The federal government is investing $40 million in Contemporary Calgary’s redevelopment of the Centennial Planetarium on the west end of downtown.
The funding, announced Friday, comes from Ottawa’s $51 billion Build Communities Strong Fund, and will support the third and final phase of the arts group’s years-long retrofit of the planetarium into a public art gallery.
“Together we are transforming one of our city’s most important civic gathering places into a globally significant destination for contemporary art,” Contemporary Calgary CEO David Leinster said in a news release.
Last year, the provincial government made a $40 million investment in the project, with the remaining funds expected to come from the community and private donors, according to the project’s website.
Federal Heritage Minister Marc Miller said the funds will help write the historic building’s “next chapter.”
“By transforming this iconic landmark, we’re creating a place where more people can experience art, learn, connect and come together — while preserving a space that means so much to all Albertans,” he said in the release Friday.
(Contemporary Calgary)
The project consists of three phases, two of which are already complete, with the total cost estimated at $190 million, according to Contemporary Calgary.
The final phase is expected to cost $160 million, and involves a new entrance pavilion, a three-floor education and gallery wing, expanded event spaces, a public art park and garden, and the transformation of the planetarium dome into a LED Art Dome.
Upgrades also include improving the building’s efficiency through geothermal energy and high-performance building systems, with the goal of reducing the building’s total energy consumption by 41 per cent.
(Contemporary Calgary)
Calgary Confederation MP Corey Hogan said the renovations will also “address the need for more cultural infrastructure and public gathering spaces in Calgary’s Downtown West End, helping revitalize the area.”
Renovations are expected to get underway in the fall of 2027, with completion scheduled for 2030.
Planetarium revamp in the works for several years
Built in 1967 to mark the centenary of Canada’s confederation, the building previously housed the science centre until it moved in 2011, reopening as the Telus Spark Science Centre.
The site sat vacant for eight years, during which time Contemporary Calgary entered, and walked away from, negotiations to transform the planetarium.
When discussions were renewed in 2018, the arts group and the city signed a 25-year lease of the building with an option for a 10-year extension. Contemporary Calgary began its tenancy the following year.
At that time, the city also spent $24.5 million to modernize the building in the first phase of the revitalization project.
The second phase of the project consisted of a $5.5 million investment from the city, as well as other public and private sources, to renovate what are now the Morris & Ann Dancyger Observatory Gallery and the Heather Edwards Theatre.
While the building does not have formal heritage status, Leinster said the latest funding ensures the building’s legacy will continue for future generations.
“This project demonstrates how heritage preservation, adaptive reuse and environmental leadership can come together to build stronger communities while creating a lasting cultural legacy for Calgary and Canada,” he said.