Calgary is cementing its status as the epicenter of Canada's residential construction boom, with data for 2025 showing it leading the nation in new home builds for a potential fourth consecutive record year. According to first-quarter figures from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC), the city not only topped the country in per capita housing starts but also achieved the remarkable feat of surpassing the total number of starts in far larger metropolitan areas like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
A Shift from Single-Family to Multi-Family Dominance
The engine behind this sustained growth is a fundamental shift in Calgary's development landscape. The era of single-family home dominance has given way to a surge in multi-family projects, including condominiums and purpose-built rental buildings. This trend is reshaping the city's skyline and urban density, particularly in the core neighbourhoods.
Downtown Transformation Through Office Conversions
One of the most significant drivers of downtown residential growth is the City of Calgary's office-to-residential conversion program. By the end of October 2025, approvals were granted to gut 21 older office buildings, representing 2.7 million square feet of space. These projects are slated to be transformed into over 2,600 new purpose-built rental homes on the periphery of the downtown core. This initiative alone could bring an estimated 5,000 new residents to the area by 2028.
Additional downtown projects are adding to the momentum. Attainable Homes has one project completed and another underway at 9th Street and 7th Avenue S.W., which will together yield more than 150 affordable homes. Meanwhile, Graywood Developments opened its 18-storey, 211-unit First + Park tower on the Bow River this summer. In total, these developments contribute to roughly 3,000 new homes in various stages, poised to increase the population south of the CP tracks to 25,000.
Beltline District Sees Major High-Rise Activity
Just across the tracks in the vibrant Beltline district, ambitious projects are redefining the city's residential height and scale. Vesta Properties announced plans for a three-tower complex at the high-profile corner of 17th Avenue and 4th Street S.W., which will add 1,000 new homes. The crown jewel of this development will be a 47-storey tower, set to become Calgary's tallest residential-only building.
The construction activity in the Beltline is widespread. GWL Realty Advisors began work on a 24-storey building with 219 homes on 4th Street S.W. One Properties started demolishing the former TransAlta office building at 11th Avenue and 1st Street S.W. to make way for the first phase of a four-tower project that will eventually comprise more than 1,400 residences. Further west, the demolition of the mid-century Condon Building on 17th Avenue paves the way for The Sentinel, a six-storey project with 314 homes. Truman Homes also has three major towers underway in the area—the 36-storey Lincoln, the 19-storey Gallery, and the 27-storey Imperia—totaling over 600 new units.
Urban Growth and Future Implications
This unprecedented wave of multi-family construction signals a profound change in how Calgarians live and where they choose to reside. The focus has decisively moved inward, with developers betting big on urban living. The success of the office conversion program and the flurry of high-rise proposals demonstrate a strong market response to city policies aimed at revitalizing the core and addressing housing needs through density. As these thousands of new units come online in the coming years, Calgary's downtown and inner-city neighbourhoods are set to become significantly more populous and vibrant, marking a new chapter in the city's evolution.
