Big, bold and on budget: An inside look at the BMO Centre expansion

A major transformation is well underway on the Calgary Stampede grounds, with the 565,000 sq. ft. BMO Centre expansion project just a year away from completion. 

Journalists got a tour of the interior of the massive building on Thursday, showing off the site's progress amid a mass of activity. 

"The team didn't sit around during the pandemic and just wait and ponder and see what was going to happen," said Kate Thompson, the president and CEO of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation. 

"They drove, and because they drove we're here today and able to say it's on time and on budget."

The budget is $500 million and the expected opening date is next June -- in time for the 2024 Stampede. 

More than 600 workers are on-site each day, six days a week. At this stage, they're putting up about 30,000 square feet of drywall every day.  

While the exterior is a swooping mix of materials, the inside is home to spanning ballrooms and exhibit halls. The are 38 new meeting rooms and two ballrooms that will total 70,000 square feet.

Inquiries are already being made about hosting weddings and events on the 11,000 square foot outdoor covered patios, officials say. 

"You know, there's a tremendous amount of excitement about the BMO Center, and as our sales team goes around the globe, people are in awe of the building," said Joel Cowley, the CEO of the Calgary Stampede.

There are 34 conventions booked for when the expansion opens, Cowley says, with one booking as far out as 2032. 

"And that's really what generates economic impact, is when individuals from outside of this market come here and spend money on hotels and restaurants. That's the true economic impact," Cowley said. 

The convention centre expansion is just one part of an overhaul in the area: the 17th Avenue extension is underway and the CTrain station is being rebuilt. The promise of a new event centre is also set to add another draw to the Victoria Park area. 

The only scheduled construction pause from now until completion will be the ten days of the 2023 Stampede.