Landmark EnCana building unveiled

EnCana’s 59-storey glass and steel tower was revealed Thursday, ushering in what many believe will be a new era for the city’s downtown east side.“I’ve never seen a development generate so much excitement as this one has, and I think it’s worthy of that excitement,” Ald. Druh Farrell said. “It breaks the barrier for development east of Centre Street.“The Bow will revitalize development in the east core.”The arc-shaped building — called The Bow — features an atrium running up its south face and will sit on the north-east corner of 6th Avenue and Centre Street. The bottom two floors will be used for retail, while three of the office floors will host gardens, visible from the outside.On the south side of 6th Avenue, a seven-storey retail and cultural complex will incorporate the historic York Hotel.“Without question it’s going to be a significant building form and an unmistakable part of Calgary’s skyline,” Mayor Dave Bronconnier said.The building, designed by world-reknowned Foster + Partners, will be the tallest in Western Canada, eight storeys higher than the neighbouring Petro-Canada Centre.John Brannan, EnCana’s managing director of frontier and international new ventures, said the final cost of the 1.7-million square-foot project hasn’t been determined, but it will be in the $850 million to $1-billion range.Construction is expected to start by early summer, with EnCana’s 3,200 employees moving in by 2010-2011. The company applied for a development permit Thursday, but have gone through months of pre-application discussions with city staff.