Our Downtown Plan Public Engagement Strategy has certainly caught the attention of Oakville residents and business owners. To date, over 1,200 residents and business owners have been engaged through face-to-face consultation resulting in ideas, comments, wants and needs that will shape the future of our downtown. In addition, we have reached out and heard from almost 3,000 residents through our library and cultural surveys.
Two very informative days of stakeholder consultation have been completed with the consultants’ research and the public’s comments and ideas having been turned into concepts. This next set of public consultation sessions will be critical in further defining the downtown cultural hub, downtown streets and streetscape, and the Towne Square. At these stakeholder consultations, all consultants have started to share their findings and recommendations.
Duncan Webb, the consultant leading the Culture and Performing Art Spaces Study, shared the following six recommendations with the stakeholders:
Performing Arts Facilities (3 options)
- Edge City Performing Arts Centre
- Multipurpose Performing Arts Space 600-700 seats with fly space and orchestra pit
- Black box 200 seats
Regionally Distinctive Performing Arts Centre
- 700-800 seat Music Hall
- 300-350 seat Courtyard theatre
- Very good infrastructure to support Events and meetings
Boutique Performing Arts Centre
Develop the components of option 1 OR option 2 but in two separate locations with only one piece downtown.
New Outdoor Facilities (all to be included)
- Larger Public Square with flexibility of use and high functionality.
- Small Amphitheatre to seat 250 -350
- Additional infrastructure throughout the downtown and public spaces to support temporary uses. (e.g. power, provision for lighting)
Digital Media Centre
Artist in Residence Programs
- Partnership and Synergies with the Oakville Galleries in consolidated location downtown
- Partnerships and Synergies with a library in downtown
Urban Strategies Inc. led a workshop where participants could move blocks on a 3D model that represented the above recommendations. It gave residents a sense of space and a look at all opportunities.
Brook McIlroy, leading the Transportation and Streetscape Study, shared some preliminary concepts/ideas concepts of the elements that could exist on Lakeshore Road, Randall Street, Robinson Street and Church Street given all constraints of buildings, road widths and the requirements of safety standards.
Both Urban Strategies and Brook McIlroy will be using this stakeholder input to develop concepts for discussion in April with the community.
Residents and business owners are encouraged to continue to give us their ideas on the Downtown Plan and thoughts about the recommendations and preliminary concepts through our online discussion forum.
You are invited to our next Community Open House & Workshop scheduled for Sat., April 12, 9 a.m. - noon. This is when you'll start to see your comments and ideas transformed into real options. We'll have preliminary concepts on April 12 and invite you to join us as we define the cultural hub and downtown streetscape.
Email us now to attend the April 12th meeting. For complete study information, visit Downtown Oakville.