By Geoff Smith (@GeoffSmithLNN on Twitter)

Input sought on plan for City Hall area

Apr 5, 2018 | 12:42 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The city wants to have a plan in place to help guide future decisions about an important location in Lethbridge.

The process has begun that will lead to a master plan for the Civic Precinct, a four-block area of downtown bordered by 6 Avenue South, Stafford Drive, 4 Avenue South, and 11 Street South. The goal is a vital place where public facilities are concentrated.

“It’s actually perfect timing,” city councillor Belinda Crowson said at a news conference Thursday, April 5. “The first plan was done in the 1940s; then we did a plan in the 1980s; now, here we are 40 years later, we’re doing the third plan. We need to refresh it.”

It was a “town square” concept created in 1981 (PDF link) that first led to the new City Hall being built in the area in 1999. Other suggestions, such as a museum, science centre, redeveloped park, or outdoor theatre, were not realized. But the vision of a civic precinct was also included in the 2007 Heart of Our City master plan (PDF link).

“We’ll be creating a vision for the area. City council will have a major role in that. But also, we want to see what the public thinks about this area,” planning initiatives manager George Kuhl said.

What's Happening in Lethbridge this week: April 15, 2024

Apr 15, 2024

Week-in-review: Street sweeping, policing in Coaldale and #SlowYourRoll

Apr 13, 2024

What's Happening in Lethbridge this weekend: April 12, 2024

Apr 12, 2024

“What we’re trying to do is make sure that we don’t ignore or forget about those things that we found out in the past, that we try to take advantage of that going forward.”

In addition to City Hall, the precinct includes the Yates Memorial Centre, the former provincial courthouse (which now houses city offices), the Fritz Sick Memorial Centre/Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization, the RCMP detachment, YMCA, Civic Ice Centre, and Civic Field.

Among those facilities, the Civic Ice Centre, built in 1950, is expected to reach the end of its useful life within the next ten years. The future is also unclear for the YMCA building when that organization takes possession of the ATB Centre Phase Two. The RCMP are also planning a new building in Coaldale.

“A lot of these buildings are pretty old, and so what might we think about in terms of replacing them, what kinds of land use might take place on this property, what types of public activities should be taking place here, how should we be making better use of this space, and those kinds of things,” Kuhl explained.

When asked how she feels the precinct might currently fall short, Crowson said the buildings are beautiful but lack connectivity since they face the street. She also said having a plan will let the city be proactive when the time comes to replace a building. Owners and occupants of buildings in the precinct will be included in any such conversations.

A static display will be available for viewing in the City Hall foyer from April 16-20, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. April 17 will also see a display of preliminary concepts in the Culver Room from 1:30-3 p.m., following by an open house in the foyer from 4-7 p.m.

Sessions will also take place at the downtown library, with a design interactive session from 1:30-3 p.m. April 18 and concept development and refinement April 19, 1-5 p.m. A short survey is available online. Full details can be found here.

A follow-up forum will also take place in May, with a final master plan expected in the summer.