It's been a challenging year. We recognize that over the past several months the community's focus has been on other priorities such as those related to the flood, the economic downturn, and COVID-19. We want to be respectful during the ARP process of how priorities have shifted by recognizing that the ARP is a long-term plan which will be implemented over the next ten years. Any engagement on this project is not intended to take away from other projects but are critical to the long-term success of the Downtown.

The ARP is a top priority of Council and needs to rely on a community-driven process to ensure buy-in from residents. After a wholesome engagement with residents, a formal summary will be completed to summarize community feedback which will guide the development of the ARP. With proper engagement tools, questions, and presentations we will gain a better understanding of resident’s perspectives providing a closer step for actions taken toward downtown revitalization.

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of engagement will be focused online; however, we will be creating several community activations at high-traffic community locations to promote and gain public insight of the Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan.