Calgary Project Transforms Office Building into Energy Efficient Housing
November 10, 2025
More than 200 Calgarians now have new homes in Downtown West as the former Dominion Centre office reopens as Dominion Civic Apartments.
The former Dominion Centre has been transformed from 100,000 square feet of vacant office space to an energy efficient and climate resilient residential building with 132 modern rental suites. The reinvented building will offer studio, one- and two-bedroom suites. A total of 84 units will be available at non-market rates, improving housing availability and affordability, and building a vibrant, inclusive and livable community that welcomes all Calgarians.
“With a shared vision for downtown, these partnerships are transforming the heart of our city, improving energy efficiency and housing supply, and bringing more housing to locations with access to transit and amenities.” says Thom Mahler, Director of Downtown Strategy. “Together, we’re ensuring Calgarians can call downtown home for years to come and shaping a brighter future for the heart of our city.”
Alston Properties’ office-to-residential conversion project is supported by $7.5 million from The City’s Downtown Calgary Development Incentive, which offers eligible projects up to $75 per square foot for the conversion of office space to residential.
The City’s Climate & Environment Downtown Retrofit Challenge also provided $1.2 million to the project to help build more energy efficient and climate-resilient homes for Calgarians. The use of new and improved building materials means lower utility bills and operating costs, and that the building can withstand long-term changes to Calgary’s climate. Compared to the original office building, the newly converted residential building will have a 51 per cent reduction in energy use and a 40 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Located at 665 8 Street SW, residents will enjoy easy access to transit, just steps away from the CTrain, and numerous entertainment and recreation opportunities with Century Gardens across the street and proximity to the Bow River and multi-use pathways.
This project is one of several City-supported residential conversions transforming the area along with the recently opened Element Calgary Downtown hotel conversion, and the University of Calgary’s neighbouring conversion at 801 7 St SW that will welcome 1,200 School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape students in 2026. The City is further investing in the evolution of Downtown West with the Revitalize 8 Street SW public realm improvement project, which will transform the neighbourhood’s main street.
To date, the Downtown Calgary Development Incentive is supporting 21 office conversion projects, transforming more than 2.68 million square feet of underutilized office space into 2,628 new homes, 226 hotel rooms, and a hostel. Learn more about how the City and its partners are shaping a greater downtown at calgary.ca/DTS.
