About 150 people filled the auditorium at St. Andrew’s Place Nov. 9 to hear how they could participate in the revitalization of the downtown.
The downtown master plan process meeting was led by Jason Ferrigan, Greater Sudbury’s senior city planner, and his consultant, Joe Berridge, a partner with Urban Strategies Inc. of Toronto.
“This process is about what we want downtown to look like in 10 years, and how do we get there,” Ferrigan said. The $240,000 study is being financed 50 per cent by FedNor, with contributions from the province and the city.
Residents had a chance to put their ideas and concerns on a number of sheets on walls in the venue. They voiced their input directly to the planners and consultants. Ferrigan said participants at the meeting wanted more residential use in the city core, different specialty shops, varied entertainment venues, and different restaurants. They desired streets that are animated and pleasant to walk on.
“They want a downtown that is open 24/7,” Ferrigan said. “They would like the connection to Ramsey Lake made easier. Safety and security was another big one that I heard Tuesday night.”
The public meeting was the first of three planned meetings to gather public input from citizens, refine and organize their comments and come up with a list do-able projects to implement in about nine months, Ferrigan said. Then it would go to city council by mid-2011 for approval.
He said past downtown planning in the 1960s lead to major urban renewal projects in the 1970s, including Tom Davies Square and the Rainbow Centre.
This process is about what we want downtown to look like in 10 years, and how do we get there.
Greater Sudbury senior planner Jason Ferrigan
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the city undertook comprehensive planning and called it the downtown development action program.
“That was similar to what we are doing today. They wanted largely the same things – new buildings on underutilized sites in strategic locations, more residential housing.”
Market Square and the YMCA are outcomes of that plan, he noted.
At the meeting, businessman John Rutherford complained there had already been a number of studies in recent years.
Ferrigan agreed recent studies looked at making the downtown more aesthetic, but none have been as comprehensive as this new attempt.
Berridge noted if the city wants to be the capital of northern Ontario, it has to ensure its downtown is vibrant.
“A successful downtown provides community pride — it provides our face to the world,” he said. It provides a very strong tax base. It creates jobs.”
Also at the meeting, Elaine Desforges asked how the thousands of downtown office workers could be encouraged to stay around the city core after work.
Berridge said he noticed many of the downtown restaurants were busy at the supper hour during the weekday. Planners need to build on the dining, cultural and entertainment opportunities already available, to encourage people who work downtown to relax, shop and play after work.
Katherine Garrah, a Laurentian University masters level biology student, said she hoped the plan would not be carried out in isolation from those groups of people, students, seniors and the poor who already live downtown. “We need to be inclusive,” Berridge agreed. Downtown should be a place for the rich, poor, young, old, francophones and First Nations people, he said.
While some areas of the downtown are a problem, specifically some of the more run-down areas of Elgin Street, near the train tracks, he said downtown revitalization did not necessarily mean tearing down older buildings.
Ferrigan said a special workshop on safety and security issues will be held. Greater Sudbury Police Services are part of the downtown planning group team.
He said planners expect up to 10,000 new residential units to be built across the city over the next 20 years. If some of those units were sited in the downtown that would help solve many problems, from crime to customers for businesses, he noted. For more information, visit www.growdowntown.ca.
Organizations that comprise the Greater Sudbury downtown master plan Community Liaison Group:
Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce
Sudbury and District Homebuilders
reThink Green
Social Planning Council of Sudbury
Downtown Sudbury Business Improvement Association
Downtown Village
Development Corporation
Laurentian Architecture
Laurentienne
Art Gallery of Sudbury
Carrefour Francophone
Imagine Sudbury
Synergy Project
Ontario Arts Council
YMCA
Greater Sudbury Police Services
Parkside Older Adults Centre
N’Swakamok Native Friendship Centre
FedNor
NOHFC
RDEE
