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Last year's downtown construction (Photo credit: Curtis Galbraith)
DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION

Downtown Revitalization Project funding to be re-examined by City Council

Oct 2, 2019 | 5:30 AM

The Downtown Association presented to the Infrastructure and Protective Services Committee on Tuesday to ask for consideration on continuing funding for the Downtown Revitalization project, specifically Phases 4 and 4A.

Phase 4 is 100 Avenue from west of 100 Street to 98 Street, and phase 4A is 100 Street from north of 99 Avenue to north of 101 Avenue.

The work being done for both phase 4 and 4A includes sanitary and storm water services, work on sidewalks, walkways, curbs, gutters and roads, and landscaping, street lights and irrigation.

Phases one through three have already been completed, but funding for the remainder was put on hold at last year’s 2019 budget deliberations.

The committee carried the motion for the funding for the project to go into upcoming 2020 budget deliberations, and for council to have discussions prior to the budget deliberations.

Wendy Bosch, Executive Director of the Downtown Association, says that right now, the city centre looks incomplete.

“We also have to recognize that you can’t do partial jobs and have it be accepted as how you’re going to live with it. Nobody buys a set of three tires, so we need to get this finished at some point.”

She adds that besides the money, issues such as continuity and optics go into the project as well.

Construction estimates were presented, with phase 4 being around $16,180,000 million, and 4A being around $5,280,000 million.

Bosch admits the first three phases were a difficult period for the city.

“There was definitely construction fatigue and we need to be cognizant of that, but we also need to finish, so that we have a bright future ahead of us so that we can all enjoy a fantastic city centre like many other cities have.”

Bosch says she is happy with the outcome of the meeting, and that the Downtown Association is more than ready to get the ball rolling again.

The 2020 budget deliberations are set to go from November 13 to 15.