Building a better Eighth Street? City seeks pedestrian-friendly proposals

The City of Calgary is seeking design firms to reimagine Eighth Street S.W. between 17th Avenue and the Bow River. (Google Maps)

Calgary city council is looking to reinvigorate a southwest street that stretches through the Beltline and downtown and is currently seeking proposals from design firms.

The city says the reimagining of the section of Eighth Street S.W. between 17th Avenue and the Bow River, will need to be prioritize pedestrians while reinvigorating the area hardest hit by office vacancies of recent years.

"It's time to rethink 8 Street SW," said Thom Mahler, the City of Calgary's director of downtown strategy. "Calgary’s Greater Downtown Plan identified it as an important downtown street to transform into a complete street with accessibility for all modes of transportation and as a linchpin of the city's goal to create a green network of tree-lined, pedestrian-friendly streets connecting downtown’s diverse neighbourhoods and inventory of parks, outdoor spaces and pathways."

The request for proposal process, slated to end in September, builds off the reconstruction of the Eighth Street underpass that was completed in 2016 and will also include the redevelopment of a riverfront park to the north.

"A lot has changed since the 8 Street Corridor Public Realm Master Plan was developed, with the westside of Calgary’s downtown changing significantly since 2016," said Shannon Reid, project manager for the 8 Street SW Public Realm Improvement Project. "We’re excited to launch this project to help shape the future of downtown and support community vibrancy in this important downtown neighbourhood."

According to the city's public posting of the RFP, between $2.3 and $6.6 million has been earmarked for the project.