Two open houses were held on Wednesday, Nov. 13 to discuss the Town of Okotoks' upcoming downtown redevelopment project.
Following an open house earlier this year, this one was an opportunity for the community to get a closer look at the specifics of the construction project, explained Mitch Thompson, senior engineer with the Town of Okotoks.
"This is the first time people have actually seen our design in person," he said of the sessions at Bow Valley College. "We haven't really shown off too much aside from the parks, so now that we're showing them what the road quarter is going to look like and how well all the sidewalks are connecting, people are enjoying seeing that."
Large graphics, also available on the Town of Okotoks website, gave Okotokians in attendance a more detailed visualization of the proposals for downtown Okotoks.
"Right now we're focusing on the section between McRae and Poplar, and that's what we're going to start constructing next year," he said.
Construction on Elizabeth, McRae and North Railway streets is set to begin in mid-2025 and will continue until approximately 2026, according to a timeline by the Town of Okotoks, with the work including replacing deep utilities, restoring and improving the surface, making upgrades to public spaces such as parks and outdoor seating areas, and changing the road design to make traffic flow more effectively while adding safety features for pedestrians.
Ahead of next year's construction, the Town oversaw parking upgrades along Daggett Street at a cost of $1.1 million.
"We're thinking about ways that the temporary traffic will detour around the project during construction, and then we're making sure that we're providing the right level, the right balance of parking for businesses and also connectivity for pedestrians," said Thompson.
Parking and traffic disruptions are among the top concerns of residents and businesses, something that Thompson and the Town are keeping in mind as the project moves forward.
"We're giving it its due diligence," he said. "There's always trade-offs on projects like this, so if the trade-off is between maybe adding pedestrian connectivity and sacrificing parking, we're just making sure that we're balancing those things the best we can."
Other aspects of the project include a proposed roundabout at the intersection of North Railway Street and Lineham Avenue by the Okotoks Art Gallery, which necessitated the controversial removal of a historic oil rig in June.
"We're also hearing good things about the roundabout, which is a bit surprising," said Thompson. "I thought it'd be a mixed bag... but so far, all the feedback on the roundabout has been positive."
The project ultimately aims to increase the vibrancy and liveliness of Olde Towne Okotoks, including attracting new businesses to the area and encouraging them to have later hours.
"We want this to be a quarter that people want to visit and linger in and shop in, a nice public realm that people can visit," said Thompson. "We want to see more people using downtown for more activities at more times of the day."
For those who were unable to attend the in-person open houses, online engagement is available on the Town of Okotoks website until Nov. 26.
