Design for new downtown Walkerton park underway
BROCKTON – The downtown park committee met last week to discuss the wider design part of the initiative.
The small but beautifully located property in Walkerton between Walker’s Landing and ReMax connects Durham Street with the municipal car park on Catherine Street. Last summer, when it was difficult to get access to the most basic public facilities, the park became a haven for people looking for a resting place – a place to have a take-away lunch on one of the picnic tables placed there or use the portable washrooms. In winter it became the scene of the delightful and successful Christmas market.
Now it is planned to turn it into a permanent park with landscaping and various amenities.
In 2020, the community acquired the property that previously belonged to the Wong family. The purchase included a donation from the family with the stipulation that the space should be converted into a public park.
With funding from Bruce Power and other sources, the community decided to retain the services of a landscape architect / consultant to work on the design with a committee of the public, city staff, and the BIA.
Last week the park committee met with consultant Sean Kelly of Stempski Kelly Associates to discuss the plan for the design.
While the park is not large, its location has the potential to be used for much more than a downtown green space. It could be a meeting, event, and program space, as well as a garden with seating, utility connections, and potentially permanent public washrooms. It can also become a space for historical appreciation, local art, and possibly a water feature.
One of the first tasks at last week’s meeting was choosing a chairman for the committee. Jessie Bates, BIA Chair, has agreed to take on this role.
Kelly said, “I’m really excited about this project and the quality of the people on the committee.” He proposed a three-phase work plan that includes a wide public consultation. His goal is to choose a preferred concept by July.
Kelly said, “This is a space that is normally occupied by a building. It’s prime real estate. You are lucky to have this site. “He continued,” Downtown has that magic. ”
The things he looks at in the first “start-up phase” include the street frontage and parking, as well as ventilation slots on adjacent buildings, gas pipes and underground utilities. “We want to make sure we got it right,” said Kelly.
The second phase is to come up with a series of ideas for the space that include two or three design concepts. Including the public consultation, this will take between two and four weeks.
In phase three, Kelly and the committee will use the feedback to review and modify the concepts to find the preferred design. The schedule for this is not long – Kelly spoke about July of this year.
The amenities come at different costs. Sonya Watson, Brockton’s CAO, said the budget is around $ 100,000, including funding from Bruce Power and “whatever fundraiser we choose.”
One of the must-haves for the park is recognizing the contribution of the Wong family. Ideas are already being proposed as to how this recognition should look.
Brockton Mayor Chris Peabody said, “I want to make sure that the Wong family are respectfully recognized. This is very important to me.”
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Possible names for the park are also discussed.
Mark Coleman, Brockton’s director of community services, has agreed to be the “single point of contact” for committee members – their ideas can be emailed to him.