Downtown Post--Secondary Incentive Program

Downtown Post-Secondary Institution Incentive Program

Overview

The Downtown Post-Secondary Institution Incentive Program (PSI Program) is part of the Downtown Calgary Development Incentive Program. It offers financial incentives to Calgary’s post-secondary institutions to establish or increase their presence downtown. The downtown incentive program aims to:

  • Reduce vacant and underutilized office space through adaptive reuse. 
  • Increase economic activity. 
  • Support a vibrant and safe downtown community that benefits all Calgarians.

The program brings The City and eligible publicly funded post-secondary institutions together. This partnership demonstrates a shared commitment to creating a thriving and resilient downtown. Increasing the presence of post-secondary institutions downtown provides several benefits:

  • It offers work-integrated learning and networking opportunities for students. 
  • It encourages the development of housing for students. 
  • It makes use of existing transit networks. 
  • It helps improve safety. 
  • It activates local public spaces and street-level retail.

Each party has a unique role in making an incentivized PSI office conversion project happen. These are as follows:

Post-Secondary Institution - Convert vacant office space in the Greater Downtown Plan area for use by an academic or research program. The institution must commit to occupying the space for at least 15 years.

The City of Calgary - Provide a grant of $50 per square foot of existing office space successfully converted for post-secondary institution use. The total funding available per project is up to $15 million, unless City Council approves a greater amount.

The intended outcomes of the PSI Program are to:

  • Increase overall economic activity, vibrancy, and safety. 
  • Reduce office vacancy in Downtown. 
  • Expand the presence of post-secondary institutions in the Greater Downtown Plan Area.

Terms of reference

In July 2024, the Council approved an updated Terms of Reference for this program. This update is meant to improve collaboration between post-secondary institutions and The City. Please read the updated Terms of Reference for detailed information about the program.

Still have questions?

Submit an inquiry to the program team at downtownstrategy@calgary.ca. 

This information has no legal status and cannot be used as an official interpretation of the various bylaws, codes and regulations currently in effect. The City of Calgary accepts no responsibility to persons relying solely on this information. Web pages are updated periodically. ​

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