New grocery store, arena site, STC shelter on council agenda
Fire department to report on cleanliness, safety issues at downtown wellness centre
Saskatoon's downtown will drive much of the debate when city council holds its May meeting next week.
Three issues tied to the city centre are on the agenda: a vote on road improvements needed for the development of a downtown grocery store; efforts to boost safety around the Saskatoon Tribal Council's emergency wellness centre; and a discussion of how to rank potential sites for a new arena.
GROCERY STORE
A council vote on Tuesday could pave the way for a return of grocery service downtown.
Developer Arbutus Properties has asked council to move up the timetable on planned improvements at the intersection of Idylwyld Drive and Auditorium Avenue, in order to support the development of a Pitchfork Market + Kitchen location in Midtown Plaza.
Arbutus wants a full set of traffic signals to make it easier for customers to get off Idylwyld Drive and reach the store's main entrance off Auditorium Avenue. The $220,000 in upgrades are already planned for coming years, part of a city plan to reconfigure the Idylwyld corridor between 20th Street and 25th Street East.
WELLNESS CENTRE PLAN
The fire department has put together a report on efforts to work through safety and cleanliness concerns in the area around the Saskatoon Tribal Council's downtown wellness centre.
The 75-bed facility has secured an extension to its temporary lease at a city-owned building on First Avenue North, and $3.5 million in operating funds from the province.
It's also attracted complaints from nearby businesses and residents.
The fire department plan draws on similar efforts near the Lighthouse Supported Living shelter, calling for things like regular communication with neighbours, increased cleaning of sidewalks, more staff from the wellness centre patrolling the area, and a stepped-up presence of police, community support officers and fire department staff.
ARENA CRITERIA
Potential sites for a new arena are expected to become public soon, but not next week. Instead, councillors will be asked to approve a nine-point list of criteria to be used to evaluate and rank possible spots.
Some of the factors on the list include availability of space, proximity to existing hotels and businesses and distance from future locations of stations in the city's planned Bus Rapid Transit System.