Thursday, November 13, 2003
Annette Phillips
|
The Kingston Whig-Standard
Huge new pits in the parking lot behind City Hall are part of an archeological dig that marks another step in the redevelopment of historic Market Square. The work began Monday, when crews dug seven holes, each three metres deep. A preliminary investigation done three years ago found artifacts dating to the 1700s.
The $4.2-million project to redevelop Market Square has been criticized by some who think the city is paying the whole bill, said Councillor Leonore Foster, a member of the community-driven Market Square task force. "There is still misunderstanding about what we are doing," Foster said.
The focal point of the redevelopment is a fountain and an artificially cooled skating rink in the parking lot behind City Hall. An often heard criticism is that the project will eliminate parking on the square. But studies show that pedestrian traffic increases on market days when the parking lot is closed to traffic, Foster said. "On market days there are more pedestrians coming into the downtown than on other days," she said. "They find a place to park."
Vendors, who've been selling flowers, produce and other goods in the square since the 1800s, will have new electrical service installed beneath the cobblestone surface. The plan calls for surface treatment, including new street furniture and lampposts, from the rear of City Hall to the front doors of buildings on the other three sides.
The city committed years ago to contribute $1.25 million of the project cost. Downtown businesses have committed $1 million, half of which will go toward capital construction. The other half - $50,000 a year for 10 years - will pay for programs like the Blues Festival and other events the Downtown Business Improvement Association is involved in, such as the Easter Seals ball hockey tournament and a new series of special events in partnership with the market vendors' association, said Doug Ritchie, managing director for the DBIA. The financial support from the downtown business group hinges on the skating rink - the part of the project that has drawn stiff criticism. "Our board has always supported the whole project but has been most interested in the positive impact that the rink can have," Ritchie said. "The rink picks up (business) in January, February, March when it is so difficult to get people outdoors doing something. "We might have the most heavily used skating surface in southern Ontario if we do this right," he said.
With the site plan recently approved and the archeological dig nearing completion, the focus of the redevelopment will soon shift to grant applications and fundraising. Kim Donovan, president of Kincore Holdings, an important player in several heritage development projects around City Hall, has committed $100,000 to the project. Donovan has also taken on the dual tasks of raising $1.5 million in government grants and another $1 million in the community. "I'm very confident in our ability to raise this money," Donovan said yesterday. "This is a really exciting project that means a change in the way we look at ourselves and at our city," he said. "We would like to see the market square celebrated, nurtured, improved as a people place."
|
| |
 |
Market Square Overhaul Gets Truly Down to Earth |
|
|
|
