As the province plans for recovery, the town is beginning to slowly bring back services and reopen some public spaces. Provincial emergency orders and the town’s physical distancing by-law remain in effect. We must all continue to follow guidelines from Public Health officials.
Mon, 27 Jan 2014
This Thursday, January 30, 2014, Oakville residents and business owners are invited to join the Downtown Plan discussion at an open house and workshop.
Since the Downtown Plan launch in December 2013, the study consultants have met with over 45 community groups/organizations to understand their needs and wants in creating a downtown cultural hub and redesigning the function and look of the downtown streets. Now they need to hear from you!
“We need to upgrade our cultural facilities and now is your opportunity to provide input on how best to do that,” said Mayor Rob Burton. “Our theatre, art gallery and library are being challenged to meet the growing needs of our citizens and users, and reconstruction of Lakeshore Road is already in our capital budget; so we have an opportunity to not just make changes that we need, but to make changes that will make Oakville the most livable community in Canada.
The open house starts at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall and will give residents an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the Downtown Plan and ask questions of town staff. At 7:10 p.m., the study consultants will share with the audience what they have heard to date from the community and next steps. Residents will have an opportunity to join both the Cultural Hub Workshop and the Transportation and Streetscape Workshop. Both workshops will start at 7:30 p.m. and then again at 8:25 p.m. A final wrap up of the night’s discussions will be shared in the South Atrium at 9:15 p.m.
The workshops will include a series of questions such as what should be the makeup of the cultural hub and what needs should it address, to what is working and what is not along Lakeshore Road and the Towne Square.
“The workshop should make for exciting discussions around each table,” said Jane Clohecy, Community Development commissioner. “All the ideas, comments and suggestions from each of the public engagement opportunities will help the consultants form a picture of what could be, and we’ll start to bring that picture to life at our next workshop series on Saturday, April 12.”
Residents can RSVP for the January 30 open house and workshop by emailing downtownplan@oakville.ca or by leaving a message at 905-338-4710.
Over the next several months the Town of Oakville will engage the business community and residents, and together, we can continue to build a community that embraces culture, supports beautiful streets, strengthens commerce, and encourages each of us to make a difference.
The Downtown Plan inspires us to believe, connects us to people and places, and protects the past while providing for the future. For more information on the Downtown Plan page.