OfficeBuildings.ca / Downtown Commercial Core · Calgary office building record

Downtown Commercial Core · Calgary office building record

John J. Bowlen Building

Office · high-rise office building · built 1967 · 620 7 Ave SW

John J. Bowlen Building (620 7 Ave SW) is a 55.4 m high-rise office building in Downtown Commercial Core, Calgary, recorded on the City assessment roll as built in 1967. Its main structure is the 86th tallest office roof of the 775 ranked in this record, and 67th of 119 in Downtown Commercial Core. The City assesses the parcel at $10.1M on the 2026 roll, 195th of 822 sites in the record by assessed value. A Plus 15 walkway touches the parcel. The nearest CTrain platform is 6th Street SW, 41 m away in a straight line. 2,239 scheduled transit trips call within 300 m of the parcel on a weekday. Since 2012 the City has recorded 11 building permits and 0 development permits on the parcel, the largest a $1.4M office permit for alteration, applied for in 2013. It appears on the City’s Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources as John J. Bowlen Building.

Street-level 3D view of John J. Bowlen Building, Calgary, from the southwest — From the street: an eye-level view from the southwest, about 60 m away. Same model, same source; not a photograph.

LiDAR roof height55.4 m

Storey-equivalent (derived)14

Footprint1,579 m²

Parcel2,170 m²

Year built (roll)1967

Assessed 2026$10.1M

Structures on parcel1

Nearest CTrain41 m

Civic address: 620 7 Ave SW, Calgary, AB
Community: Downtown Commercial Core (DNC)
City sub-property use: C101 Office · all Office sites
Land use district: CR20-C20/R20 — Commercial - Residential Core (Commercial - Core)
Height rank: #86 of 785 citywide · #67 of 111 in Downtown Commercial Core
Footprint to parcel: 73% of the parcel under LiDAR footprints
Parcel pieces: 1 titled piece · roll 201497625
Coordinates: 51.047118, -114.075333

Own or manage John J. Bowlen Building?

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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 →

55.4 m · 1,579 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: 6th Street SW, 41 m straight-line (route 201/202). Planned Green Line station 7 Avenue SW is 522 m away (Downtown Segment, per the City’s Green Line map).

Other office buildings near 6th 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), 79 m away.

Winter access

No Priority 1 or 2 snow and ice clearing route lies within 30 m of the parcel edge.

Accessible crossing

The nearest accessible pedestrian signal is at 7 Avenue and 6 Street, 68 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.

2,239 scheduled transit trips call within 300 m of this parcel on a representative weekday, 321 of them between 07:00 and 09:00, across 28 routes and 29 stops. The closest stop is EB 6 Street SW Station (Free Fare Zone), 51 m away.

Service class	Trips on the service day
REGULAR	1,046
LRT	672
MAX	373
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 · 13 Altadore · 15 Deerfoot Meadows · 17 Renfrew/Ramsay · 22 Richmond Rd SW · 62 Hidden Valley · 64 MacEwan · 66 Lakeview · 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 · 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

193 metered stalls across 34 City parking zones touching this walking radius, at $1.00 to $4.00 per hour depending on zone and time of day. Maximum stay 30 to 120 minutes. Tariff zones 4b, 4d.

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

Closest zone

6 St SW, Fr 6 Av SW To 7 Av SW — 30 m from the parcel, 10 parallel stalls, tariff zone 4b, 120-minute maximum.

When	Rate
Mon-Fri 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM	$3.50 per Hour
Mon-Fri 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM	$3.75 per Hour
Mon-Fri 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM	$3.50 per Hour
Mon-Fri 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM	$1.50 per Hour
Saturday: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM	Free 2 Hours, max:2 Hours
Sunday/Holidays:	Free parking
Free parking to 9 AM	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.

John J. Bowlen Building

Construction year: 1969
Architect: W.G. Milne
Style: International
Typology: Office
Development era: 1957 to 1982 (Modern)
Original use: Government
Planning theme: Politics and Government
Designation: Inventory listing only
Inventory class: CWHR · featured resource

The site is significant because:

The building is significant for its International-style architecture, which reflects the exploration during the 1960s for alternative expressions of skyscraper form and detailing. The building is characterized by its richly-articulated main facades and high level of craftsmanship and finishing. The lobby contains one of Calgary's most significant public art pieces; a 13-meter wide mural by renowned contemporary Alberta artist Ron (Gyo-Zo) Spickett. (Style value: City-wide significance).

Character-defining elements: Key elements that define the heritage character of the John J. Bowlen Building include its: - setting on the north side of 7th Avenue SW at the corner of 6th Street in downtown Calgary; - contextual features including the paved entry plaza; - form, scale and massing, as expressed by its rectangular plan and 12-storey concrete tower incorporating a two-storey podium that wraps around the west side of the building and a ground-floor extension; a recessed top floor surrounded by an open balcony; offset and inset entryway on east side of the south façade; projecting central stairwell on north (rea

Source: The City of Calgary Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources, entry 691.

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 201497625 · Office

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
2010	$46.5M	—
2011	$19.7M	-57.7%
2012	$20.3M	2.9%
2013	$45.3M	123.5%
2014	$54.9M	21.2%
2015	$52.8M	-3.8%
2016	$43.3M	-18.0%
2017	$24.3M	-43.8%
2018	$12.7M	-47.7%
2019	$13.3M	4.2%
2020	$12.4M	-6.6%
2021	$11.9M	-3.8%
2022	$10.0M	-15.9%
2023	$8.9M	-10.6%
2024	$8.9M	0.0%
2025	$9.8M	9.8%
2026	$10.1M	2.7%

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 0 since 2012

None located on this parcel since 2012.

Recent building permits 11 since 2012 · 11 in the City’s office class

Applied	Permit	Class · work	Est. cost	Status
2026-04-14	BP2026-05875	3402 - Office · Fire/ Security Alarm Modifications to Fire Alarm System	$4,600	Issued Permit
2026-01-26	BP2026-01150	3402 - Office · Fire/ Security Alarm	$25,000	Refused
2024-07-22	BP2024-14901	3402 - Office · Alteration JJ Bowlen	$59,575	Completed
2022-04-19	BP2022-06229	3402 - Office · Alteration Leasehold Improvements	$677,515	Completed
2018-08-21	BP2018-11161	3402 - Office · Alteration Interior Alteration - JSG Office Relocation	$467,751	Completed
2017-09-01	BP2017-11627	3402 - Office · Alteration Interior Alteration - Group D	$41,175	Completed
2017-04-11	BP2017-03545	3402 - Office · Alteration Specialty Fire Alarm upgrade - 4th Floor	$21,500	Completed
2017-04-11	BP2017-03546	3402 - Office · Alteration Specialty Fire Alarm upgrade - Basement	$20,900	Completed

Declared estimated project cost across all 11 non-residential building permits on the parcel since 2012: $2.8M. 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.

50 inspection results are published against 8 of the 11 building permits on this parcel, from 2013-02-20 to 2026-03-18. The most recent occupancy inspection was accepted on 2019-02-14. 4 inspections used a life-safety checklist and 4 a barrier-free checklist.

What was inspected

Result of each visit

Outcome	Inspections
Acceptable Add Inspection	38
Acceptable	7
Acceptable with Conditions	3
Cancelled	1
Not Acceptable	1

Stage

Inspection type	Count
Progress	39
Final	7
Occupancy	4

The 14 most recent inspection results

Date	Permit	Stage	Checklist	Outcome	Inspector note
2026-03-18	BP2022-06229	Final	All Directives	Acceptable	No deficiencies noted. No further building inspections required. File Closed.
2025-01-28	BP2024-14901	Final	All Directives	Acceptable	No deficiencies noted. No further building inspections are required.
2023-04-13	BP2022-06229	Progress	General Inspection Observations	Acceptable Add Inspection	Documents received via email for firestop systems. Viewed on site - Trade permits have signed off for male washrooms. - only the parkade is sprinklered - verification not required - Fire alarm devices connected in updated male washrooms. Strobe installed in washrooms with fire detector installed in janitor rooms. - fin
2023-04-13	BP2022-06229	Final	PART 8 NBC 2019 AE	Cancelled	2.2.10.2 Div. C. Occupancy before Completion As the building and or floor area is intended to be occupied during the interior alterations and construction, the owner shall ensure that fire safety measures are to be maintained for occupants including clear access to exits from all occupied areas of the building includin
2023-04-13	BP2022-06229	Progress	Directives	Acceptable Add Inspection	Call 311 to book an inspection for firestopping in female washrooms when ready
2023-04-13	BP2022-06229	Progress	Field Level Hazard Assessment (FLHA)	Acceptable Add Inspection	Field Level Hazard Assessment: Conditions were +7, overcast No other unsafe conditions identified Hard hat, safety boots and vest worn.
2023-04-06	BP2022-06229	Progress	Directives	Acceptable Add Inspection	Call 311 to book an inspection for final when ready.
2023-04-06	BP2022-06229	Progress	Field Level Hazard Assessment (FLHA)	Acceptable Add Inspection	Field Level Hazard Assessment: No safety issues as there was not a site inspection performed and this was jus a phone conversation regarding occupancy
2023-04-06	BP2022-06229	Progress	Directives	Acceptable Add Inspection	If a phased occupancy will be occurring, all documentation will be required or the requirements of Alberta Standata 19-BCB-004 must be met.
2023-02-03	BP2022-06229	Progress	Field Level Hazard Assessment (FLHA)	Acceptable Add Inspection	Field Level Hazard Assessment: site safety and personal PPE in place.
2023-02-03	BP2022-06229	Progress	General Inspection Observations	Acceptable Add Inspection	Complaint Observations were: this was a firestopping inspection of mens washrooms levels 6 to 13 and it is acceptable. Call for firestopping of women¿s washrooms level 6 to 13 when ready.
2023-01-16	BP2022-06229	Progress	Documents Commercial	Acceptable Add Inspection	Sprinkler Verification Is required at the final inspection.
2023-01-16	BP2022-06229	Progress	Field Level Hazard Assessment (FLHA)	Acceptable Add Inspection	Field Level Hazard Assessment: No unsafe conditions identified. Hard hat, Safety boots and vest worn.
2023-01-16	BP2022-06229	Progress	General Inspection Observations	Acceptable Add Inspection	Base Building Observations were: Scope of work is for washroom upgrade, replacement of domestic water lines, fixtures, back flow preventers in the existing building This progress inspection was to review the requirements for barrier free washrooms but these washrooms are existing non-conforming.

An inspection result is a record of one visit, not a verdict on the building. 1 of these 50 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 0 as of 2026-09-24

No City of Calgary business licence is recorded at this address or inside this parcel.

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.

635 6 Ave SW86 m · built 1964 · Office · Downtown Commercial Core · 51 m
601 5 St SW125.8 m · built 2007 · Office · Downtown Commercial Core · 64 m
645 7 Ave SW109.9 m · built 1988 · Office · Downtown Commercial Core · 69 m
707 5 St SW125.3 m · built 2015 · Office · Downtown Commercial Core · 75 m
632 8 Ave SW55 m · built 1951 · Office · Downtown Commercial Core · 106 m
630 6 Ave SW60 m · built 1965 · Office · Downtown Commercial Core · 106 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 sites Built in the 1960s Land use CR20-C20/R20 #86 tallest office roof in Calgary 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

John J. Bowlen Building questions

Answers drawn from the record.

How tall is John J. Bowlen Building?

The main structure on the parcel has a LiDAR roof height of 55.4 m in The City of Calgary’s 3D building data, a storey-equivalent of about 14 at 3.9 m per storey.

When was John J. Bowlen Building built?

The City’s assessment roll records 1967 as the year of construction. The heritage inventory records 1969.

What is the assessed value of John J. Bowlen Building?

The City of Calgary assesses this parcel at $10.1M in total on the 2026 roll, 195th 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 John J. Bowlen 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 John J. Bowlen Building?

6th Street SW Station, 41 m in a straight line from the parcel centroid.

Who is in John J. Bowlen Building?

No City of Calgary business licence is recorded at this address or inside the parcel. Most office occupiers such as professional firms do not need a municipal licence, so the register is not a tenant roster.

Has John J. Bowlen Building been inspected?

The City publishes 50 inspection results against 8 permits here, between 2013-02-20 and 2026-03-18. 4 used a life-safety checklist such as fire separations, firestopping or emergency lighting. 4 used the barrier-free checklist. The most recent occupancy inspection was accepted on 2019-02-14. 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 John J. Bowlen Building?

2,239 scheduled transit trips call within 300 m of the parcel on a representative weekday, 321 of them in the morning peak, across 28 routes. The closest stop is EB 6 Street SW Station (Free Fare Zone), 51 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 John J. Bowlen Building?

The best-rated cycling facility within 400 m is a protected lane, 79 m away. No Priority 1 or 2 clearing route lies within 30 m of the parcel edge. These are straight-line tests against City layers.

Where can visitors park at John J. Bowlen Building?

The City of Calgary's tariff record shows 193 paid on-street stalls in 34 zones within 200 m of the parcel, at $1.00 to $4.00 per hour. The closest is 6 St SW, Fr 6 Av SW To 7 Av SW, 30 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 John J. Bowlen 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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