City Centre Area Redevelopment Plan

There is plenty of activity happening at Columbus Park these days, including significant concrete work and steel structure construction. Thanks to everyone for their patience during this busy time at the site.

Once redevelopment work is complete, Columbus Park will be home to a permanent stage and storage room, a shelter structure, and tables. Other features of the park will include flat green space, a water bottle fill station, power outlets, and raised planters with seating. Underground services are being installed to potentially accommodate a washroom facility in the future.

Concrete flatwork

Stage construction

Stage construction

Shade canopy construction

Shade canopy construction

Shade canopy construction (photo courtesy Victor Moroz)

Over the next four weeks, there will be a significant increase in activity at Columbus Park with ongoing concrete work and steel structure construction.

To support this work, the angle parking on the south side of McLeod Avenue, from Main Street east to the alley, is expected to be temporarily closed from October 29 to November 26 to allow the space to be used for on-site storage and trailers.

Temporarily using this space for necessary storage needs will allow the work to be done more efficiently and completed as quickly as possible.

The sidewalk on the south side of McLeod Avenue will remain open.

As well, the angle parking and sidewalk on the west side of Columbus Park will continue to remain closed. Signage is posted and pedestrian traffic is being accommodated.

Updates regarding construction and related impacts will be provided throughout the project.

Benches, planters and the stage area are taking shape at Columbus Park as concrete work continues at the site.

To accommodate this concrete work, there will be times when there is an increase in traffic, activity, and equipment. As needed, workers will help to manage and direct traffic flow.

Additionally, effective October 20, the contractor’s on-site trailer will be relocated to the south side of McLeod Avenue, near the existing construction laydown zone on Main Street. This will temporarily impact approximately three parking stalls until November 30. The sidewalk will remain open and traffic accommodation signage will be posted.

Updates regarding construction and related impacts will be provided throughout the project.

Concrete work continues at Columbus Park to create the park’s benches, sidewalks, and stage area.

Work on the irrigation line is also underway, as is installation of the electrical cabinet base.

There will be times when there is an increase in traffic, activity, and equipment at the site to accommodate the concrete work. Workers will be on site to help manage and direct traffic flow at these times.

Updates regarding construction and related impacts will be provided throughout the project.

Construction work to cut and remove asphalt on McLeod Avenue between King Street and Queen Street will result in some temporary traffic disruption from Thursday, Sept. 23, to Saturday, Sept. 25.

This work is required to confirm the location and elevation of shallow utilities in the area, which will provide information to assist in the ongoing design of the revitalization of McLeod Avenue and Main Street.

Asphalt patching of the road is expected to be completed during the week of Sept. 27.

During these dates there will be temporary traffic and pedestrian accommodations in place and flag people as required to allow for the work to be completed safety.

Work at Columbus Park in the coming weeks will be focused on pouring concrete to create the park’s benches, sidewalks, and stage area.

During this time, there will be an increase in traffic, activity, and equipment at the site to accommodate this concrete work.

Traffic lanes will not be closed, but parking spaces on the north side of Columbus Park will temporarily be impacted while the concrete is being poured. Workers will be on site to help manage and direct traffic flow at these times.

Updates regarding construction and related impacts will be provided throughout the project.

Main Street, between First Avenue and McLeod Avenue, is expected to be temporarily closed to traffic on September 11 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. for asphalt patching work. A section of McLeod Avenue will also be barricaded to accommodate this patching work.

Signage will be posted and drivers and pedestrians are asked to watch for workers and equipment in the area.

Site preparation, curb/sidewalk repair, and asphalt patchwork continues at Columbus Park; this work has been slightly delayed due to recent wet and rainy conditions.

As a reminder, the sidewalk on the west side of the Columbus Park remains closed. Signage is posted and pedestrian traffic is being accommodated.

The angle parking on the west side of Columbus Park also remains closed and the contractor’s on-site trailer will be relocating to this space in the coming weeks.

Updates regarding construction and related impacts will be provided throughout the project.

A median option that will incorporate both angle and parallel parking has been approved for the revitalization of McLeod Avenue and Main Street as part of the City Centre Area Redevelopment Plan.

The overall redevelopment plan for the City Centre is focused on revitalizing the area to create a vibrant, welcoming space and improved experience for those who walk, bike, drive or use transit to access the area.

City Council had previously approved moving forward with a design concept featuring a median with trees.

Final median design options were presented to City Council during an August 23 meeting. The decision was made to proceed with development of a detailed design that will include:

• Angle parking only on the west side of Main Street.
• Parallel parking only on the east side of Main Street.
• A wider pedestrian walkway at 2.5 m on the east side, which will include trees and planters (with possible seating).
• A narrower pedestrian walkway on west side at 1.5 m.

Construction work is scheduled to start in the spring of 2022.

Updates regarding construction and related impacts will be provided once the McLeod Avenue and Main Street revitalization project begins next year.

*Please note images are renderings and subject to change

The surface and ground work preparation work will be nearing completion by the end of this week, early next week. With that will come the removal of most of the heavy equipment from the work site.

Curb repair and patchwork is expected to start today and continue in to next week.

A reminder that the sidewalk on the west side of the Columbus Park remains closed. Signage is posted and pedestrian traffic is being accommodated.

Deliveries of material will be ongoing and mostly take place on the west side of the site. A reminder that the angle parking on the west side remains closed for this purpose. The need for this space will be re-evaluated on a monthly basis.

Updates regarding construction and related impacts will continue to be provided throughout this project.