Victoria Park Redesign

Mayor Pat Fiacco and posse announce City Square project

Big changes are in store for Victoria Park as the city takes the first step in its long-awaited and much-anticipated initiative to revitalize the downtown by transforming the park into a City Square that will serve as a focal point for community activity in the downtown. Together, the feds, province and city are ponying up over $7 million to realize the vision first articulated by Office for Urbanism during public consultations to develop a Downtown Neighbourhood Plan (DNP).

Progress on the DNP has lagged somewhat in recent months. In August, the plan is expected to go before the Planning Commission and City Council. But with a municipal election set for October, critics are worried that further delays are inevitable. Still, the tri-partite commitment to the City Square project is definitely a step in the right direction. Under the plan, 11th and 12th Ave are to be converted to two-way streets, with the latter capable of being closed to traffic between Lorne and Scarth to accomodate festivals and other special events. Steps are also being taken to curtail summer turf wars in the park.

As well, the Scarth Street mall might be opened up to traffic. Sacrilege? Not really. Unlike now, downtown Regina is to become uber-pedestrian friendly, so vehicle speeds will be limited to the 30 k.p.h. range, sidewalks will be widened and plenty of safe and convenient pedestrian crossings will be established.

Further details (albeit of poor graphic quality) are available here (City of Regina). Look for more in our July 2 issue.



















The public discusses proposed changes. Some are excited, others complain about downtown parking.



















Model of the new-look Victoria Park.



















Grimace!