By John Devine
Special to Ontario Construction News
Orillia residents got a look at the City’s plans for their waterfront at an open house held recently at the Opera House.
Known as the jewel of the Trent-Severn Waterway, Orillia’s shoreline is central to the City’s reputation for offering a high quality of life, as well as being a spectacular place to visit, said the City in announcing the open house.
“During the summer months it is a focal point for community festivals and special events. These events draw tourists and local residents to the waterfront, as well as into the downtown and beyond.”
The City has engaged a landscape architectural consulting team to draft a long-term vision for the Downtown Waterfront Parklands, which comprises three separate parks: Couchiching Park, Centennial Park, and Veteran’s Memorial Park. The Port of Orillia is also a popular part of the City’s waterfront, serving visiting boaters moving along the waterway, or docking to enjoy the waters in Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching.
The Downtown Waterfront Parkland Design Study lays out improvements to be made to the waterfront over the coming years. They include: the realignment of Centennial Drive, the extension of Coldwater Road to Centennial Drive, and the waterfront redevelopment project at 70 Front St. North.
The Front Street project dates back to 2012, when the City adopted the Downtown Tomorrow Plan. In doing so, a long-term plan was envisioned to better connect the downtown core and waterfront area. In 2016, the City purchased 70 Front Street North, described as an under-utilized parcel of land which contained a large commercial plaza. The goal was to extend Coldwater Street to Centennial Drive, and facilitate redevelopment of the southern portion of the plaza.
The site is to be sold in two phases, the first of which was a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to determine a shortlist of qualified proponents who share council’s vision. The proponents were announced last June. The second is the Request for Proposals (RFP) to invite the shortlisted proponents to submit their detailed redevelopment proposal for the site. It is anticipated the RFP document, which is currently being developed, will be released in spring 2020.
“The City of Orillia is fully committed to the waterfront redevelopment project. This catalytic project will revitalize the core of our city and breathe new vibrancy into our downtown waterfront area, which is in complete sync with the City’s recently adopted strategic plan,” said Mayor Steve Clarke.
At the open house, residents viewed the progress of the vision for the downtown waterfront area, seeing all recently completed and proposed improvement projects.
“The parkland design study will determine the future of existing elements such as the boat launch, public parking, the skate park, the parks greenhouse, and the Terry Fox Circle; and will consider the introduction of new features such as splash play and a refrigerated skate trail,” says the City.
Two design options were presented for the parks on the shore of Lake Couchiching. The first calls for a passive design, while the second considers an active approach. The City has a Friday, Feb. 14 deadline for feedback from an online survey.