Councillor Stephanie Brown Munro is calling the Downtown Area Revitalization Plan (DARP) public engagements a success.
Public engagements were held at The Root Events Centre, the Servus Sports Centre and during a Bobcats game to discuss the ideas put forward by O2 planning. With the last of the public engagements wrapped up, the city will be bringing the public’s thoughts back to O2 planning. Councillor Stephanie Brown Munro was present at all of the engagements and is pleased with the turnout.
“They went very well. We had a really good turnout at all three engagements, and for me, it was really an opportunity for residents to come out. Obviously, we did bring up other topics besides the DARP, but it was the opportunity,” says Brown Munro.
The engagements were an opportunity for residents to come and provide feedback on what was being proposed. Ideas were aimed at making more walkable and pedestrian-friendly communities, creating new infrastructure and amenities and stimulating development in the downtown area. Brown Munro says a number of concerns were also raised around the DARP.
“A couple of people were concerned about parking, and if we were to propose certain green spaces, what that would look like for parking downtown. Other people had concerns with the city putting this much resources in the downtown area, and if that means other areas are lacking,” says Brown Munro. She adds the DARP is an economic development tool that will benefit the city.
“Preference isn’t necessarily given to the downtown in terms of developers, but it’s just another option. It’ll be used just the same as any other area development plan we have in our community.”
Those who couldn’t make the public engagements can still voice their opinions online. A survey is available until March 4 on lloydminster.ca/downtown.