Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Brampton has approved spending $16.6 million in streetscaping work as part of the first phase of the Integrated Downtown Plan (IPD).
In coordination with the Region of Peel’s downtown infrastructure work, the city streetscaping initiatives include replacing existing sidewalks with stone pavers and resurfacing roads with widened sidewalks on both sides of Queen and Main Streets.
“We’re working to revitalize and unlock the potential of downtown Brampton, and in approving this $16.6 million investment in streetscaping work as part of the first phase of the Integrated Downtown Plan, we are yet another step closer to creating a quality urban space and an enhanced pedestrian realm in our downtown core,” said Mayor Patrick Brown.
Councillors say construction will create “quality urban spaces for commercial activity, pedestrians and cyclists and form active linkages between Etobicoke and Fletchers Creeks, and create an enhanced pedestrian realm in the downtown core”.
Staff was directed to develop a Downtown Brampton Streetscape Manual which will inform the diverse local neighbourhoods within downtown Brampton.
An eight-week Urban Design Activation Strategy will study development opportunities for temporary and long-term urban design in the downtown. The scope of work includes installation of dedicated bike lanes on Main Street through the downtown, on-sidewalk movable planters and landscaping elements, semi-mountable curbs, street prints at crosswalks, and way-finding signs, and the installation of spare ducts within the construction to accommodate future fiber optics for telecommunications.
Engineering design will begin immediately and be completed by early 2023.
The IDP is a roadmap for action – coordinating downtown Brampton’s many ongoing initiatives and infrastructure projects. It is anticipated to guide future growth and strategic investment through 2051.
The guiding principles of the IDP are inclusivity, innovation and sustainability. It will help coordinate infrastructure upgrades, urban design, land use, and programming interventions – positioning Brampton as a pivotal economic driver, regional cultural hub, and Innovation District.
“Our downtown businesses have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are committed to supporting them in every way we can on their journey to economic recovery. This streetscaping project, along with complimentary short-term strategies to support the downtown, will serve to position Brampton as an economic driver, regional cultural hub and Innovation District,” said regional councillor Paul Vicente.