As Calgary City Council continues its budget deliberations, a proposed $40 million allocation for downtown office-to-residential conversions has sparked debate among councillors.

Just last week, city officials were touting the program as a model for other municipalities and unveiled new details about nine new conversion projects.

“Cities across North America and around the world are looking to Calgary as a leader in modernizing and revitalizing office-heavy downtown,” said Alecia Peters, Manager of Business Strategy and Analytics for the City of Calgary.

But on Thursday, some councillors questioned whether taxpayer dollars should be used to support the conversions.

“What specific gap or need is this funding addressing that the private sector is not already meeting?” asked Ward 12 Coun.

See Full Page