Imperial Oil’s new head office will be located in Quarry Park. (Imperial Oil)

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi says Imperial Oil's plans to move out of the downtown and into the southeast fits with his vision for the city.

In two years, an eight-hectare parcel of land in Quarry Park will be the new home of Imperial Oil.

Between the oil company and other businesses, an estimated 15,000 people will work in the community.

Nenshi says it's good to draw people out of the downtown.

“Having some employment centres that create different flows of traffic and transit is a good thing,” Nenshi said, adding that developments like the one in Quarry Park need to be managed carefully.

"We need to make sure this doesn't mean people get away from downtown life, suburban life, more drive, more traffic, well supported by transit when people are there, walk and have lunch instead of car."

Nenshi also says he’s not concerned about the office vacancy caused by Imperial’s move. He says a new business is expected to move in soon.

The bigger concern he says is access to transit in Quarry Park, which he says is slow, but will improve once the city can secure funding for the southeast leg of the LRT.