So much has happened since my last blog post, so much so that I'm not sure where to begin!
Let me start by saying thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts about where they think Downtown Sudbury lies. It seems that most see Downtown as between Ste. Anne (including the Library), Paris and Elgin. For some, it also reaches over to Regent. One thing that everyone can agree on is the Downtown could be even better.
This brings me to our Speak Up Sudbury! Community Visioning Forum which took place November 9.
Greater Sudbury you packed St. Andrews Place that night. The standing room only crowd clearly demonstrates that this community cares about Downtown. We heard many good ideas to make Downtown Sudbury better. We heard suggestions about parking, safety, transit, businesses, new residential, and so many other topics. We were impressed with these ideas and your interest.
The "activity stations" we had set up gave people the opportunity to say what they liked about Downtown, what they didn't like, and what they thought Downtown should look like in the future. People also shared their ideas on how we should go about realizing these dreams of a more vibrant and prosperous core.
Reflecting on my own thoughts, I have to say that I really like the restaurants in Downtown. I think that Downtown could be even better if it was more of a 24/7 kind of place. New residential is key to this. In the future, I would like to see a Downtown that is cool and comfortable. Cool because there are really neat and interesting things to do for everyone. Comfortable, because it is pleasant and safe to walk, shop, sit, talk and people watch.
Thank you, Greater Sudbury, for coming out and having your say. But, don't let the conversation end at the event. Keep the good ideas coming on this website.
__________
Il s’est passé tant de choses depuis mon dernier mot dans ce blogue que je ne sais pas par où commencer! D’abord, je dis merci à tous ceux et celles qui ont donné leur point de vue quant aux < frontières > du centre-ville de Sudbury. Il semble que la plupart des gens considèrent que le centre-ville, c’est le secteur délimité par les rues Paris, Elgin et Ste-Anne (y inclut la Bibliothèque publique). Pour certains, il s’étend aussi jusqu’à la rue Régent. Mais tout le monde est d’accord avec l’idée que le centre-ville pourrait être encore meilleur qu’il est. C’est ce qui m’amène à parler du forum communautaire < Sudbury prend la parole! > qui a eu lieu le 9 novembre. Gens du Grand Sudbury, vous êtes venus en grand nombre à la place St-Andrews ce soir-là. La salle était bondée, ce qui prouve que la communauté a le centre-ville à cœur. Nous avons entendu plusieurs idées prometteuses. On a discuté du stationnement, de la sécurité, du transit, des entreprises, de nouveaux développements résidentiels, et plus encore. Vous nous avez impressionnés par la qualité de vos idées et de votre intérêt. Les < postes d’activité > que nous avions aménagés permettaient aux gens de dire ce qu’ils aiment et n’aiment pas du centre-ville et de dire ce à quoi le centre-ville de l’avenir devrait ressembler. Les gens ont aussi réfléchi aux façons de réaliser ces rêves d’un centre-ville dynamique et prospère. J’ai lancé des idées comme tout le monde. Moi, j’aime bien les restaurants du centre-ville. Je crois que le centre-ville serait encore meilleur si c’était un quartier actif à toute heure du jour et de la nuit. La clef pour y arriver, c’est les nouveaux développements domiciliaires. Ma vision du centre-ville de l’avenir, c’est un endroit apprécié et agréable. Apprécié, parce qu'il y a des choses vraiment plaisantes et intéressantes pour tous les goûts. Agréable, parce qu’on se sent à l’aise et en sécurité quand on y vient pour se promener, magasiner, s’asseoir dehors, jaser et regarder les passants. Merci à vous, gens du Grand Sudbury, de vous être déplacés et d’avoir participé à la discussion. Mais nos conversations ne doivent pas s’arrêter là. Continuez d’alimenter ce site Web de vos bonnes idées.
Nov 17, 2010 at 3:49 PM I really enjoyed the consultation session last week. I blogged about it over at my own blogsite. I'm not known for ability to be succinct, so if you'd like to read my thoughts, grab a coffee first, sit down, enjoy, and comment.
http://sudburysteve.blogspot.com/2010/11/excitement-and-opportunity-in-sudbury.html
Dec 2, 2010 at 12:32 PM Having only lived in the city for 30 years I was not around to remember the Borgia Street area - yet it so
often comes into conversations. Is there something there
to build on - a historic area even if we do not have the original buildings. I was recently on a ghost walk of a downtown and on the existing buildings they had engraved lithographs of the original building on the site. It worked! I think Sudbury needs some identity to build on and if I'm correct the old Borgia Steet area was an immigrant melting pot of cultures -..good fit !
Mar 5, 2011 at 5:05 PM For many years, the downtown business sector was reluctant, regardless of being the managerial body, to incorporate or work with the Downtown Farmers Market, now known as Market Square. Downtown businesses have seen a huge reduction in traffic whereas the Market square is quite busy on Saturdays and Sundays in the summer.
It would only seem logical, in my opinion, to develop a fuctioning partnership with Market Square thereby possibly increasing spillover traffic to the downtown core. Everyone knows that downtown on the weekends is very very quiet, and many stores are closed or see very limited traffic.
That is just one step, maybe a small one, but one step.
As for a temporary location in a current building downtown for an architectural school, I am skeptical. The main reason being that a building has to be retrofited as per school specifications to accomodate students including sprinkler systems and fire evacuation systems, quite expensive endeavours. If you are a tenant, all you need to do is move in. As a school, the requirements are more sophisticated.
I wish you well in growing the downtown sector and hope to see it as lively as it was in previous years.
Mar 5, 2011 at 8:21 PM The following statement is illustrated using an aerial photo of the intended development proposal which is posted on facebook.
.The first step in modelling the new Sudbury Hotel and Convention Centre, is with a birds eye view and scale of the project. In this view, the convention halls in yellow outline, are between Minto and Shaughnessy Streets, connected to the Sudbury Arena with an overhead walkway, The hotel, also outlined in yellow, sits on the corner of Paris Street and VanHorne Street. The multi-level parking garage, in blue outline sits between the hotel and the Sudbury Theatre Centre. They are connected internally for hotel patron convenience. The parking garage would most likely consist of 3 levels one below and two above ground. The balance of the block would be open parking.
Mar 20, 2011 at 4:19 PM Salut! Hello!
Je trouve que la Vision du centreville telle que décrite dans ce site, est très belle, écologique et intelligente. Bravo à l'équipe qui a réalisé cette Vision! Faisons-en une réalité!
I find that the Vision of the downtown as outlines in this website, is beautful, ecological and intelligent. Hat's off to the team that created this Vision. Let's make it happen!
Mar 29, 2011 at 7:54 PM I grew up in this city. I remember when we had aptment buildings, theatres, restaurants and stores. It was alive.Then came urban revitalization - the hotels were torn down, the theatres were gradually torn down (the most recent being the Capital built by my grandfather)Then the evening restaurants went because there was no reason to go downtown at night, no more shows, no more dances, nothing.
I didn't attend the last two meetings not because I wasn't interested but because I don't feel safe in the downtown core by myself anymore and haven't for a number of years.