Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer
Construction on Calgary’s Stephen Avenue will begin next week after the city delayed the project’s start to strike a compromise with local businesses concerned about the impact on the busy summer patio season.
The city announced Wednesday that work on the Stephen Avenue Revitalization Project will now commence Monday, July 21.
The decision follows a postponed July 14 start date, which was pushed back after business owners voiced frustration over the timing and potential disruption during their most profitable period.
Under a revised plan, crews will initially focus on the east half of the 100 block of 1 Street S.E., allowing most restaurant patios on the popular strip to remain open until early September. Work will expand to the west side of the block on Sept. 2.
“Calgary’s economy is growing, and as we invest in the future of our downtown, we remain committed to minimizing disruption to local businesses,” said Michael Thompson, the city’s general manager of infrastructure services, in a news release. “This updated construction plan reflects that balance by supporting summer patio operations while keeping the revitalization project on track.”
The project will upgrade critical underground infrastructure, including water mains and electrical systems that are more than a century old, while also improving the public streetscape.
Business owners, who had advocated for a solution that would protect summer revenues, expressed satisfaction with the new arrangement.
“I feel the city and local businesses came to the best compromise possible to be able to make this work for everyone and I’m happy with the outcome at this point,” Stephen Deere, owner of Modern Steak, told LiveWire Calgary. “I am looking forward to working collaboratively with the city to make the project happen.”
Despite the adjusted schedule, the city anticipates the work on the block will be substantially complete by June 2026, ahead of that year’s Calgary Stampede.
