CALGARY — The steel structure for the BMO Centre expansion has been completed. In just 11 months, crews have installed 9,000 metric tonnes of steel from seven steel shops across Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan to form the structure of the BMO Centre’s 565,000-sq.-ft. expansion.
Designed by a team of architects at Stantec, Populous and S2 Architecture, the $500 million expansion – funded in equal parts by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta and the City of Calgary – will double the centre’s capacity for conferences, meetings and events. With more than 100,000-sq.-ft. of new exhibition space, 38 new meeting rooms, two new ballrooms totalling 70,000 sq. ft. and a central gathering place anchored by the largest indoor fireplace in Canada, the BMO Centre will be a state-of-the-art venue that showcases the best in both technology and western hospitality.
PCL Construction and M3 Development Management have led the delivery of the project, and RJC Engineers, in collaboration with Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA) and Walters Group, have been instrumental through the installation of the structure.
“This is an incredible milestone on a key project that will help the Calgary Stampede welcome the world – and our community – in 2024 and beyond,” says Joel Cowley, CEO, Calgary Stampede. “We can’t wait to open the doors to western Canada’s largest convention centre. We’ve already seen great interest in our remarkable new gathering space, with conferences already booked for June 2024 onwards.”
“We are thrilled with the progress we’re making on this important project and for what it means for Calgary,” says Kate Thompson, president and CEO of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC). “We’ve successfully navigated a volatile market and challenging supply chain to arrive at this critical project milestone on schedule, and to see the expanded BMO Centre take shape in Calgary’s emerging Culture and Entertainment District is a really positive indicator of the big things yet to come in the area.”
“This is an exciting milestone in a major city-shaping project that has been expertly managed by CMLC and the whole project team,” says Stuart Dalgleish, general manager of Planning and Development Services at the City of Calgary. “The expansion of the BMO Centre at Stampede Park furthers Calgary’s position as a thriving and dynamic hub for trade and tourism, advances our city’s economic resilience and position on the world’s stage, and represents a significant step toward realizing our vision for the Culture and Entertainment District, and our downtown transformation.”
