June 26 PWB Info
26 June 2023
The Municipality is in its final stages of developing the draft Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) for downtown Fort McMurray and we want to know if what’s in the plan is the future you envision! Read the five foundational categories below before completing a quick poll or more in-depth survey.
Next Steps for the Downtown ARP
Now that the final stage of engagement is complete, the Municipality will make final revisions to the Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan before presenting it to Council. The first reading is scheduled to take place during the July 11, 2023, Council meeting. Second reading, public hearing and third reading will take place in the Fall 2023. To stay involved in this project, subscribe to this page for updates.
Five Categories for Your Review
The new plan was developed following extensive engagement in 2019 and again in 2020, where residents identified five themes which are now the five categories of the draft ARP. Check these out before letting us know if the categories reflect what we heard in previous engagement. Take the quick poll or submit a survey to share your thoughts.
LAND USE
Downtown will encourage, support, and foster economic activity and become a regional economic leader, as well as a destination for goods, services, knowledge-building, and supporting local business. The downtown will meet the needs of residents by providing a range of housing types, employment opportunities and places to visit.
BUILT FORM
To become a hub for residents and tourists, the Downtown must be an engaging, memorable, and a -vibrant area, where people feel safe, comfortable, and welcomed It should also be an exciting destination where people can celebrate, shop, visit, and participate in activities.
PARKS AND OPEN SPACE
While respecting Indigenous ways of knowing and connection to the land, the Municipality will enhance the Downtown’s open space, parks, and natural areas to provide opportunities for connection, relaxation, and recreation, as well as help reduce the impacts of climate change.
TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY
Downtown will be a well-connected and accessible area through the creation of transportation and mobility networks that are safe, comfortable, and accessible to all users year-round.
HERITAGE, CULTURE AND PUBLIC ART
Commemorate and celebrate the history of our downtown, and the cultural traditions of the people who call Wood Buffalo home. Honour the culture and traditions of Indigenous Peoples through relationship building and authentic acts of truth and reconciliation.
About the Downtown ARP
The downtown ARP provides a roadmap for the revitalization of downtown Fort McMurray. It informs future development for things like parks, housing and retail, active transportation and other measures to build downtown as an attractive destination for all residents of Wood Buffalo.
The ARP is a legal plan that sits within a planning hierarchy of provincial and local documents including the Municipal Development Plan and the Land Use Bylaw. There is a current ARP for the downtown (City Center ARP, 2012), which is no longer reflective of the region’s circumstances or needs.
The new downtown ARP aligns with the 2022 – 2025 Council’s Strategic Plan. Supporting downtown visualization to identify and coordinate municipal investment and improvements. By aligning with Council’s strategic plan, the ARP will provide the framework for a revitalized downtown that meets the needs of residents, attracts visitors and investment, and is a point of regional pride.
