West District to get YMCA-library complex by late 2029
Facility on Broadcast Avenue will house 60,000 sq. ft. YMCA and 9,000 sq. ft. library branch serving rapidly growing area.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Plans are underway to build a combined YMCA-Calgary Public Library complex in the West District on land donated by developer Truman at Broadcast Avenue and 78 Street S.W., with a target completion date of late 2029 or early 2030.
The 60,000-square-foot facility will include a 9,000-square-foot Calgary Public Library branch. Proponents hope to raise $90 million from federal, provincial, and municipal governments plus philanthropic contributions.
"We know this part of Calgary is underserved in terms of recreation," said Shannon Doram, president and CEO of Calgary YMCA. "This is an opportunity for Calgarians to engage in physical activity, learning and development all under one roof."
Calgary Public Library CEO Sarah Meilleur called the library space overdue in a rapidly growing area. The nearby Signal Hill library is oversubscribed, she said, standing at the undeveloped site amid active construction.
"Having families and community come, they can take their kids to swim lessons, then head over to the library for story time and to check out books," Meilleur said, describing the pairing as a natural fit tested in other YMCA-library combinations across the city.
The facility's design is in planning stages, with final costs to be determined once designs are complete. The city already hosts the world's two largest YMCAs—Brookfield Residential YMCA at Seton (330,000 square feet) and Shane Homes YMCA at Rocky Ridge (284,000 square feet).
Calgary Public Library operates 22 locations with over 815,000 members and seven million annual visits. Three new libraries are in development at Belmont, Walden, and Symons Valley, which together will add 35,000 square feet of space.