Construction continues on 50th Street as improvements are made to underground utilities in the area. The sidewalks remain open while the construction is underway. Jeannette Benoit-Leipert Meridian Source
Some major construction continues in downtown Lloydminster.
It’s a large task, but the improvements are necessary says the city. Many of them involve upgrades to underground utilities and the sewer system in the area.
“There’s underground infrastructure and stuff like that that needs to be done, and even some additional drainage things that have been added into the scope around the clocktower building,” said Lloydminster city councillor, Jonathan Torresan.
“It’s great to be able to do it but it’s a challenge for motorists and for the downtown businesses there, so one thing we really want to do is try and encourage people to support those downtown businesses and follow the signs.
“There are ways to be able to get there, the sidewalks are still open and there’s signage to show you where you need to go park…at the Synergy building there, you can access off of 49th street so you can still get into those businesses and we really encourage people to continue to support them because this is going to be a challenging time for them,” said Torrresan, adding it may take some time but the finished product will be worth the wait.
“This is kind of a generational investment in our downtown, so absolutely it’s a bit of a struggle for people to navigate through. I think they’re well on their way, but the project schedule does have it going well into the fall, so it will be awhile still before everything is finished and opened up to the way it will be with the finished product,” said Torresan.
“But I think it’s something everyone is really looking forward to see what it looks like at the end of the day.”
The construction is one of the early steps in a proposed 15-year plan outlined in the Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan (DARP).
“It’s a long-term goal of having a kind of more welcoming kind of downtown that really highlights it as a spot where things are happening,” said Torresan, who heads up the Downtown Area Redevelopment Committee (DARC).
“So far, the downtown area redevelopment committee has been involved. We’ve sponsored events, we’ve been doing different downtown eats and treats installations and things like that, that we’ve helped sponsor and encouraged. We do have a program on this year for the facade and building improvement program,” said Torresan, explaining that the improvement program is a great way for downtown building owners to spruce up their properties, while adding to an overall improved image of the downtown area.
“We’ve got $360,000 in the budget to invest in the downtown, for building owners to invest, so that’ll provide an opportunity for them to get some forgivable loans. There’s 25 per cent forgivable loans or there’s matching grants through the program where they can do improvements to their facade and get a portion of it covered by the city. There’s opportunities where we can make a lot happen over the next little while,” said Torresan.
“It’s part of the beautification goal of the downtown, so there is a certain vision for renewal and revitalizing it, and part of that is just starting with the low-hanging fruit, which is improving the exterior of the buildings,” Torresan added.
The city has also advertised and awarded certain event grants as well, with the goal of attracting people to the downtown core.
“With the events grants, it’s another one where we provide a little bit of funding through the downtown area redevelopment committee. Have events that specifically attract people to the downtown,” said Torresan.
Something they are working on currently is a ‘parklet.’
“Just west of Legacy DIY in the parking lot … it is going to be like a hard-scaped park, so in the parking lot they’ll be different activities and things you can do to use that park as more of a pedestrian-friendly kind of space where people can gather, we can have events or just hang out at,” explained Torresan.
“So we’re really looking forward to getting that up and running and kind of giving another opportunity for people to enjoy the downtown in a different way.”
There are many ways to stay updated on the progress being made downtown. They have a ‘Downtown Lloydminster’ Facebook page and are on Instagram, as well as a Lloydminster.ca/downtown.
“Those things will continue to provide information to people on different things going on and parts of the plan that we are continuing to pursue,” said Torresan.
“And if anybody else wants to get involved, another thing is we had a call for applications for committee members that closed on the fourth of July, but we still have quite a few vacant seats,” said Torresan.
If anyone is interested in applying to be on the committee they can contact the city or get more information at Lloydminster.ca/darp.
