Curbless streets and patios: Thunder Bay plans May start for major north core overhaul

The transformation of two busy streets in Thunder Bay is scheduled to get underway this spring.

Thunder Bay City Council is expected to award a contract for the renewal of Court Street and Red River Road in the city's north core at its Monday meeting.Nadin Contracting came in with the lowest bid, at just over $13 million for the work, including HST.

A report to council which recommends awarding the contract to Nadin states the work will begin in Mayand wrap up at the end of 2024. When the job is finished, Red River Road and Court Street in the downtown core will be "flexible [and]curbless"streets, "with granite planters, trees, benches, seating areas, widened pedestrian and patio areas, and reduced vehicle and parking lanes," the report states.

"A curbless street can easily be closed to vehicles and programmed to suit different events, activities, or seasons. The road design also improves pedestrian safety through reduced vehicular traffic, speed, noise and emissions," it says.

The report states about $8.3 million in funding for the project was included in the 2023 capital budget, while applications for $3 million in funding for phase twohave been submitted to FedNor and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.

The remainder of the money would come from the city via "carry forward funds and 2023 project funds for Cumberland Street reconstruction from Villa Street to McVicar Creek," the report states.

Brian Newman, senior project engineer for the city, said work will start at the intersection of Lincoln and Court streets.

"The initial thoughts are to get that section done, and just stay shy of the Red River Road intersection, because there's a lot of improvements there with decorative pavers and stuff like that," Newman said.

Work on the Red River Road section could begin this seasonas well, depending on how the Court Street portion goes, he said.

Kara Pratt, executive director of the Waterfront District BIA, said her organization has been looking forward to the renewal project getting underway.

"It will make things more accessible for businesses and patrons," Pratt said. "Right now [for] our sidewalks, we have certain impediments based on heaving and the locations of trees and parking meters and things along those lines."

"This is going to allow for more patios for businesses, more sidewalk space for businesses, so the potential for more bistro tables, seating for the general public."

Pratt also noted the underground infrastructure in the area is more than a century old. In its report, the city states the need to replace watermains and sewers on Red River Road and Court Street are allowing the North Core Renewal project to go ahead, as those streets will need to be excavated anyway to allow that infrastructure to be replaced.

The city had run pilot projects in the area in recent years. Known as the StrEATery, the pilot saw traffic along Red River Road reduced to one lane to allow for wider pedestrian areas and patios in front of bars and restaurants.

"Having the larger patios and having the public seating, we have seen a lot of positives behind that," Pratt said. "In 2021, when we had seating in front of the Tomlinson building,Prime [Gelato] and Tomlin itself, that was full with patrons staring down at the waterfront, Prince Arthur's Landing,and the ships coming in every evening."

"Then you see the patios, and how they have been able to expand further out, they're full, and those patrons are very happy."

Matt Bressmer, who owns Creation Body Piercingand Cathy's Discount on Red River Road,said things in the core are "exciting now."

"Having been down here for the past two plus decades, I've seen the fall from when Eaton's closed, and they ripped Keskus down, to the huge amount of vacancies that have been down here for the past 20 years," he said. "So now, private investments [are] coming in, a lot of people are moving in. There's barely a retail space that you can find that is open and available. So it's exciting, it's good."

Bressmer said he's been involved in the public consultations the city has held.

"I've been to the meetings, I've been on the online meetings as well, kind of discussed with the designers and all that," he said. "I've been a part of it for sure. And I'm just trying to kind of get my head around it and get my ideas in. But it looks great. It's very, very exciting what they have planned."

Around the corner, on Court Street, Sweet North Bakery co-owner ErinnDeLorenzi said she's in support of the city's plans for the north core.

"I think it's amazing," she said. "It's beautiful. I've seen the plans, and I think, once we get there, it's gonna bebeautiful for our city. It'll be a place to go."

DeLorenziadded that while there's some concern over a reduced traffic flow during the work period, Sweet North has some plans in place to weather that.

"We're going to be at some events," she said. "We have some surprises and some plans."

"We do have another location that we're gonna maximize during that time. But we don't want to just abandon our downtown location. You know we love it down here, and we want to keep that driving, too."

The council report states the project team has been in contact with the BIA about construction impacts.

Those include on-street parking restrictions and other traffic control measures, and temporary water services.