A Pair of Office Towers May Soon Flank the Calgary Tower

If everything goes as planned, the cityscape of Calgary may soon be changing once again. Two office buildings would flank the Calgary Tower on both the east and the west side. This may compromise the tower’s role as Calgary's dominant cityscape symbol.

We'll soon find out whether these towers will become a reality when Calgary's Planning Commission meets on Thursday. There is a lot of debate about allowing the construction of the towers since they will cover up a lot of the view of this iconic landmark. The two buildings will rise up 33 floors, which will ultimately cover up a lot of the view of the tower in different parts of the city. While some city residents won't worry about these changes, others believe that the view of the Calgary Tower should be preserved.

The plans for the tower were developed by architect W.G. Milne. He proposed the tower to celebrate this nation's centennial. He was proud that the tower could be seen from any corner in Calgary. If these buildings go up, that may not be the case any longer.

There are also plans in the works to overhaul the area around the base of the tower. A redevelopment proposal includes adding amenities such as restaurants around the base as well as a winter garden.

While development is usually conceived as a positive thing, there are those that oppose the construction of these office buildings so close to the Calgary Tower. It will be interesting to see whether the plans are approved this week or not. If they are, there will definitely be some major changes in the cityscape of Calgary in the not so distant future.