Olympic Plaza Cultural District Engagement & Design Report October 2016 Contents A New Future for the Olympic Plaza Cultural District Detailed What We Heard Results 1 page 1 A page 51 Community Engagement : What We Heard Public Engagement Materials 2 page 7 B page 61 Engagement Activities 9 Verbatim Comments Key Themes 11 C page 69 Olympic Plaza Cultural District Challenge Questions 3 page 14 honour the Olympic legacy and heritage of the space while recognizing the current (and future) reality of Calgary? 17 how activate the Olympic Plaza Cultural District in a way that facilitates both structured and organic happenings? 21 balance the green and grey elements of the Olympic Plaza Cultural District? 25 might activate the space in all seasons? 29 celebrate local food and commerce in the space? 33 fully integrate arts and culture into the life of the Olympic Plaza Cultural District? 37 we ... make the Olympic Plaza Cultural District safe and welcoming for all? 41 ensure all Calgarians have access to the Olympic Plaza Cultural District? 45 Next Steps 4 page 50 ii The City of Calgary | Olympic Plaza Cultural District Executive Summary The Olympic Plaza Cultural District is Calgary’s In early 2016, Calgary City Council approved the The Olympic Plaza Cultural District Engagement Civic District Public Realm Strategy. The document & Design Report is the product of this engagement living room. It represents the city’s legacy as identified Olympic Plaza and its surrounding spaces process. The report reintroduces the Olympic Plaza as an important part of the city and prioritized it Cultural District concept – first noted in the Civic an Olympic host yet remains an important for a major review of its design and function. District Public Realm Strategy – and highlights the feedback and subsequent themes received from place to gather. As the District nears its Following these recommendations, The City of the public during the engagement process. Calgary Administration and the Calgary Municipal 30th year, The City of Calgary has initiated Land Corporation initiated an engagement and These thematic areas, in turn, have been used design process that will produce a new vision for to create eight complementary and thought- a design process to re-envision its future. the Olympic Plaza Cultural District (OPCD). provoking challenge questions that will be used to guide the design team’s work. The challenge In spring 2016, the project team launched an questions will prompt the design team to consider intensive six-week public engagement campaign to how urban design and landscape architecture gain insight into what is treasured about Olympic interventions can be used to minimize identified Plaza and what could make it more successful in the shortcomings and maximize positive outcomes in future. Close to 2,300 Calgarians participated. the Olympic Plaza Cultural District. The City of Calgary | Olympic Plaza Cultural District iii A New Future for the CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER GLENBOW MUSEUM TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE DOMINION BUILDING CALGARY PUBLIC BUILDING & ARTS COMMONS MUNICIPAL BUILDING HISTORIC CITY HALL CALGARY CENTRAL LIBRARY The Civic District Public Realm Strategy was approved by Calgary City Council in January 2016. The plan identifies Olympic Plaza and the places around it as an important part of the city’s fabric, and a priority for a major review of its design and function. 1 The City of Calgary | Olympic Plaza Cultural District Olympic Plaza Cultural District CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER GLENBOW MUSEUM TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE DOMINION BUILDING CALGARY PUBLIC BUILDING & ARTS COMMONS MUNICIPAL BUILDING HISTORIC CITY HALL CALGARY CENTRAL LIBRARY City Administration, led by the Urban Strategy The area immediately surrounding the OPCD Department in partnership with the Calgary Municipal comprises several important downtown landmarks: Land Corporation (CMLC), began an engagement and The City of Calgary Municipal Building, Historic City design process to create a vision for Olympic Plaza and Hall, the Glenbow Museum, the Telus Convention its public spaces, the Olympic Plaza Cultural District Centre, the Dominion Buillding, Cathedral Church of (OPCD). the Redeemer, Arts Commons and both the current and future Central Libraries. The City of Calgary | Olympic Plaza Cultural District 2 Olympic Plaza Cultural District Site Map 6 AVE SE BLVD Bow CEREMONIAL Valley College ZIPPER Cathedral Paget Park Existing GREENWAY Church of Central the Redeemer Library 3 Street SE 3 Street 7 AVE SE SE Trail Macleod City Hall C-Train 1 Street SE 1 Street Olympic Plaza Municipal Historic Building Arts City Hall Upgrades Commons Expansion Telus Dominion Convention Bank Municipal Municipal New Centre Building Building Central Plaza Library Stephen Avenue Connection 8 AVE SE Stephen Avenue Glenbow Arts Museum Commons 9 AVE SE Calgary Tower 3 The City of Calgary | Olympic Plaza Cultural District This report is intended to serve as a guide Why is a strategy for this area important? How did we get here? Olympic Plaza is our city’s living room. It is The OPCD engagement and design process that highlights what was heard from the the economic and social heart for our citizens, builds upon several planning initiatives that businesses and visitors. Like any good business, have taken place over the past 15 years. public during the initial phase of OPCD The City must ensure our public spaces are well- maintained and the best they can be for everyone. The January 2016 Civic District Public Realm engagement. It will be used to help Strategy identifies the Cultural Heart as “a legible, A number of exciting city-building initiatives transformative, and animated space that unites guide designers to develop ideas for a are already in the works in our Centre City. Olympic Plaza and the Municipal Plaza as the The restoration of Historic City Hall, for example, Cultural Heart of the Centre City.” new Olympic Plaza Cultural District. has triggered opportunities to make our Municipal Plaza more accessible, programmable and active. There are emerging ideas for the new Arts Commons theatre and ideas for integrating that space into Olympic Plaza and the Olympic Plaza adjacent streets. The New Central Library is Cultural District already under construction. CENTRE CITY Coordinating civic infrastructure with the private investment opportunities surrounding these public spaces is essential to ensuring these ideas come together to reinforce the Olympic Plaza Cultural District as a significant public space in Calgary. The City of Calgary | Olympic Plaza Cultural District 4 There are four principles identified: • A space for an intensity of use within Feedback gathered during the Civic District Public Right: The scale of change in Olympic Plaza envisioned by the the Centre City. Realm Strategy told us that Calgarians want to see Building Our Heart: Civic District Public Realm Strategy in 2015. • A gathering space that embraces an Olympic Plaza Cultural District that is clean, safe, the everyday actions of its users. and vibrant and provides a range of programming, Below: The line of sight from the earliest Olympic Plaza • A destination with varying scale and events and amenities. redevelopment efforts in 2001 to today’s work. density of public space. • A legible space defined by active edges The current Olympic Plaza Cultural District and a diversity of program. engagement and design process focused on understanding what Calgarians like about the In addition, the Public Realm Strategy identifies six space, what they want to change and what criteria that are meant to guide the physical design additional amenities and programs they would of the space. These criteria are: like to see. Phases two and three will concentrate on design and construction. 1. Legibility 2. Active edges 3. Programming 4. Activity & amenity 5. Access & linkages 6. Historical resources THE CULTURAL DISTRICT MANIFESTO CALGARY CULTURAL DISTRICT AND IDEA BANK OLYMPIC PLAZA CULTURAL DISTRICT BUILDING OUR HEART ACTIVITIES & FEATURES ENGAGEMENT DESIGN PROCESS CONSTRUCTION A Framework for the Future Olympic Plaza Cultural District StrategyPublic Revitalization Zone Business Plan OutlineThe Civic District Public Realm StrategyThe Olympic Plaza Cultural District The Olympic Plaza Cultural DistrictThe Olympic Plaza Cultural District 2001 2007 2008 - 2011 2015 APRIL MAY 2016 5 The City of Calgary | Olympic Plaza Cultural District The City of Calgary | Olympic Plaza Cultural District 6 Community Engagement In spring 2016, The City of Calgary launched a six-week engagement process to gain insight from the public about the Olympic Plaza Cultural District. Calgarians were able to provide feedback on three key questions that prompted thoughts of what is treasured about the area and what would make it more successful in the future. 7 The City of Calgary | Olympic Plaza Cultural District WHAT WE ASKED 1. What do you like about the Olympic Plaza Cultural District? 2. Is there anything that you would like to change about the Olympic Plaza Cultural District? 3. What activities and features would encourage you to visit more often? What We Heard The OPCD public engagement process was Feedback was provided at special events across the designed to reach citizens from across the community, during stakeholder interviews, during community in approachable and creative ways. a walking tour and a scavenger hunt, at a mobile A range of options were developed to allow office, and at standalone sounding boards and the community to provide their input,