The ambitious rehabilitation of aging water infrastructure beneath Calgary’s historic Stephen Avenue has come to an abrupt halt, as city officials announced this week they are pausing the multi-million dollar project amid mounting concerns from local businesses and community stakeholders.
What began as a necessary infrastructure upgrade to replace century-old water mains along one of Calgary’s most iconic thoroughfares has evolved into a contentious issue pitting public safety against economic viability for the district’s struggling businesses.
“We’ve heard loud and clear from the Stephen Avenue business community,” said Francois Bouchart, Director of Capital Priorities and Investment at the City of Calgary. “The current approach was creating significant hardship for merchants already facing challenging economic conditions.”
The project, which commenced earlier this year, initially aimed to address critical infrastructure needs along the pedestrian mall between Centre Street and 1 Street S.W. City engineers identified serious deterioration in the water mains, some dating back to the early 1900s, raising concerns about potential catastrophic failures if left unaddressed.
Local business owner Maria Sandoval, who operates a boutique that has seen foot traffic decline by nearly 40% since construction began, expressed mixed feelings about the pause. “We absolutely understand the necessity of this work, but the timing and execution have been devastating for many of us still recovering from pandemic losses,” she told CO24.
The decision to halt work comes after weeks of increasingly vocal opposition from the Calgary Downtown Association and area merchants who reported significant revenue losses. According to a survey conducted by the association, businesses along the affected stretch reported average revenue decreases of 30-45% compared to the same period last year.
City officials now face the delicate challenge of balancing urgent infrastructure needs with economic realities. The century-old water mains remain at risk of failure, potentially causing flooding that could damage historical buildings and disrupt downtown commerce even more severely than the planned construction.
Ward 7 Councillor Terry Wong acknowledged the difficult position. “We’re essentially choosing between scheduled disruption now or potentially catastrophic unscheduled disruption later. Neither option is ideal, but we need to find a better implementation approach that minimizes impact on businesses.”
The city has committed to forming a working group that includes business representatives, engineering consultants, and urban planning experts to develop a revised implementation plan. Options being considered include accelerated overnight work schedules, sectional approaches that maintain greater pedestrian access, and potential financial support mechanisms for affected businesses.
Mark Williams, an urban infrastructure specialist not affiliated with the project, noted, “Calgary isn’t alone in this challenge. Cities across North America with aging cores are grappling with how to modernize essential infrastructure while maintaining the economic viability of downtown districts.”
The city expects to announce a revised project timeline within the next 60 days, with preliminary discussions suggesting work may resume in early 2025 with a significantly modified approach. In the meantime, officials have implemented enhanced monitoring systems to detect any signs of imminent water main failure.
As Calgary navigates this infrastructure dilemma, the question remains: how can growing urban centers balance the critical need for infrastructure renewal with the immediate economic needs of the communities these systems serve?
