Revitalization Plan Creates Enthusiasm

By Anne Kyle

Photo: Roy Antal/Leader-Post
Jennifer Keesmaat, from the consulting firm OfficeforUrbanism, speaks to a gathering at Knox-Metropolitan Church during Wednesday's public forum on the Downtown Plan project.

Regina residents were wowed by the draft plan for a revitalized downtown that would be pedestrian friendly, green, culturally and socially vibrant and a place where people can live, work and play.

"It is unbelievably fantastic. It looks like there is money to be made. There is a city to be made civilized. It's beautiful and if it doesn't happen it would be a crime against the citizens of Regina," said Stephen Whitworth, who lives and works downtown.

"What I liked about it (draft downtown plan) wasthe way all the different ideas worked together to create something that was greater than the parts. So the residential is critical, the walkability is critical, the cycling is critical."

Created by OfficeforUrbanism, the Toronto-based consulting firm hired by the city to come up with a vision for a revitalized downtown, the project calls for the transformation of two blocks on 12th Avenue between Lorne and Scarth Street - into a town square where festivals and activities can be held adjacent to Victoria Park.

The draft plan unveiled by Jennifer Keesmaat, OfficeforUrbanism's project lead, at Wednesday's public open house, would see 11th and 12th Avenue returned to two-way traffic with wider sidewalks and cycling lanes to encourage more pedestrian traffic downtown.

"We are going to narrow the lanes and make the sidewalks wider so that it is a better experience for pedestrians so that it is desirable to walk around the downtown core," Keesmaat said.

"This has all sorts of benefits - this means retail is going to flourish in the downtown on a whole new scale because retail in a downtown environment thrives on pedestrian traffic,"

Victoria Park would be the jewel of the downtown redevelopment with existing and new buildings in the downtown core opening up their ground-level floors for residential and retail purposes providing a more inviting and safe walking environment.

The plan also includes residential buffer zones condo, loft, townhouse development - created along Albert Street, Saskatchewan Drive and Broad Street with Victoria Avenue being redesigned into a landscaped ceremonial boulevard.

"Another significant idea we are talking about is how do you start creating a more urban downtown," Keesmaat said.

"We are proposing the infrastructure that is going to make it possible to make the downtown flourish in the future and create a sense of community.

"Getting a residential population living in the downtown is going to begin to make it possible to have that grocery store that everyone is asking for. It is going to bring theatres back downtown. It means arts and cultural groups are going to be able to thrive in downtown in a whole new level."

Keesmaat also suggested that the cafeteria in city hall be moved to the front of the building and opened up so that tables spill out onto the square encouraging the area to become an all-season gathering place.

Another possibility is redeveloping the existing library space by using public and private funds to build a high-rise condo building with library facilities on the ground level with a mid-block connecting pathway between city hall and Victoria Park.

Making better use of the space at city hall, developing some of the old heritage buildings on Broad Street into residential complexes, making the downtown more pedestrian and cycle-friendly received a nod of approval from Terry Chadwick.

Chadwick said his only question is who is going to foot the bill for these proposed changes.

On Friday between 1:30 and 3 p.m. the city and OfficeforUrbanism will present its findings from its action-planning workshops and the public forum at a media event at Knox-Metropolitan Church.

© Copyright 2008 The Leader-Post. Used with permission.