3K 
Built in 1985 with a stepped design by Toronto-based WZMH Architects, the Calgary Municipal Building is one of the city's architectural treasures. But its journey to realization meant that a number of established buildings, some of which stood on their respective sites for nearly a century, had to be razed. The 85-room Queen's Hotel, built in 1893 at the corner of 8th Avenue and 2nd Street SE, was one such structure.
The building that predated the hotel was itself of historic value — the Castle Mountain Billiard Hall and Saloon hosted Calgary's first town council meeting in 1884. North West Mounted Police officer Simon J. Clarke, who later became an alderman, city commissioner, and superintendent of Banff National Park, owned the property. The hotel that he oversaw was named after Queen Victoria and quickly found patronage in local cowboys and ranchers. Its proximity to City Hall would make the venue a hit among city employees.
The Calgary Municipal Building was part of Mayor Ross Alger's $234 million plan to redevelop the east downtown. Though Alger's broader scheme was rejected by the public in a 1979 plebiscite, the new civic centre received approval from Calgarians the following year. It necessitated the closure of 8th Avenue eastbound at Macleod Trail and the expropriation of the Queen's Hotel in 1980. The City demolished the building two years later to accommodate the new building and underground parking garage. The staggered building was opened by Mayor Ralph Klein on October 18, 1985.
Have an idea for a future Throwback Thursday? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
