Work has begun to convert this office building into a new hotel in downtown Calgary

The Canadian Centre (top left), along with images of Element by Westin hotel rooms. (Source: PBL Group of Companies)

Work has begun to convert a vacant office building in downtown Calgary into a new hotel.

The Canadian Centre, located at 833 Fourth Ave. S.W., is going to be transformed into a 226-suite Element Hotel by Westin, the PBA Group of Companies (PBA) announced Tuesday.

The company says the aim of converting the former 12-storey office building is to address the demand for room capacity in downtown Calgary.

The project will remove 170,000 square feet of unused office space from Calgary’s downtown, updating the building that was originally constructed in 1982.

The future hotel, located on the west side of Calgary’s downtown, will offer fully furnished extended-stay hotel units and an upscale dining experience on the 12th floor,

PBA says demolition inside the building is complete and construction is underway.

The project is scheduled to be completed for summer 2025.

“We’re honoured to help take one of the first steps in transforming our downtown into a differentiated residential and recreational district that serves as a symbol of progressive inner city planning with this conversion,” said James Scott, the senior vice president of planning and development with PBA.

The City of Calgary’s downtown office conversion programs aim to revitalize the downtown core by helping convert vacant office space into homes, post-secondary academic spaces and student housing; hotels and other uses.

The city’s goal is to remove six million square feet of vacant office space by 2031.

The Downtown Calgary Development Incentive Program offers funding for the conversion of office space to residential units, hotels, schools and performing arts centres.

The city announced the hotel conversion in November, along with two other projects that will create hundreds of new apartments.