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Landscape architect Jeffrey Staates, of Phillips, Farevaag, Smallenberg, plots ideas on a map of Orillia in one of six workshops that took place Wednesday at Branch 34 of the Royal Canadian Legion. The workshops are part of the city's design charrette public consultation process. The public input will help develop a downtown/waterfront revitalization plan. Orillians have "a lot of ideas" to revitalize downtown and the waterfront, says George Dark, a partner with Urban Strategies.
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"There are a lot of really wonderful ideas; people just aren't exactly sure how to get at doing them," Dark said Wednesday.
This is where Urban Strategies comes in. The consulting firm is working with the city to develop a downtown/waterfront revitalization plan.
On Wednesday, more than 60 people took part in planning workshops at Branch 34 of the Royal Canadian Legion on topics such as living downtown, shopping and dining downtown, mobility downtown, playing and gathering downtown, culture and heritage downtown and learning and working downtown.
The seminar is part of Orillia's weeklong design charrette public consultation process.
Participants want to see more housing downtown, more accessibility to parks, connections to the shoreline and brownfield redevelopment, Dark said.
Orillia has a number of brownfield sites located near the waterfront and downtown.
"(They’re interested in) getting and unlocking the brownfields as a brownfield opportunity area as opposed to a problem," Dark said. "Most of what you see that isn’t built on in Orillia today is a brownfield."
It could just be about "bringing nature" back to the site, he added.
On Wednesday morning, participants focused on branding Orillia. One scenario was centred on Stephen Leacock's Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town.
Participants thought "That's kind of what we are, but I don’t know that should really be our future," Dark said.
The magic of Mariposa — an Orillia that "belongs to minstrels and bards" and celebrates festivals and energy — was also considered.
The future of fitness with a focus on trails, activity and walking and developing a knowledge-based city were discussed.
It's going to take a combination of these ideas to choose a brand, Dark said.
"You don't have to pick one. It's helping you to think through, 'Where are you going?' 'What do you think of yourselves?'" he said. "These days there is a lot of competition, so you have to be able to find something people can understand in a formal way."
A public session will not be held Thursday, as Urban Strategies will continue to explore and refine the community’s ideas.
"We will start the process of taking the ideas we're hearing and putting them into this model of Orillia," Dark said, motioning to a large model of the city displayed at the legion.
A public open house will be held Friday from 3 to 7 p.m., when consultants will present the emerging design and potential projects for the downtown.
For more program details, visit www.downtowntomorrow.ca.
