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Downtown Commercial Core · Calgary office building record

Lancaster Building

Office/Retail · mid-rise office building · built 1913 · 304 8 Ave SW

Lancaster Building (304 8 Ave SW) is a 41.2 m mid-rise office building in Downtown Commercial Core, Calgary, recorded on the City assessment roll as built in 1913. Its main structure is the 120th tallest office roof of the 775 ranked in this record, and 82nd of 119 in Downtown Commercial Core. The City assesses the parcel at $5.0M on the 2026 roll, 364th of 822 sites in the record by assessed value. A Plus 15 walkway touches the parcel. The nearest CTrain platform is 3rd Street SW, 102 m away in a straight line. 2,638 scheduled transit trips call within 300 m of the parcel on a weekday. Since 2012 the City has recorded 21 building permits and 3 development permits on the parcel, the largest a $9.4M retail shop permit for alteration, applied for in 2015. It appears on the City’s Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources as Lancaster Building.

Street-level 3D view of Lancaster Building, Calgary, from the southeast — From the street: an eye-level view from the southeast, about 40 m away. Same model, same source; not a photograph.

LiDAR roof height41.2 m

Storey-equivalent (derived)11

Footprint1,552 m²

Parcel958 m²

Year built (roll)1913

Assessed 2026$5.0M

Structures on parcel2

Nearest CTrain102 m

Civic address: 304 8 Ave SW, Calgary, AB
Community: Downtown Commercial Core (DNC)
City sub-property use: C108 Office/Retail · all Office/Retail sites
Land use district: CR20-C20/R20 — Commercial - Residential Core (Commercial - Core)
Height rank: #120 of 785 citywide · #82 of 111 in Downtown Commercial Core
Footprint to parcel: 162% Above 100% because the LiDAR roof outlines attributed to this parcel cover more ground than its titled pieces, which happens where a roof oversails the lot line or a structure spans neighbouring parcels.
Parcel pieces: 1 titled piece · roll 068079508
Coordinates: 51.045967, -114.068255

Own or manage Lancaster Building?

Slav Loban and the Commercially × Real Broker team give Calgary commercial owners a confidential pricing opinion based on the public record shown on this page: assessment history, permits, land use and the surrounding market. It is a broker’s opinion of value, not a formal appraisal. You do not need to be ready to list to start the conversation.

Request a pricing opinion Tenant? Review your lease

Massing and site plan

Left: isometric massing of every LiDAR structure on the parcel, at true scale, viewed from the south-west with 3.9 m storey lines. Right: plan of the parcel with surrounding footprints, Plus 15 walkways and nearby stations. Open this building in the 3D city →

41.2 m · 1,013 m² · 9 m · 539 m²

Context within 150 m. Grey footprints darken with height; lime is the Plus 15 network.

How it compares

Roof height against the Downtown Commercial Core median and tallest, and against the city.

Access

Public-geometry tests only; confirm routes, entrances and hours with the building.

CTrain

Nearest station: 3rd Street SW, 102 m straight-line (route 201/202). Planned Green Line station 7 Avenue SW is 130 m away (Downtown Segment, per the City’s Green Line map).

Other office buildings near 3rd Street SW Station →

Plus 15

The City’s Plus 15 walkway geometry touches this parcel; the plan above shows the connected segments in lime. Confirm access points, hours and the interior route with the building.

Cycling

The best-rated cycling facility within 400 m of the parcel is a protected lane (Cycle Track), 139 m away.

Winter access

The parcel fronts a Priority 1 snow and ice clearing route, 8 m from its edge. Priority 1 routes are cleared first after a snowfall.

Accessible crossing

The nearest accessible pedestrian signal is at 8 Avenue and 2 Street, 38 m from the parcel.

Straight-line tests against The City of Calgary Calgary Bikeways, Snow and Ice Clearing Priority Routes and Traffic Signals, retrieved 2026-09-24. Bikeways are ranked by the City's comfort level, where 1 is a protected lane and 4 a major street. Snow priority is a clearing order, not a clearing time. An accessible pedestrian signal gives audible and tactile crossing cues; a signal recorded as unknown is not counted as having none.

Transit service

Scheduled Calgary Transit service at the door, not only the distance to a platform.

2,638 scheduled transit trips call within 300 m of this parcel on a representative weekday, 367 of them between 07:00 and 09:00, across 32 routes and 28 stops. The closest stop is EB 3 Street SW Station (Free Fare Zone), 84 m away.

Service class	Trips on the service day
REGULAR	1,411
LRT	672
MAX	407
BRT	121
EXPRESS	27

Routes: 1 Bowness/Forest Lawn · 2 Mount Pleasant/Killarney 17 Av SW · 3 Sandstone/Elbow Dr SW · 4 Huntington · 5 North Haven · 6 Killarney/26 Av SW · 7 Marda Loop · 10 City Hall/Southcentre · 13 Altadore · 15 Deerfoot Meadows · 17 Renfrew/Ramsay · 22 Richmond Rd SW · 24 Ogden · 62 Hidden Valley · 64 MacEwan · 66 Lakeview · 90 Bridgeland/University of Calgary · 101 Inglewood · 109 Harvest Hills · 116 Coventry Hills · 117 McKenzie Towne Express · 131 East Bow Express · 142 Panorama · 151 New Brighton Express · 201 Red Line - Somerset - Bridlewood/Tuscany CTrain · 202 Blue Line - Saddletowne/69 Street CTrain · 302 BRT Southeast/City Centre · 500 Airport Express · 503 Symons Valley Express · MG MAX Green North Pointe/ City Centre · MP MAX Purple City Centre/East Hills · MY MAX Yellow Woodpark/City Centre.

Calgary Transit Scheduling Data (GTFS), service day 2026-09-28 inside the 2026-09-15 to 2026-12-20 service period. A trip is counted once however many stops it calls at inside the radius. Schedules change each service period; this is the schedule, not observed service.

Parking

What the City’s own tariff record says about kerbside parking beside this parcel.

Paid on-street parking within 200 m

120 metered stalls across 25 City parking zones touching this walking radius, at $1.00 to $4.75 per hour depending on zone and time of day. Maximum stay 30 to 120 minutes. Tariff zones 4a, 4c.

Enforced 0710-1750 MON-FRI, 0910-1750 SAT; 0840-1520 MON-FRI, 0910-1750 SAT; 0840-1750 MON-FRI, 0910-1750 SAT.

Closest zone

2 St SW, Fr 7 Av SW To 8 Av SW — 4 m from the parcel, 6 parallel stalls, tariff zone 4c, 120-minute maximum.

When	Rate
Mon-Fri 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM	$3.25 per Hour
Mon-Fri 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM	$4.25 per Hour
Mon-Fri 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM	$4.75 per Hour
Mon-Fri 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM	$4.25 per Hour
Mon-Fri 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM	$4.25 per Hour
Saturday: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM	$1.00 per hour
Sunday/Holidays:	Free parking
Free parking to 7 Am Mon-Fri	See Signs /Parking Restrictions

The City of Calgary On-Street Parking Zones with Rates, retrieved 2026-09-24. Counts cover Active paid parking zones only: loading bays, taxi stands, accessible stalls and permit-only zones are excluded, and off-street parkades are not in this dataset. Tariffs and enforcement hours change; confirm on the sign.

Heritage inventory

The City of Calgary Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources records the following on this parcel.

Lancaster Building

Construction year: 1912
Architect: Teague, James; completed by William S. Bates
Style: Edwardian Commercial
Typology: Shop and Office
Development era: 1906 to 1913 (Pre WWI Boom, Age of Optimism)
Original use: Commerce
Planning theme: Urban Development
Designation: Inventory listing only
Inventory class: CWHR

This site is significant because...

The nine-story Lancaster Building has been called Calgary's first skyscraper. Its U-shape with central light-well allowed all offices to have windows to the outdoors. The expanse of street-level display windows was impressive for the time. (Design Value, City Wide Significance)

This was one the first major buildings in Calgary to use steel-frame construction, which made such a tall building economical. Also advanced for its time were its fireproofing features, three high-speed elevators, and hot-and-cold running water throughout. (Construction Value, City Wide Significance)

The Lancaster Building was the ambitious venture of early Calgary entrepreneur and civic leader James Stuart Mackie (1860--1949). Mackie established several businesses, and his long service with the Calgary Board of Trade earned him an honorary life membership. He served several ter

Character-defining elements: Character-defining elements include, but are not limited to: - form, scale, and massing as expressed by its nine-stories plus recessed 10th floor, full basement; U-shape with interior light-well; flat roof with parapet; - steel-frame and reinforced concrete construction; clad in buff pressed-brick in stretcher bond; also (mainly) on the two street-facing elevations: off-white terra cotta and hollow tiles, brick pilasters with granite bases; stone sills and lintels (on main elevations, eared on corner windows); cast-concrete sills; concrete foundation; - evenly spaced rectangular windows; first

Source: The City of Calgary Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources, entry 395.

Assessment history

Assessed values are The City of Calgary’s taxation figures by roll year, not sale prices or rents; Alberta does not publish transaction prices.

Roll 068079508 · Office/Retail

Series not charted. The City’s published values for this roll number change by more than half or double between years, which usually signals a re-numbered, split or partially assessed account rather than a market movement. The published figures are listed below without a trend claim.

Published values by roll year

Roll year	Assessed value	Change
2005	$8.7M	—
2006	$10.8M	24.0%
2007	$16.9M	55.9%
2008	$28.2M	67.4%
2009	$29.3M	3.7%
2010	$18.7M	-36.1%
2011	$14.3M	-23.7%
2012	$15.0M	5.4%
2013	$19.1M	27.3%
2014	$22.2M	15.7%
2015	$21.2M	-4.2%
2016	$18.7M	-11.8%
2017	$12.9M	-30.9%
2018	$14.6M	12.4%
2019	$13.6M	-6.7%
2020	$13.3M	-2.4%
2021	$12.3M	-7.5%
2022	$6.0M	-51.0%
2023	$6.3M	4.2%
2024	$3.6M	-41.6%
2025	$5.6M	54.2%
2026	$5.0M	-11.2%

Development and building permits

Applications the City has located on this parcel since 2012, from the Development Permits and Building Permits datasets.

Recent development permits 3 since 2012

Applied	Permit	Category · description	Status
2017-09-21	DP2017-4317	Signs - Permitted Use with Relaxation NEW: SIGN - CLASS E (PAINTED WALL SIGN)	Released Approval
2015-06-15	DP2015-2518	Renovations - Non-Residential EXTERIOR RENOVATIONS: EXTERIOR RENOVATIONS: RETAIL AND CONSUMER SERVICE (REFURBISHING BUILDING FACADE), SIGN - CLASS B (FASCIA SIGNS - 4)	Released Approval
2015-02-10	DP2015-0502	Renovations - Non-Residential EXTERIOR RENOVATIONS: RETAIL AND CONSUMER SERVICE (REFURBISH BUILDING & PARKING); CHANGE OF USE: RETAIL AND CONSUMER SERVICE	Released Approval

Recent building permits 21 since 2012 · 17 in the City’s office class

Applied	Permit	Class · work	Est. cost	Status
2026-03-30	BP2026-04939	3402 - Office · Fire/ Security Alarm Fire alarm repair	$45,000	Completed
2024-12-09	BP2024-25497	3402 - Office · Alteration Interior Alterations	$1.3M	Completed
2018-07-23	BP2018-09667	3402 - Office · Alteration Interior Alterations - Lobby renovation	$25,000	Completed
2018-01-09	BP2018-00226	3106 - Retail Shop · Alteration Exterior/Interior Alterations - Simons Core	$50,000	File Closed
2017-07-06	BP2017-08494	3402 - Office · Alteration Lancaster Elevator Lobby Renovations - Floor 6	$58,400	Completed
2017-04-20	BP2017-04050	3402 - Office · Alteration Existing Tenant JSS Barristers Group D	$170,000	Completed
2016-10-24	BP2016-12784	3402 - Office · Alteration Interior Alterations - Office	$1.2M	Completed
2016-07-21	BP2016-08441	3402 - Office · Alteration The Lancaster - Historical Facade Remediation	$1.3M	Completed

Declared estimated project cost across all 21 non-residential building permits on the parcel since 2012: $17.2M. Permit descriptions are the City’s records at retrieval; applicant and contractor names are not reproduced.

Inspections

What City inspectors recorded against the permits on this parcel.

93 inspection results are published against 19 of the 21 building permits on this parcel, from 2012-08-23 to 2026-04-29. The most recent occupancy inspection was accepted on 2018-02-07. 20 inspections used a life-safety checklist and 2 a barrier-free checklist.

What was inspected

Result of each visit

Outcome	Inspections
Acceptable Add Inspection	58
Acceptable with Conditions	19
Acceptable	11
Not Acceptable	5

Stage

Inspection type	Count
Progress	73
Final	13
Occupancy	4
Framing	2
Pub Protect Safety	1

The 14 most recent inspection results

Date	Permit	Stage	Checklist	Outcome	Inspector note
2026-04-29	BP2026-04939	Progress	All Directives	Acceptable	No deficiencies noted. No further building inspections required. File Closed.
2026-04-29	BP2026-04939	Final	All Directives	Acceptable	No deficiencies noted. No further building inspections required. File Closed.
2025-10-31	BP2024-25497	Final	All Directives	Acceptable	No deficiencies noted. No further building inspections required. File Closed.
2019-09-16	BP2018-00226	Progress	Directives	Not Acceptable	BE ADVISED: In order to keep this permit active The City Of Calgary safety codes officer (SCO) requires a file update or an inspection. Provide information on the status of the project and any related documents. Failure to comply may result in extra fines and fees.
2018-12-27	BP2018-09667	Final	DIRECTIVES	Acceptable	Lobby alterations are complete, no changes done to the existing sprinkler/fire alarm system. Permit file closed.
2018-09-14	BP2018-00226	Progress	Directives	Acceptable Add Inspection	Construction set to start. Permit extended 180 days. Call 311 to book your inspection.
2018-09-05	BP2018-09667	Progress	DIRECTIVES	Acceptable Add Inspection	Call 311 to book your inspection.
2018-02-07	BP2017-08494	Progress	DIRECTIVES	Acceptable	Lobby Renovations on the 6th Floor is complete, no noted infractions at time of inspection.
2018-02-07	BP2017-08494	Occupancy	DIRECTIVES	Acceptable	-Received fire alarm verification. -Received sprinkler verification. File closed.
2017-10-20	BP2017-04050	Occupancy	DIRECTIVES	Acceptable Add Inspection	File complete upon receipt of documents
2017-09-21	BP2016-08441	Pub Protect Safety	—	Not Acceptable	Completed an unscheduled site safety inspection on this site arriving at approximately 11:20 hrs. Scaffolding is erected on the south side of the site along the north side of Stephen Avenue Mall SW. Scaffolding bottom is screened off with construction debris netting and the site does not appear to be in attendance. The
2017-08-18	BP2017-08494	Progress	DIRECTIVES	Acceptable Add Inspection	Call 311 to book an inspection
2017-08-17	BP2017-04050	Progress	DOCUMENTS Commercial	Acceptable with Conditions	Sprinkler Verification - provide at final
2017-08-17	BP2017-04050	Progress	DOCUMENTS Commercial	Acceptable with Conditions	P. Eng. review required - for structural steel door support.

An inspection result is a record of one visit, not a verdict on the building. 5 of these 93 results are recorded as Not Acceptable. In the City's process a Not Acceptable result is an ordinary step: the inspector lists what must change and the work is re-inspected, which is why the most common outcome across the record is Acceptable Add Inspection. Most results relate to a single tenant improvement rather than the whole building. Inspector notes are The City of Calgary's own text at retrieval, with contact details removed; applicant and contractor names are never read.

The City of Calgary Building Inspections Results, joined to building permits by permit number, retrieved 2026-09-24.

Occupiers and licensed businesses

The public record of who operates on the parcel, labelled by source.

Businesses licensed by the City on this parcel 2 as of 2026-09-24

Licensed business	Address	Licence type	Status	Licensed since
Jewel Trade / Dilmoni & Co	304 8 Ave SW	Retail Dealer - Premises (Mail Order), Wholesaler	Licensed	2015
La Maison Simons	304 8 Ave SW	Retail Dealer - Premises	Licensed	2017

Not a tenant roster. The City licenses specific business types (retail, food service, personal services, contractors, wholesalers, schools and similar). Most office occupiers such as professional firms need no municipal licence and do not appear here. Matched by civic address and by licence location inside the parcel; home-based licences are excluded.

No individuals are named. The City issues many personal-service licences to people trading under their own name. Suite numbers are never published, and where a licence reads as an individual rather than an organisation the name is withheld and only the licence category is shown. Names of sources this site does not use are omitted.

Nearby office buildings

The six nearest office building sites in the record, by straight-line distance between parcel centroids.

308 8 Ave SW9 m · built 1910 · Office/Retail · Downtown Commercial Core · 19 m
Dome Tower333 7 Ave SW145.7 m · built 1976 · Office/Retail · 2 accounts · Downtown Commercial Core · 48 m
Canada Life Assurance Building301 8 Ave SWheight n/a · built 1958 · Office · Downtown Commercial Core · 53 m
Stephen Avenue Place225 7 Ave SW159.8 m · built 1975 · Office · Downtown Commercial Core · 69 m
First Canadian Centre323R 6 Ave SW162.6 m · built 1981 · Office · Downtown Commercial Core · 106 m
364 9 Ave SW198.9 m · built 1987 · Office · 2 accounts · Downtown Commercial Core · 109 m

Where this building sits in the record

Every collection this building belongs to, from the same public data shown above.

Downtown Commercial Core office buildings Southwest Calgary All Office/Retail sites Built in the 1910s Land use CR20-C20/R20 Plus 15 connected buildings Heritage office buildings Named office buildings Paid street parking Office buildings near CTrain Transit service ranking Assessment cycle 2015–2026 Construction record

Lancaster Building questions

Answers drawn from the record.

How tall is Lancaster Building?

The main structure on the parcel has a LiDAR roof height of 41.2 m in The City of Calgary’s 3D building data, a storey-equivalent of about 11 at 3.9 m per storey.

When was Lancaster Building built?

The City’s assessment roll records 1913 as the year of construction. The heritage inventory records 1912.

What is the assessed value of Lancaster Building?

The City of Calgary assesses this parcel at $5.0M in total on the 2026 roll, 364th of 822 sites in this record. Assessed value is the City’s figure for property tax, not a sale price or an asking price.

What is Lancaster Building zoned?

The parcel is designated CR20-C20/R20, Commercial - Residential Core, under the City of Calgary Land Use Bylaw. Confirm the designation and any amendments with the City before relying on it.

Which CTrain station is closest to Lancaster Building?

3rd Street SW Station, 102 m in a straight line from the parcel centroid.

Who is in Lancaster Building?

The City of Calgary business licence register lists 2 licensed businesses at this address or inside the parcel as of 2026-09-24, shown in the occupiers section. Most office occupiers such as professional firms do not need a municipal licence, so the register is not a tenant roster.

Has Lancaster Building been inspected?

The City publishes 93 inspection results against 19 permits here, between 2012-08-23 and 2026-04-29. 20 used a life-safety checklist such as fire separations, firestopping or emergency lighting. 2 used the barrier-free checklist. The most recent occupancy inspection was accepted on 2018-02-07. Each result records one visit and most relate to a single tenant improvement, so this is not a verdict on the building.

How good is transit at Lancaster Building?

2,638 scheduled transit trips call within 300 m of the parcel on a representative weekday, 367 of them in the morning peak, across 32 routes. The closest stop is EB 3 Street SW Station (Free Fare Zone), 84 m away. That is the published schedule for one service period, not observed service, and it counts each trip once however many stops it makes nearby.

Can staff cycle or get there in winter at Lancaster Building?

The best-rated cycling facility within 400 m is a protected lane, 139 m away. The parcel fronts a Priority 1 snow and ice clearing route. These are straight-line tests against City layers.

Where can visitors park at Lancaster Building?

The City of Calgary's tariff record shows 120 paid on-street stalls in 25 zones within 200 m of the parcel, at $1.00 to $4.75 per hour. The closest is 2 St SW, Fr 7 Av SW To 8 Av SW, 4 m away. Loading bays, taxi stands, accessible stalls and off-street parkades are not counted, and rates change, so confirm on the sign.

Is office space available at Lancaster Building?

This profile is built from public records and does not track availability, rents or tenancy. Submit a private requirement and current options in the building or nearby will be confirmed through Commercially.

Open in 3D Downtown Commercial Core office buildings Calgary office space guide Downtown map Skyline Office lease cost guide Office tour checklist

Public record sources: Current Year Property Assessments (Parcel), Historical Property Assessments (Parcel), Assessment Subproperty Use Codes, 3D Buildings - Citywide (LiDAR roof outlines), Land Use Districts, Transit LRT Stations, Green Line Stations, Plus 15, Historic Resource (Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources), Development Permits, Building Permits, Calgary Existing Buildings - Performance Metrics (BenchmarkYYC), Calgary Business Licenses, On-Street Parking Zones with Rates, Building Inspections Results, Residential Parking Zones, Snow and Ice Clearing Priority Routes, Traffic Signals, Calgary Bikeways — The City of Calgary, retrieved 2026-09-24. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. Building names, floor counts and architects, where shown, come from Wikidata (CC0). No brokerage, listing-data or commercial research source is used.

Boundary: Assessed values are the City’s assessment-roll figures for taxation and are not sale prices, asking rents, vacancy or availability; Alberta does not publish transaction prices. LiDAR heights are roof-surface elevations above the lowest ground point at the building perimeter and can differ from architectural heights. Storey equivalents are derived at 3.9 m per storey and are not floor counts. Distances are straight-line. Permit descriptions are the City’s records at retrieval and do not establish current use, tenancy or availability. Read the methodology.

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