Details of the new agreement between Calgary Sports and Entertainment & The City have been released by #yyccc and are available at https://www.calgary.ca/pda/pd/big-four-capital-projects/event-centre.html. It’s important that Calgarians can see for themselves what this agreement means. 

This is great for Calgary’s economy but not all the benefits are felt by one organization. Hundreds of small businesses will benefit from the deal but none of them could pay for the arena on their own. This includes restaurants and bars, hotels, local artists, promoters, etc. 

Annual economic benefit would be equal to three Calgary Stampedes

CALGARY, AB -  July 20, 2021 - City Councillor and Chair of the City’s Transportation and Transit Committee Jeff Davison is calling on City Administration to immediately identify options for a downtown Calgary stop on the proposed Calgary-Banff passenger rail project. The call comes in response to recent action by the Province of Alberta and the Canada Infrastructure Bank on the project.

In a nutshell:  There’s a ton of empty downtown office space. Whether you work downtown or not, this issue has major implications for our City - and for your quality of life. A variety of spaces and experiences will help us make downtown THE place to live, work and play - moving the core from vacancy to vibrancy.

The backstory: Over the last five years, downtown property values have dropped by almost $18 billion dollars. When property values go down, tax revenues go down. Taxes generated on office space -- which have kept our city bustling for a long time - have evaporated, leaving a heavier burden on residential taxpayers like you and me.  

That’s why I’ve helped initiate Calgary’s Downtown Strategy recovery plan.

On costs: The initial cost of the plan is around $200m: 

• $80 million to expand Arts Commons.
• $55 million to create vibrancy projects downtown.
• $45 million to incentivize office space conversion to residential or post-secondary use. 

The bottom line: A strong core helps build a strong city. The Downtown Strategy will help move the core from vacancy to vibrancy by attracting investment in residential, office, retail, entertainment, tourism, AND cultural spaces.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 19, 2021

 Councillors Davison and Sutherland Advocate for Small Business COVID-19 Relief; Propose Waiving Licensing Fees to $0 for Two Years for All Businesses 

As Council's representative on both Calgary Economic Development and the $100M Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF), I am very proud of the work that the OCIF team has delivered. The Q4 2020 Report is out now!

Councillor Davison Proposes Investment Incentives for Downtown Calgary