Earlier this week, City Council approved a plan to develop an arts hub in the East Village district of Calgary. The $225-250 million proposal includes the building of a new Central library to replace the Castell Central Library, close to 1st Street Station. Along with the library, it is being reported by the Calgary Herald that there will be a push to include a museum, theatre, and art gallery, making the East Village a true centre for the arts in Calgary.
Image courtesy of Calgary MLC
Some people may be reluctant to accept the location chosen by City Council, simply based on a reputation that East Village had as being a bit of a shady area. However, over the past few years, the area has undergone a major change, and now includes the city staple Cantos Music Centre, as well as plans to develop the Calgary RiverWalk and new condos. The area is also easily accessible by transit, literally being across the street from the newly renovated City Hall station.
A few final notes:
– The East Village development plan also includes an extension of Stephen’s Avenue past City Hall, which will essentially connect central downtown to St. Patrick’s Island, which is undergoing its own rejuvenation of sorts.
– The money being spent on the new library is in the range spent on the likes of the new Seattle Public Library, which really raises my expectations of the class of library being built.
– A bit of personal opinion here: I think this project is a much better use of taxpayer money, as opposed to the Peace Bridge. While I think that the Peace Bridge is nice, I feel that it was a gross misallocation of taxpayer money in an attempt to make the city more well known for something that we don’t really need. However, I can fully support the prospect of the city inducing a greater appreciation for the arts, and by extension, education by developing all of the things that it is.
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REALLY agree with your last comment!