The Construction Source

The Calgary Stampede and development partner Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) have unveiled designs for an expanded BMO Conven- tion Centre. This $500-million expansion is expected to mod- ernize the facility and enable Calgary to host major conven- tions on a global scale. Last year, the Calgary Stam- pede and CMLC carried out a rigorous competitive process to select the design team of Stan- tec, Populous, and S2 Architec- ture for this project. The BMO Centre will be the larg- est conference facility in west- ern Canada (and the country’s second largest after Toronto’s). The centre will have over 92,903 m2 (1 million sf) of total floor space, including 32,516 m2 (350,000 sf) of contiguous ex- hibit space, which would more than double its current rent- able area. The new facility is ex- pected to espouse, inside and out, today’s best practices in premier conference facility de- sign. The interior spaces will be ample and adaptable; meeting rooms will be wired for instant connectivity, flexible breakout areas will facilitate human con- nections, and outdoor spaces will invite attendees to experi- ence the natural surroundings, diverse amenities, and western hospitality. This state-of-the-art, tier-one facility is designed to meet the needs of the convention and consumer show industries in 2024 and beyond. The project is on schedule to meet the projected June 2024 completion date. The develop- ment permit has been submit- ted and construction of Hall F (9290 m2 [100,000 sf] of ad- ditional space) is on track for completion later this month. Crews will begin demolishing existing structures in the fall and break ground on the new building next year. JUNE 2020 Calgary Stampede unveils design for $500M BMO Centre expansion project Photo: Joshua Lawrence