The Calgary planning commission has unanimously approved a development permit for the Northeast Athletic Complex, a sprawling outdoor multi-sport facility that can now advance to construction. The decision was made on Thursday, with all seven commission members voting in favor.
Project Overview and Location
The Northeast Athletic Complex will be built on 35 acres of city-owned land at the northwest corner of 80th Avenue and Metis Trail N.E., in the community of Saddle Ridge. The city secured the land last year through an agreement with commercial real estate firm Triovest.
The project is already fully funded, with a $65 million allocation from the community investment reserve approved by city council in December 2026. This funding will support the first two phases of construction.
Facilities and Amenities
Once completed, the complex will feature Calgary's first designated cricket pitch and stadium, complete with berm seating. It will also include the city's seventh indoor field house, four multisport soccer fields, and a public plaza. The soccer fields will be located on the north side of the site, the fieldhouse in the center, and the cricket stadium on the south side.
The multisport fields are designed to accommodate a variety of sports beyond soccer, making the facility versatile for community use. Additionally, a future Costco is planned just west of the site, with further commercial development to the north.
Commission Concerns and Conditions
Despite the unanimous approval, some commissioners raised concerns about the lack of tree shade and the deficit of bicycle stalls compared to vehicle parking in the site's master plan. Commissioner Nathan Hawryluk noted that only one athletic park currently exists in the northeast, located in Renfrew, which he described as "hardly the heart" of the quadrant. He called the project "a fun project, a great project."
The development permit includes prior-to-release conditions, such as a sanitary servicing study and a development site servicing plan with stormwater volume control measures, due to the site's location in the Nose Creek/Pine Creek catchment.
Strategic Importance
The Northeast Athletic Complex is a priority capital project within the city's GamePLAN strategy, which aims to allocate more than $200 million annually for refurbishing or adding to Calgary's public recreation facility inventory. Councillor Raj Dhaliwal, who represents the area, emphasized that the complex will bring recreational equity to Ward 5, which currently lacks the same level of sports infrastructure as other parts of the city. He previously urged colleagues to "put politics aside" and focus on the youth who will benefit from the facility.
The project marks a significant step in addressing recreational disparities and meeting the growing demand for diverse sports amenities in Calgary's northeast.
