Downtown development plan eagerly awaited
astephenson@medicinehatnews.com
The first steps toward turning Medicine Hat’s sweeping vision for the downtown core into a concrete reality are scheduled to take place sometime this year.
The Downtown Redevelopment Plan, a draft document that lays out a vision for the downtown for the next 20- 30 years, was passed by city council in December 2009.
The plan, created after months of extensive consultation with local residents and business owners, is meant to serve as a guide for city planners and a source of ideas and inspiration for the community.
George Webb, executive director of the City Centre Development Agency (CCDA), says the plan gives all of the different interest groups involved in the downtown a common goal and vision to work toward.
“It’s absolutely essential,” Webb says. “We’ve never had a plan like this, so there’s never been a real comprehensive vision to move forward.”
Highlights of the plan include a year-round marketplace, a new tourism centre, a waterfront boardwalk, and a
lively entertainment district — all anchored by Medicine Hat’s historic brick buildings. The ultimate goal, says Mayor Norm Boucher, is to make the downtown a more attractive place to live.
“We have a lot of older buildings downtown where the upstairs is not occupied. To me, they’d be the ideal thing to develop as a loft or an apartment,” Boucher says. “But a lot of people think if they’re going to move there, they want to make sure there’s life, that there’s places to shop, and that it’s not just a bare street.”
To get the ball rolling, the city has chosen the 600 block of 2nd Street SE for a pilot project currently in development by city planners. Second Street is identified in the Redevelopment Plan as the “entertainment district,” with the thinking being that it could support a number of restaurants and pubs that — along with the Monarch Theatre — could keep the downtown hopping in the evening.
Through the pilot project, the city is considering designating the block so that it could be closed to traffic for festivals, street parties, etc. Other possible options for the pilot project include redesigning the
mid-block pedestrian crossings, improving signage, installing public art and street furniture, and planting new trees or clustering trees in a different way.
“This (the pilot project) will keep the downtown in the forefront of people’s minds and in the news, and will also show people what can happen when everyone works together,” Webb says.
While the city will take on improvements that are within its area of responsibility, Boucher says downtown revival is dependent on cooperation from the business community as well.
“It’s pretty important that business people themselves create a lively environment in the downtown and are competitive with the Mall and other strip malls around the city,” Boucher says. “And that means the hours that you’re open, and the prices you’re charging, have to be competitive.”
NEWS PHOTO EMMA BENNETT
Second Street S.E. in historic downtown Medicine Hat will be part of the pilot project for the Downtown Redevelopment Plan, which is planned to start sometime this year. In December 2009, City Council passed the draft document that lays out a vision for the downtown for the next 20-30 years and is meant to serve as a guide for city planners and a source of ideas and inspiration for the community.
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