Prince Albert City Council has approved a new design direction for the Downtown Rebuild project, setting the stage for Central Avenue to return to two-way traffic as part of a future reconstruction of the city’s downtown core.
Council approved the design update during Monday’s regular meeting. The motion covers Central Avenue between River Street and 15th Street and includes two-way traffic, parallel parking on both sides of the street, a public plaza between City Hall and the University of Saskatchewan campus, and updated surface treatments such as street furniture, lighting, trees, and other amenities.
The motion also directs administration to move ahead with the communication plan attached to the report.
Ward 2 Coun. Troy Parenteau moved the motion and said the project gives the City a chance to rebuild more than just underground infrastructure.
“The Downtown is the heart of our city, and right now we know that we’ve got some very, very old infrastructure underneath there,” Parenteau said.
Parenteau said council had two choices when the street is eventually dug up.
“We can dig it up and we can build it back to something that we’re not proud of, or we can dig it up and we can make something that we’re all proud of,” he said.
The City’s report says the project is needed because underground infrastructure in the area is about 120 years old, while surface infrastructure dates back to the early 1980s.
Kristina Karpluk, the City’s planning manager, said in an earlier interview for a council preview story that council was being asked to approve a design change from the 2018 concept, which called for one-way traffic and angled parking.
“The decision that we’re asking city council to make is to approve the design change from the vision that was selected in 2018, which was a one-way with angled parking, to a typical streetscape two-way design, and to proceed with the public engagement plan,” Karpluk said.
She said the project remains part of the broader downtown revitalization effort, but added that rebuilding the street will not solve every issue facing the downtown.
“Downtown revitalization is not just infrastructure replacement,” Karpluk said. “This is just the start.”
Not all the councillors supported the change. Coun. Daniel Brown said he was opposed because of the City’s financial position and other major projects facing council, including the wastewater treatment plant.
“I don’t feel at this time the city can afford to go down this road,” Brown said.
Coun. Bryce Laewetz also opposed the motion. He said he had concerns about moving away from earlier community consultations and questioned the shift back to two-way traffic.
Laewetz said Central Avenue had been changed before and later changed back to one-way traffic.
“Obviously, it didn’t work the first time we tried it,” he said.
Supporters argued the work has been discussed for years and should be treated as a long-term decision. Coun. Dawn Kilmer said two-way traffic would give businesses on both sides of the street more visibility, while Coun. Darren Solomon said the infrastructure is only getting older and the city should not wait until it is forced to act.
Tony Head also supported the motion, saying many people he heard from wanted to see the work move ahead.
Fresh Air Experience owner-operator Ron Horn attempted to speak from the gallery before the vote, but council procedure requires public speakers to register with the City Clerk’s Office before appearing. Mayor Bill Powalinsky told Horn there was an established protocol for presentations and said he could not allow a presentation at that point.
Horn told the Daily Herald that he supports replacing the aging downtown infrastructure, but remains opposed to the two-way traffic design.
Horn said he believes the infrastructure work and the decision to convert Central Avenue to two-way traffic should be treated as separate issues. He raised concerns about deliveries, snow removal, parking, traffic flow, and business access during construction.
“My livelihood depends on the wellness of that street,” he said.
The motion carried with Brown and Laewetz opposed.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
