Centre Street North: Calgary’s Forgotten Main Street
While most of Calgary’s main streets are thriving with new developments and tenants, Centre Street North - from 7th Ave to 16th Ave North - is struggling. Twenty years ago, many thought Centre Street would become an extension of downtown’s Chinatown, and while there is an Asian grocery store (Lambda Oriental Foods Supermarket) and several Asian-oriented restaurants, it is a far cry from being a bustling Chinatown Row.
Center Stree streetscape looking north to downtown.
A little history
Centre Street North is home to two longstanding tenants – Don’s Hobby Shop and Santorini Greek Taverna. And yes, it has attracted some funky new tenants – including Urban Thrift, Sought and Found Coffee Roasters, Willow Cake and Bake, Holly Grill, Tokyo Street Market and Sucre Patisserie & Café – giving it a bit of a bohemian vibe. It is even home to an actor’s studio, as well as Pulse (Calgary’s Premier Hip Hop and Street Dance Studio).
However, it has a tired look with several large automobile-oriented businesses (e.g. North Hill Mazda, Centre Street Auto Service, Tirecraft and Crystal Glass) dominating their blocks. And there are several blocks with decrepit and/or empty buildings.
In Jane Jacobs’ 1960 iconic urban planning book “The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” she said great streets have one third of the buildings new, one third middle age (I’m guessing that means 15 to 25 years old) and one third old. Unfortunately, Centre Street North has none of the new 6+ storey residential developments, with street retail that are happening along Calgary’s other main streets.
Good news, JEMM Properties recently started construction of a six storey, 146 home project with 6 live/work spaces and a 6,500 sf commercial space at street level, on 16th Ave just west of Centre Street N. Occupancy is expected to be the fall of 2026.
Don’s Hobby Shop has been around for years.
Santorini is Calgary’s signature Greek restaurant
Every Main Street needs an iconic sign.
Centre street is home to several boutique office buildings.
Centre Street has an emerging patio scene on a few blocks.
Other blocks are in need of a makeover. Note the number of bus routes that are using Center street.
City’s Fault?
Centre Street North (CSN) should be anchoring a vibrant urban village just as 4th Street SW (home of the Lilac Festival) is for Mission and Cliff Bungalow, or 1st Ave NE is in Bridgeland and Riverside. However, it lacks the new low and mid-rise residential development that would diversify and densify the community’s demographics, which in turn would attract more modern and diverse shops and services, as well as more residents to support them.
Did you know a Brick Furniture store used to occupy the empty corner at Centre Street North and 16th Avenue? The City bought the building decades ago and when it burned down it allowed the site to become a weed infested vacant lot, which in turn has resulted the buildings next to it also being in disrepair.
The site should have been developed by now, even if with temporary uses.
Centre Street North private development has been on hold for decades as the City studies how to convert the street into a major transit corridor. Today, three of Calgary’s busiest bus routes are on Center Street. With a total of over 40,000 daily transit riders and 1,000 bus trips per day, there is an urgency for the street to be reconfigured from car-oriented to transit-oriented street i.e. a dedicated transit lane.
While some heated shelters and sidewalk improvements have been added on Center Street north of 28thAve, there has been no road work done to create a dedicated transit lane, something critical to BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) development. And, there is no funding to do so currently.
Centre Street’s BRT transformation should have been completed by now. It should have happened in advance of the 17th Ave SE Transitway that was completed in 2018 at a cost of $96M that has a ridership of only 8,800 per day. Furthermore, Centre Street has more transit ridership than the West Leg of the LRT completed in 2012.
In fact, some transit planners have argued LRT is not the answer to Centre Street North’s transit woes, but a well-designed BRT would serve the ridership and the commercial business better AND cost a lot less.
Collaborative Efforts Happening
Area businesses, through the Business Improvement Area, some landowners and the Community Association have been working together to make “Centre Street Better.” They have added fun murals and seating, organized numerous events and security initiatives, as well as lobby the city for streetscape improvements. However, the latter has been met with limited success, unsurprisingly, as the city keeps delaying the transform the street from a car to transit-oriented corridor.
The BIA and community are working collaboratively to create a more pedestrian friendly streetscape.
Last Word
Centre Street North has perhaps not been forgotten but rather has been lost in the City’s lust for LRT vs BRT. Did you know rapid transit was first envisioned for Center Street North in 1967? At this rate, it could take 100 years to see that vision become reality, which in turns means Centre Street N will continue to stagnate.