Mid-sized cities make progress in revitalizing downtowns

[ldoto]

First step: Recognizing that traditional retail players are gone for good
August 2, 2010 | Chris Atchison, Special to Globe and Mail Update


Dan Christian enjoys the beautiful day in downtown London, Ontario, across from the Covent Garden Market, Thursday, June 29, 2010.


When Dan Christian and his wife recently decided to move their family from Toronto to London, Ont., they were looking for a place to raise their children and launch a new tech venture.

But rather than head for the suburbs, as hordes of people have done for decades in this and other mid-sized Canadian cities, they found the lifestyle they were looking for in a rejuvenating downtown core.

They were blown away by the funky boutiques and fine dining on King Street and other bustling boulevards. They were equally impressed by an influx of new companies and an increasingly sophisticated entrepreneurial environment.

“There’s a lot more industry there now. There’s an educated work force and an affluent community, but without the high costs of (Toronto),” Mr. Christian explains. “(London) is also becoming more tech savvy and can foster more opportunities like that.”

With an appealing downtown fit for their new business – as well as closer proximity to family – they concluded that a move to this city of about 355,000 made sense.

Like London, smaller cities across Canada are investing millions to kick-start growth and bring foot traffic and entrepreneurs like Mr. Christian back to their downtown cores.

But revitalizing a tired downtown is an uphill battle that requires more than money – it takes time, strategic vision, a diversity of businesses and a realization that competing head-to-head with the likes of Wal-Mart is a non-starter.

“I believe making a main street from scratch or keeping a vibrant street in a small or medium-sized city is the most difficult task in city-making,” says David Gordon, the director of the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.

“The market forces that are arrayed against you are very difficult to deal with.”

Over time, those forces – in particular the drive toward suburbanization – have slowly squeezed the life out of once-thriving downtowns.

“We did a survey seven years ago of planners across North America and we asked them to identify downtowns of medium-sized cities of between 70,000 and 700,000 people which were in a bad state, unhealthy or declining, and it was virtually all of them,” Pierre Filion, a professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Planning, recalls.

“There was only about 10 per cent that were doing well.”

Despite the bleak assessments, cities across the country are making progress in transforming dilapidated downtowns. The key, say urban planners, is to understand that injecting new life into a downtown core takes a careful blend of innovative tinkering and visionary planning.

Here are five key truths that civic leaders should embrace to reinvigorate their tired downtowns:

Traditional downtown retail is dead

The retail revitalization of central London is working, says Joe Berridge, a partner at Toronto-based urban planning consultancy Urban Strategies Inc., because local officials accepted the idea that once major retailers bolted to regional shopping malls or big-box “power centres,” they weren’t coming back.

Instead, the city focused on restoring its vibrancy with renewed residential and office development, and a completely different retail product – cafes, restaurants and specialty entertainment in place of major department stores.

Case in point: the downtown shopping centre Citi Plaza – which once housed The Bay – has been re-imagined as a multipurpose venue housing London’s central library, retail and office space, as well as satellite campuses of Fanshawe College and the University of Western Ontario.

Restrictive levies and bylaws no longer make sense

To attract new businesses and residential development to downtown, London removed development charges and parking requirements for new residential construction.

The result? Property value assessments in the core have increased by 22 per cent since 1998, while the city’s downtown population has grown by nearly 37 per cent.

Downtown is a dynamic event space

When Cataraqui Town Centre opened on Kingston’s periphery in 1982, city planners knew that despite having recession-proof institutions such as Queen’s University and CFB Kingston at their doorstep, they needed to act fast to insulate downtown from increasing suburbanization.

Officials began aggressively programming downtown in spring and summer with regular outdoor concerts and festivals such as the successful blues and busker festivals.

The events cost the city about $100,000 to stage – all of which is covered by admission and sponsorship revenue – and return upward of $2.5-million in local economic activity.

“We did physical revitalization in a lot of places,” says Doug Ritchie, managing director of Downtown Kingston, the local business improvement area (BIA), “but we knew it was just a stage. You still have to put something on it.”

Improving downtown infrastructure is a must

Cities that have enjoyed some success rejuvenating or limiting the decline of their downtowns, such as Kelowna, B.C., and Kingston, have invested heavily in infrastructure, says Larry Beasley, Vancouver’s former director of planning and a professor at the University of British Columbia.

That includes everything from street lighting and public bench upgrades to road improvements designed to slow traffic and improve the pedestrian experience. But it also means investing in event infrastructure to lure visitors from within and outside the city.

The Kingston BIA, explains Mr. Ritchie, recently contributed $3-million to the construction of downtown’s $47.5-million K-Rock Centre. The facility hosts about 90 events – from hockey games to concerts – annually.

The venue provides the city of 120,000 with a full slate of events to keep downtown busy during its chilly winters. “Having new curtains at your theatre isn’t going to improve attendance,” Mr. Ritchie says. “You still have to have a show to draw them in.”

In another major programming success, Kingston converted its popular farmers’ market – a former parking lot – into an outdoor skating rink in winter. The space now draws an additional 40,000 people to downtown each year.

Development incentives are crucial

In London’s case, council established a downtown “incentive zone” and promoted direct investment in new construction and the refurbishment of older buildings, including the Upgrade to Building Code Loan Program and the Downtown Rehabilitation and Redevelopment Grant Program.

“That’s probably one of the biggest successes that we’ve had,” Mr. Barrett says of the latter initiative. “In the 10 years since we started this, we’ve added over 1,700 new residential units in the downtown.” Officials estimate the program will eventually deliver an estimated $38-million in additional tax revenue.

[MolsonExport]

^a pleasing article, for sure!

[haljackey]

Walked down Dundas the other day... looks a lot better than it used to but there were so many people asking for money that my attention was focused around them, not the streetscape.

Not sure what Downtown London! (formerly Mainstreet London) could do about this problem, but something needs to be done.

Also, it's about time we route the buses using Dundas to King and Queen... no one likes waiting for a bus near Dundas and Richmond... take advantage of the one-ways!

[manny_santos]

Downtown London illustrates the growing gap between rich and poor. On one hand you have the pretentous Starbucks-sipping young professional crowd, who make more money per year than I'd ever know what to do with, tend to only associate with their own, and spend their evenings at the London Tap House and Club Mansion. On the other hand you have all the welfare bums who queue at McDonald's every day and then loiter in front for six hours, and scream profanities at each other while pushing a stroller toward the bus stop.

[ldoto]

Denny Plowright is betting his latest project will succeed and be a boost to downtown London.


He's not boastful, but believes his latest project has a very good chance to succeed. And if it does, not only will he profit so will the downtown, the part of London he cares most about, where he spent his career working and investing.

Plowright co-founded the original Anden Holdings with his brother-in-law Andy Spriet. Together and separately, the two men have held and developed many downtown properties in the last four decades.

One such property is Talbot Court, which Plowright bought in the 1970s. It has been used for a variety of purposes since. It was home to the Common Market furniture store. The second floor was home to a law firm for many years. Most recently, the ground floor was occupied by Dance London.

Eight years ago, Plowright remodeled the 7,600-square-foot second floor turning it into one of the city's first executive suite offices. Small businesses could lease space for between $400 and $900/month all costs included. Tenants could use the boardroom, meeting rooms and telephone/reception services. The 26 suites filled up fairly quickly; the project was a success.

This year, when Dance London moved on, Plowright decided to convert the 4,600-square-foot ground level into more office suites. This time, he added a workout area and showers, along with a centrally located sunken boardroom. The design of the new space is contemporary and stylish, if anything highlighting the dated style of the upstairs spaces.

"We wanted to take the concept that worked so well upstairs and expand it to the main floor," says Plowright. "We've been about 90% full upstairs for several years, so it seems reasonable to think it can work downstairs as well."

As part of the renovation, he reactivated an elevator that had been mothballed for decades. That gives the upstairs tenants and their clients much easier access to their offices.

"Over the years, we lost a few potential tenants because it was a second-floor space with no elevator," says Laurie Fitzpatrick, executive manager of the building and of all of Plowright's London holdings. She plays the role of superintendant, receptionist, secretary and den mother to the building's diverse collection of tenants.

All tenants now have access to both boardrooms, one on each level, as well as kitchens and washrooms on both floors. The renovated ground floor includes fitness and shower facilities. "The showers are something tenants wanted," Plowright says. "They might workout at lunch or during a break, and the shower makes that possible."

The gym is not going to put the Athletic Club out of business, but it rivals the average hotel gym, with plenty of equipment and the requisite TVs hanging from the walls.

Parking for tenants is not included, although there is a lot across Talbot Street with monthly rates. There are, however, a dozen spots for customers, another feature that has attracted tenants over the years.

"I'm a downtown person, always have been," Plowright says. "So I wanted to do something interesting with this building. Since the offices worked once before, I said let's do it again downstairs."

Rates continue in the $425-$900 range, depending on size and location.

Suggestions for future profiles can be e-mailed to newsdesk@lfpress.com or sent to Enterprise, c/o The London Free Press, 369 York St., London, Ont., N6A 4G1. Contact Christopher Clark at 519-667-5529. He's online at www.christopherclarkwriter.com

Talbot Court

341 Talbot St.

519-685-2377

www.talbotcourt.com

[bolognium]

It's always nice to hear of new investments in downtown, but does the core really need more office space?

[Simpseatles]

Younger People's Views on the Core
From the London Free Press, November 25th, 2010

He’s helped to breathe new life into public spaces — from London’s Canary Wharf, to Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square and Disney’s California resort.

Ron Soskolne, a Toronto real-estate development consultant, was in London, checking out the downtown and addressing Downtown London. The Free Press sat down with Soskolne to plumb his thoughts about the city’s core and its potential.

Q:

Welcome to London. Have you been here before?
No, this is the first time

. . . I drove in from Toronto and I parked underneath the (Covent Garden) Market and I came up and thought ‘Wow’ . . . I was pleasantly surprised. I had the perception that your downtown was seedy and down and out, but it’s not. In’s a work in progress, but there have been a lot of accomplishments here.

Q: What particularly caught your eye?

The market, the restaurants, the retailers, the heritage streetscaping — there’s a commitment and energy that’s emerged and it’s at play in this community. Unlike other cities, including Toronto awhile back, people here haven’t given up on their downtown. People still come here to eat and to play.

Q: What can London keep doing to follow through on that momentum?

I can see the issue with Dundas St. itself, but you’re on the right track with helping merchants spill onto the street, rearranging the transit, pedestrian hubs and moving social services.

There are opportunities, like enhancing the relationship between the river and the street itself. Make that end of the street a year-round experience, not just a summer destination.

Q: How can we do that?

Think of the river as the waterfront — people love to be at the water. Find ways to develop the river in an urban context. Look at what The Forks in Winnipeg has done. It’s a great example for London.

Q: How can London revitalize downtown for pedestrians without alienating existing retailers?

Engage them. Make the conversation constructive, so they’re part of the solution. Make them contribute ideas, so it’s a conversation about solutions rather than a conversation about the problem. If they buy into the solution, you can all learn from each other. They have some of the same concerns, like a concentration of social services in one area that brings people that draw away from their businesses.

Q: Wouldn’t moving social services just move the problem of drugs and poverty to a different area of the city?

About 15 years ago in Toronto, Yonge and Dundas was a vacuum. The street was filled with dollar stores, discount stores, cheque-cashing places, sex, drugs and porn shops. The community at large has a collective interest in the symbolism of the main street in their city. It should be accessible to a wide range of people, so if one group takes over, that’s a problem. (In Toronto,) we moved the Salvation Army four blocks away from Yonge and Dundas, and it’s forced drug-dealing into other areas. They’re more dispersed now. If you have a collection of social service agencies in an area, that’s where the customers will congregate. You don’t want that.

Q: We’re looking at visions for 2020. Can we do it all in 10 years?

I don’t know what it was like 10 years ago, but you have a lot of good stuff here right now. It’s like layers of an onion — retailers, transit, residential, all of that has to build. The important thing is that downtown London, and (Dundas) street in particular, lacks a brand. What is this amalgam of the riverfront, heritage buildings, merchants, artists that makes it a brand different than other places? How do you build it, promote it and sell it? It needs to be stage-managed.

[bolognium]

I can see the issue with Dundas St. itself, but you’re on the right track with helping merchants spill onto the street, rearranging the transit, pedestrian hubs and moving social services.

There are opportunities, like enhancing the relationship between the river and the street itself. Make that end of the street a year-round experience, not just a summer destination.

Aight, London, you heard the man. Turn Dundas into a cobblestone pedestrian street and build a commercial boardwalk at the forks of the Thames.

GO!

[haljackey]

I'm not sure if you're all aware of what's happening to King Street in Downtown Kitchener, but the sidewalks are being expanded considerably and includes nice lighting fixtures and trees. Reminds me of a mall but outdoors.

This could work for Dundas if all the on-street parking and bus bays were reduced or removed.

London doesn't really have a waterfront, despite the millions already pumped into improve the area by the forks. It's a non-navigational river and will never have the appeal of a waterfront.

[manny_santos]

My vision is for Dundas to be closed to vehicular traffic from Wellington Street westward to Ridout (and across the river if the King Street extension is ever built), as well as Clarence Street from York Street northward (except for the entrance to the Citi Plaza parking garage, which could be modified to simply run off York Street).

With pedestrian walkways on Dundas and Clarence, there is an opportunity to build a "town square" of sorts in the middle of the intersection, with gardens, opportunities for musical acts to perform, and maybe even a statue. Perhaps the "People and the City" statue in the median of Wellington Street could be moved there, so that it could be more easily seen up close. This pedestrian-only street system would integrate well with Victoria Park.

If this were to take place, obviously London Transit would have to be on Queens and King, and any buses using Clarence would have to use Wellington. To ensure efficient traffic flow, I would ensure the King Street extension is built first, and that the eastern extension of Horton Street to Highbury via Florence St (which has been at least nominally proposed for years) gets built.

[Cambridgite]

I'm not sure if you're all aware of what's happening to King Street in Downtown Kitchener, but the sidewalks are being expanded considerably and includes nice lighting fixtures and trees. Reminds me of a mall but outdoors.

This could work for Dundas if all the on-street parking and bus bays were reduced or removed.

London doesn't really have a waterfront, despite the millions already pumped into improve the area by the forks. It's a non-navigational river and will never have the appeal of a waterfront.

So far this year, events held downtown have enjoyed record attendance. In fact, since 2003, the number of pedestrians on King Street alone has doubled during a typical day.

Source: http://www.kitchener.ca/en/newslist/index.aspx?newsId=aHGru2QTKaPx5ObPWDGwogeQuAleQuAl

While browsing WW, I discovered the daily pedestrian count went from 3000 to 7500 in the past 7 years. That doesn't even take into account developments under construction that are adding thousands more employees to the core. I remember moving to this region in the mid-90s and the core was in pretty destitute shape back then.

I see no reason why London could achieve this either. But the City of Kitchener has sunk a lot of money into making it happen, and faced a lot of criticism from taxpayers (especially suburban ones) so it would take real leadership.

[Simpseatles]

I heard that Dundas was closed a couple of times this year for "Car Free Sundays". Never was able to go to them, but from what I've heard they were quite successful.

Making it pedestrian only would be awesome, especially since it's so tight with 2 lanes, and plenty of buses.

[haljackey]

While browsing WW, I discovered the daily pedestrian count went from 3000 to 7500 in the past 7 years. That doesn't even take into account developments under construction that are adding thousands more employees to the core. I remember moving to this region in the mid-90s and the core was in pretty destitute shape back then.

This may be a bit off topic, but I wanted to include a link to WW in my last post showing pictures of the new sidewalks on King street being constructed. However the link never worked.. it turned into something like this: http://www..com/showthread.php/99-Reconstructing-King-Street/page5 (a 404)

I may be oblivious, but is there some beef between SSP and WW? Seems kinda random because it's just one section of a website that has sections for cities all over the world. (Excuse me for being innocent and curious but I just don't know and would like to find out.)

[MolsonExport]

get rid of the shitty metal trees.

[Cambridgite]

I may be oblivious, but is there some beef between SSP and WW? Seems kinda random because it's just one section of a website that has sections for cities all over the world. (Excuse me for being innocent and curious but I just don't know and would like to find out.)

Yeah there is. The creator of WW (not saying any names) got into some heated arguments on SSP, couldn't handle it, and decided to create his own site. Eventually it was just me posting local content.

In all fairness, I would have to agree that there is a lot of misconception and ignorance about KW in the Canada section, but you can say that about pretty much any Canadian City. Anyone who's spent any time there knows that.

[Cambridgite]

get rid of the shitty metal trees.

:haha:
Metal trees are sort of oxymoronic. And just moronic. "I"ronic for a place that calls itself the Forest City. You guys should get real trees.

[haljackey]

Crazy story with WW. Funny how I can't even type the name of the site without it being cut out. That's really, really silly and way over the top in my opinion.

get rid of the shitty metal trees.

I hate em.

The city says that a real tree could not survive where the metal ones are. I say why not just plant a real one like 1m away where it can survive?

I hate those stupid metal trees. I think the trees that have been cut to be shaped like artwork look ok though.

[ericlewis91]

They need to bring some retailer to the empty bank building at D&R...

-Forever 21 or H&M or Chapters etc.

something like that

and then get the buses off DUNDAS!

then invest more money in fixing dundas between wellington and talbot (sidewalks etc)

[bolognium]

I heard that Dundas was closed a couple of times this year for "Car Free Sundays". Never was able to go to them, but from what I've heard they were quite successful.

Making it pedestrian only would be awesome, especially since it's so tight with 2 lanes, and plenty of buses.

My brother went to one last April and said it was a lot of fun. Apparently Dundas was bustling with people, buskers and street vendors but for some reason half of the actual stores were closed :shrug:

Also, the one thing I like about the trees is that during the winter months they bring much needed colour to our downtown. However, in that sense I would enjoy giant coloured boxes just as much.


Edit: That's very cool to see Kitchener's efforts are having a positive impact on their downtown, Cambridgite. Whenever catching a Greyhound at Charles St. I would always make sure to leave myself a few extra hours to have lunch and visit some random shops downtown.

Speaking of KW, is anything interesting going on in Preston? I lived on King St. for over a year and it was by far the best apartment I rented while going to Conestoga. Many of my friends lived in the 'burbs surrounding Conestoga on the Kitchener side and were always jealous of my place in downtown Preston. Bars, pubs, restaurants, clothing, groceries and music stores were all within comfortable walking distance. Really surprised more students don't live there actually.

Sorry to be off-topic, bros.

[Cambridgite]

Speaking of KW, is anything interesting going on in Preston? I lived on King St. for over a year and it was by far the best apartment I rented while going to Conestoga. Many of my friends lived in the 'burbs surrounding Conestoga on the Kitchener side and were always jealous of my place in downtown Preston. Bars, pubs, restaurants, clothing, groceries and music stores were all within comfortable walking distance. Really surprised more students don't live there actually.

Sorry to be off-topic, bros.

There's definitely not as much action going on in Preston as there is in other downtowns across the region. In Cambridge, most of the downtown intensification action is going on in Galt (which has some amazing renos, however). They're all a little overshadowed compared to the development going on in KW.

An example of some recent construction projects in Preston include:

River's Edge Condominiums, both phases completed. King and Eagle, right across the Speed River from Riverside Park.

http://www.tricar.com/cambridge/riversedgeII/index.html

There's also Preston Meadows, which is a townhouse/low-rise apartment complex on Margaret street, just two blocks off King. It was a former vacant lot (contaminated) and is now under construction. About 200 units, iirc.

http://www.reidsheritagehomes.com/community/preston-meadows/default.aspx

All in all, there's a bit of small infill and gentrification, but it is mostly just a stable neighborhood.

Re Conestoga College: It's a bit more of a commuter campus than UW/WLU. I suspect a lot of people there don't rent around campus, but those that do, want to live in walking distance. However, I could see why you'd prefer Preston. SW Kitchener is barren.

[bolognium]

I actually thought that River's Edge complex was a little out of place with the towers completely dominating most of the area, but maybe I'm just jealous that they were way out of my price range. The townhouses on the other hand seem like an ideal development for the neighbourhood. Also, Preston didn't really seem that far from campus. In the summer months I would bike down Fountain and cross the 401 via the new pedestrian bridge. In the winter months there was the 61 Cambridge Centre bus that would take me door-to-door (literally, bus stop was at my front stoop. Compared to my old apartment at Pioneer and Homer Watson, Preston was a God-send.

It's great to hear that Galt is doing well. I used to bike the Paris Rail Trail a few times a week and I always enjoyed the ride through downtown Galt. The ancient stone buildings in the area are truly amazing. I actually would've loved to live in Galt, but the bus service from Ainslie Terminal to Conestoga just wasn't as convenient as Preston's.

Anyway, thanks for dragging this thread off-topic, Cambridgite! Stay in your own damn local forum!

[Simpseatles]

Also, the one thing I like about the trees is that during the winter months they bring much needed colour to our downtown. However, in that sense I would enjoy giant coloured boxes just as much.

.

I also enjoy the trees downtown. They are artistic, and like you mentioned add a lot of colour. Many places have these types of public art placed downtown and they add character and individuality to the city. I mean any city can have real trees, but only London has crazy fake ones.:D

Yes, I know they aren't real trees, but the "forest city" nickname is a joke anyway. It was created because of the once large forest surrounding the city, not in it. I'm fine with the current ammount of real trees downtown, and I don't really understand the backlash some people have towards these things!:koko:

[MolsonExport]

London is apparently one of the least forested cities in Canada. Less than half that of Tarana, percentage wise, apparently.

[haljackey]

London is apparently one of the least forested cities in Canada. Less than half that of Tarana, percentage wise, apparently.

London has 10% tree cover while Toronto has 18%.

[bolognium]

Makes sense. The old sections of London are completely filled with trees, but those old neighbourhoods make up a very small percentage of the city. Most of London is sprawl and Smart Centres which is where trees go to die.

[Simpseatles]

Makes sense. The old sections of London are completely filled with trees, but those old neighbourhoods make up a very small percentage of the city. Most of London is sprawl and Smart Centres which is where trees go to die.

^That's not necessarily true. A large enough percentage of the city is older grid pattern neighbourhoods (which is what I consider to be older areas), and the "newer" areas built in the 60's and onward are full of trees. It's just the subdivisions from the last 10 years or so where the trees are still fairly small, and not as noticable.

As for the tree cover in London vs. Toronto, I wouldn't be surprised to learn they have more. As I mentioned, the nickname was created because when we were founded, there were thick forests around the city. Since then nearly all was cleared for agriculture, or was built up by the city. The most evidence you will find of a "forest" you can find around here now, is some areas around the Thames (Meadowilly, Komoka) and some wooded areas in between fields.

I think it's a shame there aren't many large protected wooded areas in this area left anymore, but then again the land was arable, and since there were no major obstacles in the way (hills, lakes) it was mostly cleared.

[Simpseatles]

^Oops, sorry for getting way off topic! I forgot what this thread was about.:haha:

[haljackey]

^Oops, sorry for getting way off topic! I forgot what this thread was about.:haha:

We've been doing that a lot here lately. As long as the convo flows I think it's ok as long as we're relitively relating to the topic. I wouldn't say the convo here is way off topic.. go to London Roads for that. :haha:

Too bad the London section doesn't have an active mod to move some posts around to make the forum more organized.