Getting to the core of the matter
Public open house today to discuss 10-year urban core plan
The municipal councillor representing downtown Sydney hopes a public open house discussing the development of a 10-year urban core plan for downtown Sydney attracts residents and their ideas.
The public open house takes place today at the civic centre’s community room, with presentations by the consultant Ekistics Plan+Design at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The open house runs until 8:30 p.m.
Eldon MacDonald, who is the Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s deputy mayor as well as the councillor for District 5, said the presentation could be unlike any other local residents have previously seen.
“This is going to be the first time that they’re going to present their proposal and they’re planning on doing the virtual reality presentation with the goggles … you’ll be able to feel like you’re on Charlotte Street already done and completed,” MacDonald said. “If we’re able to have that format there for the public for the evening session then the public will be able to have a virtual reality feel for what the downtown could look like under the proposal that they’ll be presenting.”
The goal of the plan is to encourage more people to live and do business in the downtown area, make improvements to parking and transportation, as well as make it friendlier for pedestrians and cyclists.
The information provided through the open house will be vital to the process, MacDonald said.
“If the public has concerns, what are those concerns and how can we help to address those concerns,” he said. “It’s all about revitalizing the Charlotte Street area … and the public needs to be engaged, we hear lots of people say the downtown needs to have some improvements done to it, there’s a lot of people on social media that suggest things need to be done and we’re working to try to accomplish that with the community.”
MacDonald said the consultant will come back to council with a final plan that takes into account the public feedback it receives.
An online survey has already taken place and there was a public meeting held as well as a session with business operators, as the CBRM works with consultant Ekistics Plan+Design on the broader Sydney waterfront district planning study.