Woodstock: Investing in a downtown dream

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Like many Southwestern Ontario cities, Woodstock’s once-bustling core struggled in the early part of this century.

Big box chains – typically located near a city’s periphery – were becoming increasingly popular, changing shopping habits and moving traffic away from traditional downtowns

Then came the double gut punch of 2008’s Great Recession and the emergence of e-commerce, typified by new online marketplaces like Amazon. In downtowns across the province, empty storefronts soon became commonplace.

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But despite these trends and challenges, city officials still recognized the enormous potential of Woodstock’s historical downtown. Blessed with a well-preserved Victorian streetscape that showcased the city’s architectural heritage, Woodstock’s downtown offered a sense of place that few other cities could match.

Guided by a committed Woodstock Downtown Business Improvement Area and anchored by several longtime retailers and restaurants, the city’s downtown endured and, again, began to flourish.

Now, bolstered by an ongoing manufacturing boom and an influx of residents that has boosted the city’s population to more than 50,000, city officials have made the downtown a priority, launching a major project intended to revitalize the core and restore its essential role as Woodstock’s economic, social and cultural hub.

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“Most people still feel like the downtown is the heart of the community and the hub of the community, so we kind of want to present it in that way,” Woodstock’s economic development officer Brad Hammond said.

Planned for completion in phases, this ambitious Woodstock Downtown Streetscape Project will help transform Woodstock’s Dundas Street – the core’s main artery – from stately Vansittart Avenue to Bay and Beale streets. Adopted by council about two-and-a-half years ago, and underway since just this past Monday, the project’s roots actually stretch back more than a decade when city officials began exploring a downtown renewal as a way to draw more attention to the core.

“A lot of what’s happening is really about creating a more vibrant downtown, better opportunities for programming in the downtown, so kind of a bit more of a flexible streetscape for holding events and festivals and things of that nature,” Hammond said.

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Months of consultation and public surveys, yielding more than 1,000 responses, preceded council’s eventual go-ahead to adopt the plan in October 2022.

City engineer Harold de Haan estimated the total cost of the project, when all phases are completed, at roughly $51 million. He said about $16 million is being set aside for the road and sidewalk construction portion while roughly $15 million is earmarked for the redevelopment of Museum Square

A final $20 million is planned for an addition to the city’s historic city hall, which de Haan said came about as the project grew and the municipality looked towards the future.

The project, de Haan added, is designed to elevate the downtown core’s aesthetic appeal while also updating its functionality and safety.

“(The streetscape is) to make it more attractive for one, and then also to make the on-street patios a little easier,” de Haan said. “Another impetus was, downtown, we have all these paving stones, and they’re popping out (and) they’re creating a tripping hazard, and it’s requiring a fair bit of maintenance work. So (the project) is getting rid of all that (and) actually making it safer that way.”

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Part of the project addresses maintenance and accessibility concerns by replacing asphalt, concrete, paving stones and lighting with textured asphalt sidewalks, rolled curbs, new lighting and street furniture.

Although the phased structure of the project’s construction adds some uncertainty to its end date, it also provides council some flexibility in scheduling construction, minimizing extended disruptions to traffic and businesses. The approach also provides council with opportunities to consider budgetary constraints should they arise, de Haan said.

“We presented it all in phases to council last fall, and basically said it’s up to them how quickly or how slowly they want to implement all these phases, or even in what order,” de Haan said.

“They’d already decided to split phase one into three separate phases, so those two phases are being done this year. . . . The way we presented it in a report to council for their consideration last year was all the phases would happen one a year after that. But, depending on economy, depending on budget and other factors, they may decide to put things on a hold for a year, or that kind of thing.”

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Hammond said the streetscape project was envisioned to both drive visitor traffic to Woodstock’s core while making the area more habitable for residents.

“A big part of the city strategy in terms of the downtown has been to get more people living in the downtown,” Hammond said.

Like Hammond, Woodstock’s downtown development officer, Kerry Baird, noted there’s a “very fundamental belief” that a city’s downtown “is the heart of your community.”

Baird said she felt the streetscape project is indicative of council acknowledging its need to significantly invest in the downtown to help stimulate this renewal.

“I believe that an investment like this shows that, as a municipality, we’re investing in our heart,” Baird said. “We’re keeping our core strong.”

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The benefits of the investment in the streetscape project are multifaceted, Baird said. The streetscape revitalization is not just drawing higher traffic volumes to existing businesses, but also serving to attract new businesses that envision the potential of opening up shop in a burgeoning city core.

As a city with an ongoing focus on diversifying its economic base, Woodstock’s strategy doesn’t just apply to the industrial sector, Baird said, pointing out Dundas Street and the surrounding area also plays host to numerous business owners.

“It’s all inter-related,” Baird said. “It’s showing that we care about our city, we care about our downtown (and) we care about our small business owners.”

Despite many of Woodstock’s industrial newcomers setting up shop in business parks near Highway 401, Baird noted the importance of a vibrant downtown that provides services to these businesses and their employees.

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“They need dentists, doctors . . . if they buy a new house, they need a realtor or a lawyer, and there’s a lot of those that have been long standing businesses in downtown Woodstock,” she said.

And it’s not just new arrivals Baird is hopeful will be drawn to the city’s core by the renewed streetscape. She said she also feels longtime residents who don’t or rarely travel to Woodstock’s downtown will soon be compelled to visit.

“I think a lot of people feel very nostalgic about their downtown and that having new investment really makes people realize what they’re missing,” Baird said. “And we have incredible businesses downtown, and I will frequently talk to people that will say, ‘I haven’t been downtown in 20 years.’”

Baird made special mention of the project’s planned renovation of Museum Square, desiring this facet as a key component of the project. It’s a place “where people can congregate,” she said, thereby building “community spirit.”

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An enthusiastic Baird said the potential for the streetscape project, and the positive impacts in the wake of this big dream’s completion, will be transformative for Woodstock and its residents, visitors and businesses.

“It’s easier to have care and concern about something that’s brand new, and I think with the combination of those things . . . we will see other investments,” Baird said.

“I believe it will be easier to convince some long-term Woodstonians that their downtown is beautiful, and other people will come here to see our downtown, to see our architecture, to go to our art gallery, our museum,” Baird said. “That hopefully will be a reminder to Woodstonians that we have these amazing businesses and cultural assets that they can utilize.”

bwilliams@postmedia.com

@BrianWatLFPress

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