various infrastructure improvements, and the 6th Street S.E. underpass project.
“We’ve been hard at work building the Culture and Entertainment District for the last number of years,” said Emma Stevens, director of communications and external relations for Calgary Municipal Land Corp. (CMLC), which is the construction co-ordinator for the district.
“It’s really exciting to see that level of progress and development taking place in the district as we work to realize the master plan vision for the area.”
Projects bringing traffic disruptions for the rest of this summer will include Scotia Place, the future $926-million NHL arena and event centre that will house the Calgary Flames and replace the Saddledome.
Construction broke ground in summer of 2024 and passed the halfway mark in June. Roof installation is underway and the building is expected to be watertight by the end of this year.
Lane reductions and sidewalk closures will be in effect along the streets surrounding the construction site to accommodate that work, Stevens said.
The 18,400-seat arena is expected to open in time for the 2027-28 NHL season. Demolition of the Saddledome will follow.
Another development project in the area is the Autograph Collection Hotel, which is being built on the site of the former Weadickville. Led by Calgary-based developer Truman and hotelier Marriott International, the 13-storey, 320-room hotel will provide the first on-site lodgings at Stampede Park when it opens in late 2028. Construction broke ground earlier this year and the project comes with a $330-million price tag.
The 6th Street S.E. underpass, which will provide additional access to the Culture and Entertainment District from 9th Avenue S.E., is currently under construction, with new road closures in effect between 11th and 12th avenues.
The underpass will add a second crossing under the Canadian Pacific Kansas City rail line, improving connections to Scotia Place.
The underpass will include four vehicle lanes, dedicated pedestrian sidewalks, a multi‑use pathway, shaded rest areas, and railings that separate roadways from pathways, according to a city web page devoted to the project.
“The project enhances access to Scotia Place and surrounding developments, supporting a more connected, walkable, and vibrant community,” it states.
There are also a series of roadwork, public realm and connectivity improvements happening along 14th Avenue S.E., 5A Street S.E. and Flores LaDue Parade
Because detours and sidewalk or road closures can shift week to week, she said the best way for Calgarians to stay up to date with how to mitigate construction in the area is to visit map.cedistrict.com
“One of the things that is so interesting and exciting about the Culture and Entertainment District is that it is a district in development, but also very much an active destination for events, programming and people living their day to day lives,” Stevens said.
“It’s always been our priority for CMLC as the construction coordinator in the district to work with all our partners to make sure we’re able to maintain access to the places people need to go while we’re under construction.”
While each project is on its own timeline, Stevens said most are expected to be completed in either 2027 — highlighted by the completion of Scotia Place — or 2028.
“2024 was a really big year for the (Culture and Entertainment District) with the completion of the BMO Centre expansion, the new Victoria Park-Stampede station and the 17th Avenue extension, and I think we’ll see a lot more of that, even in 2027 with Scotia Place, Stampede Trail and those district infrastructure improvements,” she said.
“Into 2028-29, we’ll start to see those hotels come online and perhaps even more development in the residential space . . . so we’re gearing up for a really exciting few years in the C and E.”
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