Historic City Hall officially reopens

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – After undergoing an extensive restoration project, Calgary’s Historic City Hall has reopened.

A ceremony was held Tuesday morning to mark the completion of the $34.1 million project which began in 2016.

By spring 2017, the building was fully under wraps to protect the sandstone and exposed building elements year-round while work was underway.

“The comprehensive scope of work we’ve completed will provide improved safety, prolong the building’s life and preserve its extraordinary heritage value,” said Darrel Bell, acting director of Facility Management.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic bringing many businesses to a halt, delays to the project were largely mitigated, and the team met its target of having the building ready for occupants by September 2020.

In addition to preserving the building’s heritage value, the project also gave an important boost to Calgary’s construction industry.

“The rehabilitation of Historic City Hall created 233 full-time jobs over the last four years,” said Bell. “The work it’s provided for professions such as stonemasons, carpenters, electricians, construction managers and many others has been significant.”

The Historic City Hall originally housed police, a court, and a jail and remains the home of Calgary’s municipal government and an important meeting place for public gatherings.

Some of those noteable gatherings from the past 100 years included royal visits from King George VI, the Queen Mother, and Queen Elizabeth II.

It was also the site for the raising of the Olympic flag in 1984, and a massive peace celebration in 1918 at the end of World War I.