The Downtown Revitalization Committee received a couple of updates at its meeting on Wednesday night.
One of those updates came from Michael Kemp, Economic Development Marketing Co-ordinator, who spoke about the successful Downtown Community Improvement Plan (CIP) Program.
The CIP program offers grants to encourage façade and building improvements in the downtown, in keeping with the town's revitalization goals.
Kemp noted that there are four downtown CIP grant applications set to come before council on Feb. 18, two of them on Holland St. West and two on Holland St. E. The total amount requested comes to approximately $123,000, he said.
Kemp noted that the continuing interest is a sign of the success of the program.
Over the past three years, “we overspent a little bit. We’ve spent all the money that council has graciously given us, and dipped into the reserves a little bit," he said. “Again, still a very popular program. There are more (grant applications) in the hopper.”
Peter Loukes, Director of Development and Engineering provided the committee with an update on capital projects – in particular, improvements to the John Street municipal parking lot, and the long-awaited Holland Street reconstruction.
The John Street parking lot project will be going to tender by the end of February, with a projected completion date of July 1, Loukes told the committee.
“Basically, it will be operational by Canada Day,” Loukes said. The project includes drainage improvements, resurfacing, new lighting – and, in response to a question from the committee, the installation of infrastructure for an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station.
As for Holland Street, Loukes noted that inspection of the sanitary sewers will be taking place this spring and summer.
The proposal itself will be coming back to council and to the public before the Environmental Assessment is finalized.
“I’m interested in putting together a public forum,” Loukes said, noting that the original study was completed “years ago,” and there are many new residents who are unaware of the plans.
Loukes also noted that there is another factor to be considered. The province of Ontario has announced its intention to move forward with the Hwy. 400-404 “Bradford Link,” north of Line 8.
“If the link does get put in, it does alleviate the traffic patterns downtown,” he said, and will impact the scope of work.
