A steady flow of residents, downtown business owners, and city officials moved through the City Hall foyer on Tuesday afternoon as the city hosted an open house on the future of Central Avenue, laying out its case for a shift back to two-way traffic as part of the larger downtown revitalization project.
The setup included display boards, a TV presentation, and light refreshments, with attendees stopping to ask questions and study the proposed changes. Acting city manager Craig Guidinger, Coun. Dawn Kilmer, Coun. Stephen Ring and acting director of community development Micheal Nelson were among those present during the first hour.
For city staff, the open house was mainly about one decision now in front of the public: whether Central Avenue should move from one-way traffic back to two-way.
Planning Manager Kristina Karpluk said the open house was meant to give the people a chance to weigh in before the city moves further into the next stage of the project.
“The main purpose of the open house is to give the public an opportunity to come down and talk about the switch that we’re proposing from one-way to two-way traffic,” Karpluk said.
She said the broader project is expected to stretch over five years, including two years of continued public engagement and three years of construction.
Evan Hastings, the city’s capital projects manager, stressed that the work begins with aging infrastructure under the street, not just traffic flow.
“At its heart this is an infrastructure project,” Hastings said, noting that the water main under Central Avenue dates back to 1906, along with some storm and sanitary lines.
Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald
Residents, downtown business owners, and older attendees take part in Tuesday’s open house on the future of Central Avenue and the proposed downtown redesign.
He said the city is trying to bring multiple needs together in one project rather than continue patching the downtown bit by bit.
Karpluk said much of the feedback she heard Tuesday was not outright opposition to two-way traffic, but practical concern about how it would work.
“So far, most of the feedback that I’ve been hearing is that two-way generally makes sense. It’s intuitive,” she said. “The concerns that come up are functional.”
Those concerns were echoed by Destinee Dubois, office manager and tax professional at H and R Block downtown, who said she supports replacing old infrastructure and improving public space but is not convinced two-way traffic is the right move.
Dubois said many of the office’s clients are older and often come in from outside Prince Albert only once a year during tax season.
“Majority of our clients are elderly and not from PA, and they essentially just know our Central Avenue as a one-way street,” Dubois said.
She said delivery patterns are another concern for downtown businesses that depend on parcel and courier services. Dubois said she would rather see Central remain one way, with a lower speed limit and other safety improvements.
Still not everyone at the open house saw the proposed change that way.
Elder Liz Settee, who remembers when Central Avenue used to be two-way, said the shift back would likely be confusing at first but believes downtown needs new energy.
“We need something downtown. We need a change. We need lighter and brighter,” Settee said.
Settee said two-way traffic could also make it easier for people to find parking and still reach the businesses they want to visit.
Hastings said the city believes two-way traffic would make downtown easier to navigate and help keep people there longer, rather than simply moving them through as quickly as possible.
“This is about keeping people in our downtown, not moving them through as fast as they can,” he said.
The open house came after weeks of public discussion about the city’s updated Central Avenue plan. Earlier this month, Chris Rickett of BMI told a Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce luncheon that the issue was not getting people downtown, but getting them to stay longer. The city, meanwhile, has said the two-way redesign would improve access, visibility, and navigation as part of a larger infrastructure renewal project.
Karpluk said consultation will continue as the design process moves ahead, including more direct outreach with businesses and another open house once more detailed plans are ready.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
