Downtown Calgary revitalization report optimistic as safety concerns persist – Calgary [Video]

It paints a rosy picture of the city’s efforts to revitalize downtown Calgary.

The 2022-2024 State of the Downtown report was released Tuesday morning, providing an update on the city’s efforts to convert empty office space to residential apartments, reduce crime and public disorder and attract more people to live and work and play in the downtown core.

Between 2021 and 2026, the city will have spent approximately $335 million on the initiative.

“The vitality of our downtown matters to every one of us because it’s the heart of our city, and when the core is strong the entire city thrives — and even if you’re someone who doesn’t make it to downtown very often, the work we’re doing matters to you,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek.

“A thriving downtown helps to keep head offices here, it helps to attract talent and broaden our non-residential tax base.”

“After the oil crash …