The talk and visioning is over. It’s time to show the dream.
Innisfail’s long journey to revitalize its downtown core has completed the formal stage of public consultation on ideas for the future of Main Street. The ideas, which were formally presented by the public at a May open house and last week at two days of public workshops, will now be put to concept drawings.
The public at long last will soon have actual pictures before them of what 50 St., from 47 Ave. to Hwy. 2A, could look like in five, 10 and even 25 years.
“We’ve talked about this for 15 to 20 years and now show me something,” said Innisfail businessman and town councilor Mark Kemball who attended the workshops July 19 and 20 at Innisfail Junior Senior High School.
The workshops, which were facilitated by B.C. governance consultant Gordon A. McIntosh, ended with a call by participants that a bold continuous communications strategy to the public was imperative, and that the business community must be enticed to become fully engaged as the process moves forward.
“This has be business driven. It is not a job of council. Business needs to be sitting around the table,” said town councilor Tracey Walker who was also present at the workshops.
The downtown revitalization dream begins next year with an $8 million infrastructure project on 50 St. The project will take three years to complete and will see Main Street dug up block by block for the installation of new water lines.
There was unanimous agreement at the workshops the project presented a unique opportunity for the town to go one big step further - to finally give the downtown core a complete aesthetic makeover for the future.
“The notion of downtown just being a place of commerce is changing,” said McIntosh, who has facilitated public consultations in many municipalities across the country over the future of their downtown cores. “It is a destination, a gathering place.”
During the workshops participants probed the weaknesses and strengths of today’s downtown Innisfail. They then moved to a wide range of actions and strategies on how to get to an ideal image for downtown.
The vision participants moved towards was a downtown that is a vibrant, all season gathering place for young and older locals and visitors; a destination that has plenty of outdoor space lined with cafes and outdoor musicians and vendors, a dynamic venue that is easily accessible by vehicles through one-way traffic, ample and angled parking, a modern-day business and tourism focal point adorned with wide sidewalks and trees, and an exciting place for all that has an embracing theme and utilizes the full potential of existing heritage architecture.
“The streetscape is huge, huge. It shouldn’t be under considered,” said Doug Bos, a local business owner and member of the downtown revitalization steering committee.
However, participants also recognized the challenges ahead. There was considerable concern how future construction, particularly with the upcoming infrastructure project, will impact existing businesses on 50 St. There was extensive discussion on the need to have a well-defined communication plan to help businesses through the three-year period.
“The challenge is to minimize impact on businesses. How are they going to survive through the construction period?” said McIntosh.
Participants also acknowledged there were challenges ahead with signage, both in the downtown core and along the QEII Highway and whether it would be appropriate in establishing building façade guidelines as most buildings, particularly ones with significant heritage value, are privately owned.
As well, there was concern over potential future costs to property and business owners and whether proposed downtown business association levies would be a deterrent for them to become fully engaged in the process.
The ideas from the May open house and last week’s public workshops will now be in the hands of planners, engineers and landscape artists with Parkland Community Planning Services. They will put them together to create models for the town and the steering committee to review in early fall. In October and November the public will then finally see the ideas for downtown’s future put in drawings. The public will be invited to make further comment.
