Lacombe City Council has approved a list of short, medium, and long-term capital projects from the Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan (DARP) committee. The projects were chosen based on a previously released survey that demonstrated the downtown area priorities that are most important to Lacombe residents.

“They really wanted to make sure that the downtown was with business friendly and that the group maintained the unique feel and vibe of downtown. There was these overarching sort of themes that were important to the group in terms of deciding what happened and then from that they were trying to layer in projects that really met those criteria,” said Community and Economic Development Manager, Guy Lapointe.

Short-term projects identified by the committee include:

  • Public Space Program – N/A Cost
  • String Lights across 50 Street - $50,000
  • Downtown Entry/Landmark Signs – $80,000
  • Pedestrian Accessibility and Improvements - $36,000
  • Review Lest We Forget Park Surface Upgrade - $10,000

 

Medium-term projects identified include:

  • Tree Asset Management Plan - $45,000
  • Lest We Forget Park Surface Upgrade - $270,000
  • Pedestrian Friendly Shared Streets (50 Street Converted to one-way) $250,000

 

Long-term projects identified include:

  • Pedesrian Accessibility and Improvements - $400,000
  • Decorative Crosswalks - $64,000
  • Public Space Program - $500,000

The City of Lacombe has set aside $1.7 million for capital projects within DARP. Lapointe says some short-term projects may be completed within the year including the string lights, downtown entry/landmark sign, and the surface upgrade at Lest We Forget Park.

“You'll also see projects like the LMC skating Rink, which is very popular, but it's having an impact on the surface over the summer months. They want to make sure that those two elements are working together," said Lapointe.  

The list of priority projects will be added into the City of Lacombe’s 2022-2023 Capital Plan.

As more businesses utilize the downtown area for patio spaces due to the current COVID-19 restrictions there is an even greater value added to Lacombe downtown area redevelopment.

“It's the heartbeat of your community, making these sorts of investments will make Lacombe more attractive to residents. It'll make it more attractive to businesses and it's a step in the right direction—especially, post-pandemic as well. I think that's why there's a lot of momentum behind this project,” added Lapointe.

You can check out more information on the projects by clicking here.