Shared “lane” part of Civic Common draft plan
LETHBRIDGE – A “Civic Lane” is the highlight of a draft master plan for the area of downtown Lethbridge now being referred to as Civic Common.
The draft plan is the result of recent public engagement surrounding the area bordered by Stafford Drive, 6 Avenue South, 11 Street, and 4 Avenue South. It anticipates redevelopment of buildings that may be at or near the end of their lifespan, including the RCMP detachment, Civic Ice Centre, and YMCA, while making better use of the green space and parking areas around City Hall, the Yates Theatre, old courthouse, and Fritz Sick Centre.
“A lot of where the concept is today, including the overall vision and the phasing strategy, was a direct result of the feedback from the public,” downtown revitalization manager Andrew Malcolm said in an interview. “In addition, the actual name change from the ‘Civic Precinct master plan’ to the ‘Civic Common master plan’ was directly reflective of comments from the public.”
The Civic Lane would run north-south, parallel to the west side of Civic Park. It would do away with curbs to create a flexible shared space that could be used for events and festivals while allowing vehicle traffic and parking alongside pedestrians and cyclists at other times.