The Town of Saugeen Shores is looking to get public input on an upcoming major revitalization of downtown Southampton.
Mayor Luke Charbonneau says the town is hoping to get work started next year on a 3-phase revamp of the High Street area, but they first want to have some public feedback on how the design will look.
"Obviously it's the heart of the business community in Southampton and the street is very much in need of repairs and a refresh, an upgrade. So we're doing this public information centre on July 4 from 5-8 p.m.," Charbonneau explained.
Charbonneau says residents will have a chance to learn about the project and see initial design ideas from the project team and offer input on what they'd like to see. Upgrades to the cenotaph will also be a major part of the project.
"And it's gonna be an opportunity for members of the public to come in and talk to the project team, learn about the project, offer their input. Obviously, we wanna make sure it's the best project that it can be, we wanna make sure we work with the businesses in downtown Southampton so we can minimize the disruption to their businesses. So we have a lot to learn from the public before we advance with the project," Charbonneau noted.
There are some raw design ideas that the project team will have on-hand, but Charbonneau says those are very much up for discussion.
"We don't have finalized plans yet, we have some concepts, some ideas. So it's time now to get the public's input on those concepts so we can get to final designs, because we really wanna advance this project to construction next year so that we can have a better, much improved, revitalized downtown space in Southampton for everyone to enjoy," added Charbonneau.
The project phases will each be done from 2025-27, starting with one particular stretch of High Street and the cenotaph.
"The hope is to work from the Dominion Lookout which is right against the water, up to Grosvenor Street in 2025, then Grosvenor to Albert in 2026 and then Albert to Victoria Street in 2027. So it's a phased project over 3 years," Charbonneau noted.
Charbonneau adds that the project carries a lot of significance and it's very important they get it right out of respect to the downtown community, the community as a whole and of course, the people that the cenotaph honours.
"The downtown of Southampton, the big flag, the cenotaph, these are treasured spaces in our community. We wanna treat the downtown in the way it deserves to be treated. We obviously need to treat the cenotaph with the level of reverence and respect that our honoured veterans deserve, so it's really important," concluded Charbonneau.
On July 4 from 5-8 p.m., residents can come to the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre to learn more about the project. A dedicated project page will be available on the Saugeen Shores website here: https://engage.saugeenshores.ca/high-street.
After the final designs are approved by Council, the project will move to phased construction. Construction is currently planned in three phases:
Construction Phase 1: 2025 - Dominion Lookout Point to Grosvenor Street including Cenotaph upgrades
Construction Phase 2: 2026 - Grosvenor to Albert Street (Hwy 21)
Construction Phase 3: 2027 - Albert Street (Hwy 21) to Victoria Street
"This project will result in phased road reconstruction favouring active transportation and traffic calming, isolated sewer repairs, and upgrades to streetscape elements. The proposed changes are also aimed at improving public access and circulation to business and employment properties, landmarks, and the waterfront," shared Laura Moscone, Saugeen Shores Communications via a release from the town.
