Flames fans heading back to the Scotiabank Saddledome for pre-season hockey will need to watch out for detours and road closures, as major redevelopment work is now underway in Calgary’s Culture + Entertainment District.
The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) is overseeing a slate of projects meant to reshape the district, working alongside the City of Calgary, Calgary Stampede and Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC). Projects include Scotia Place, Stampede Trail redevelopment and site preparations for the future Mariott Autograph Collection hotel.
Calgarians attending events in the area are urged to plan ahead.
“What we and our partners are working really hard to do is to make sure that we are maintaining access into the district at all times,” said Emma Stevens, director of communications and external relations with CMLC.
“Give yourself a little extra time to get here during construction and visit the culture and entertainment district access map to get real time traffic and construction impacts to plan your trip,” she said.
To support construction work, the intersection at 12 Avenue S.E. and Stampede Trail will remain closed to vehicles until Oct. 9.
Pedestrian detours are also in place, including a temporary pathway east of Cowboys Casino and an alternate sidewalk along 5A Street S.E., and where vehicles heading northbound to the BMO Centre will also be funneled.
Detours will become increasingly common in the area as construction Scotia Place construction ramps up. CMLC said intermittent lane restrictions and road closures will continue through 2026, affecting 12 Avenue S.E. and Flores LaDue Parade.
CSEC prepares for move to Scotia Place
The timing overlaps with an especially busy stretch for the city’s sports calendar, starting with the Calgary Hitmen home opener on Saturday. The Calgary Flames play their first of four pre-season home games Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers, with 12 Avenue opening up in time for the Oct. 11 regular season opener against the St. Louis Blues.
Liz Whittaker, director off building operations for CSEC, said the organization is preparing to welcome fans back despite the construction.
“For our fans, we want to make sure, especially on our home opener, we’re giving them a warm welcome back to the Saddledome,” she said. “It’s going to be a new experience for them as they walk through and enter via the park as it’s being reconstructed and redeveloped.”
CSEC is already looking ahead to the future transition across buildings in Stampede Park.
“We’re really mapping our way forward to how we can really, truly celebrate the ‘dome, especially for the following season, as we make that transition over the road to Scotia Place,” said Whittaker.
This season, the nearly 42-year-old building remains as important as ever.
“We want to celebrate this building,” Whittaker said. “It’s been remarkable. It’s definitely doing more for us as an organization and for the City of Calgary than it’s ever done before. We are the third busiest building in North America . . . so we really are making the most of this building, and we truly do want to celebrate it.”
For now, visitors are encouraged to use transit, enter the district from the south via 25 Avenue S.E., or park nearby and make the walk in.
“We thank Calgarians and visitors for their patience and understanding as we work to transform Calgary’s Culture + Entertainment District into a vibrant, world-class destination,” CMLC said in a release.