Four NORR-designed Calgary office-to-residential conversion projects will be complete in coming weeks and months, say company executives.

One project is already complete, and construction is wrapping up on three others. A fifth development will open its doors in 2026. The executives made the comments in a joint interview with Connect.

All of the projects have received funding under the city’s Downtown Development Incentives Program (DIP), which offers $75 per square foot to qualified developments.

The Hat Eau Claire, formerly known as Eau Claire Place I, became ready for occupancy earlier this year. Meanwhile, Eau Claire Residences, and the Hat@9th, formerly known as Teck Place, are expected to be finished this fall, further supporting the city’s urban-regeneration effort.

“[The Hat@9th] Place is near fruition and looks great,” said Don Dessario, a NORR senior Calgary-based principal of the firm’s residential business. “It had a very interesting and different structure. … The result is unique in the fact that [the developers] alterred the building envelope to include balconies, which isn’t commonly done but was a really nice change, and really accentuated that building as well.”

The repositioned building’s interior is largely complete.

“They are furnishing the model units right now, polishing the final details, and getting signage installed as part of the lease-up,” Dessario added.

The fourth project, involving the former Hanover Place office building, is slated for completion in early 2026.

NORR’s projects comprise more than 500,000 square feet, removing a large slice of the city’s obsolete office space.

The Calgary projects are among 17 office-conversion designs which NORR is leading in Canada and the U.S. NORR used its experience in Calgary as a springboard into the other conversion projects, which the prefers to label as “repositionings.”

“We had a lot of clients and a lot of owners that that all realized the potential to convert their assets, but nobody really was ready to take the plunge,” said Ross Roy a a Calgary-based residential principal. “It can be an expensive proposition, obviously, so to Calgary’s benefit, [the city] decided that they would help on the cost of these projects in Calgary.

“Our office here is known as a residential centre of excellence. In other words, a lot of building owners and developers in Calgary realize that we’re good at what we do when it comes to multi-family. I think all of those things just put together really led to us being out at the front of firms that had expertise and ability to execute these kinds of projects.”

As a result, NORR has designed most of the office conversions in Calgary, he added.

“We’re not the only ones doing them, but we’ve certainly done a great deal more than anybody,” said Roy. “And, these projects are very iterative in terms of what you learn about how to do them. You learn lessons every time you do one; you learn something new; you glean some new knowledge to do the next one. And, it’s just really bolstered our expertise in order to do these.

“We’re just recognized locally as that kind of authority. The projects just come our way as a result.”

Dessario said NORR’s strong relationship with the city’s building-regulations and planning departments help the company’s cause.

The city, through the DIP program has also allocated very specific staff who are familiar with, and understand, the challenges associated with office conversions.

“It’s not like you get Planner A this time, Planner Z the next time,” he said.

NORR has also advised developers on two downtown Calgary office-to-hotel conversion projects: The Westley by Hilton and the Element Hotel by Westin, a PBA Group-owned venue that opened earlier this summer.

Photo: City of Calgary