Riverfront and Downtown

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• Riverfront and Downtown
• Development Plan
• Town of Grand Falls-Windsor

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• WELCOME!
• Tonights Open House
• Present DRAFT Concept Plan
• Receive your feedback
• A Concept Plan is a guide for future development.

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• Purpose
• Produce a long range concept plan (vision) for
  the Exploits riverfront downtown that balances
  community needs with the Towns objectives

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• Project Timeline
• November Project began, research, interviews
  Council workshop
• December Public Workshop produced a summary
  report of results
• January Developed Vision Principles, reviewed
  case studies developed initial ideas
• February March Work on concept presentation
  to Council
• April Public Open House
• Next Steps
• Compile feedback from Open House
• Make changes to plan (if necessary)
• Prepare Report Cost Estimates
• Present Final Plan to Council

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• RESEARCH BACKGROUND

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Rich History

• Settled in 1905
• Relatively young town compared to others in
  Newfoundland
• Established Newfoundlands first pulp and paper
  mill by the Harmsworth brothers from England
• The town opened up the previously undeveloped
  interior
• One of the earliest expressions of the garden
  city movement in Canada
• Grand Falls Windsor amalgamated in 1991

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Town Structure

• TCH runs through the town
• Central Business District
• High Street
• Mill area
• Cultural area
• Corduroy Brook Trail
• Seniors housing
• Accommodations
• Roads leading to downtown
• Study Area

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Existing Riverfront Downtown Assets/Conditions
6. The boat launch 7. Downtown/High Street 8.
Sewage lagoon 9. Harmsworth subdivision 10.
Towns recreation depot
11. Helicopter pad 12. Electrical substation 13.
Southside of the river 14. Old Valley Road
cemetery 15. Heritage Society site

• 1. Exploits River
• 2. Pulp Paper Mill
• 3. Salmonid Interpretation Centre
• 4. Garden City Heritage
• 5. Sanger Memorial RV Park

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1b
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2
14
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1a
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Existing Riverfront Downtown Assets/Conditions
High Street primarily office uses
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Assets to Build On
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Assets to Build On
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Assets to Build On
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Assets to Build On
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Assets to Build On
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• Challenges
• Some areas of contamination along the
  riverfront

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• Challenges
• Some areas of contamination
• Low rate of population increase

-3.6

• Population Change
• 1991 - 14,693
• 1996 14,160
• 2001 - 13,340
• 2006 13,558

-5.8
(-533)
1.6
(-820)
(218)
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• Challenges
• Some areas of contamination
• Low rate of population increase
• Riverfront is not very publicly accessible

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• Challenges
• Some areas of contamination
• Low rate of population increase
• Riverfront is not very publicly accessible
• Some areas are unattractive

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• Challenges
• Some areas of contamination
• Low rate of population increase
• Riverfront is not very publicly accessible
• Some areas are unattractive
• Mill closing

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• Opportunities
• Dramatic River setting

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• Opportunities
• Dramatic River setting
• Town owns much of the riverfront land
• Seniors new housing market is doing well here

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• Opportunities
• Dramatic River setting
• Town owns much of the riverfront land
• Seniors new housing market is doing well here
• New municipal infrastructure is needed library
• Strong existing tourism base (25,000/year
  Salmonid Centre)
• Federal funding opportunities available
• Mill closing Provincial funding
  opportunitiesis the time right?

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• Public Visioning Workshop

• Key themes
• the protection of river resource and enhanced
  access to salmon fishing,
• a hotel/resort on the riverfront,
• a riverside park,
• a variety of recreational amenities along the
  riverfront,
• architectural enhancement along High Street,
• more amenities in the downtown, and
• more housing to attract families.

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• Workshop with Council
• Target audience Tourists, Seniors/Residents
  River users
• Purpose tourism, economic development public
  access to the river
• Challenges getting people to downtown river,
  attracting developers, not enough things to do
• Stakeholder Interviews
• Downtown fairly busy in the daytime but quiet in
  the evening
• Lots of tourists in the summer looking for more
  to do
• Economic sustainability the key

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• Vision Principles (based on public input)
• Enhance the river resource while protecting the
  aquatic habitat, important views and public
  access
• Attract local residents and businesses to the
  downtown and riverfront to create long term
  economic and social vitality
• Attract visitors to the downtown and riverfront
• Create walkable, memorable environments

Vision Statement The river is the focal point
of a vibrant community life in Grand
Falls-Windsor. The riverfront and the downtown
are where residents and visitors alike go for
shopping, dining, recreating and cultural
experiences. It is a place to stroll and browse,
to meet friends and enjoy life. There is an
element of sophistication to High Street that
recaptures past grandeur and a sense of this
communitys pioneer history. The riverfront is
a place to experience the feeling of being on the
edge of a vast exciting wilderness that extends
into the provinces interior a place to imagine
the exploits of past adventurers, the story of
the Beothuk, and to connect with nature and this
history.   
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• CONCEPT PLAN

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• Key Points
• A long term plan that will take 20 years to
  fully develop.
• Development will depend on public funding
  developer interest.
• Continuous park space along the rivers edge
  ranging from 30m 100m in depth.
• Land will need to be remediated before
  residential development occurs.
• To bring vitality, additional services and
  amenities to High Street, more people need to
  live within walking distance to High Street.

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• Project Structure
• Short Term (0 - 5 years)
• Medium Term (5 - 15 years)
• Long Term (15 - 20 years)

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• Short Term (0 - 5 years)

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• Medium Term (5 - 15 years)

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• Long Term (15 20 years)

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• Open Space Parks along the River
• 50 acres of land (approx. half of study area)
• Continuous linear park ranging between 30m
  (100ft) 150m (500 ft) in depth
• New enhanced Boat Launch area
• Gorge Park
• Interpretation trails near the cemetery tourism
  area

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Boat Launch Area
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Boat Launch Area
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Boat Launch Area
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Boat Launch Area
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Boat Launch Area
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Boat Launch Area
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Gorge Lookout
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Gorge Lookout
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Gorge Lookout
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• Improvements to High Street
• Re-align connection to Scott Ave
• Enhanced round about (dummy)

• Streetscape improvements plaza(s)
• Landscaped parking lots at rear of buildings
• Façade Improvement Program

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Enhanced Traffic Circle Area for the Dummy
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Enhanced Traffic Circle Area for the Dummy
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Enhanced Traffic Circle Area for the Dummy
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• Façade Improvement

• before

after
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• Façade Improvement

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• Façade Improvement

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• High Street Plaza

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• Medium - Long Term

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• New Library/Multi-Use Building Infill Buildings
• Former Co-op site for new library/multi-use
  building
• Signature buildings on former gas station site
  corner site

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• New Glasgow Riverfront Festival/Library

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Library/Multi-Use Building Architectural Theme
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Library/Multi-Use Building Architectural Form
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Library/Multi-Use Building Architectural Form
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Library/Multi-Use Building Architectural Form
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• Hotel, Loggers Life Museum Heritage Society
  (Tourism area)
• 80-125 room hotel

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Hotel Architectural Theme
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Hotel Architectural Theme
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Hotel Architectural Theme
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Hotel Architectural Form
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Hotel Architectural Form
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Hotel Architectural Form
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Hotel Architectural Form
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Hotel Architectural Form
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• Chandlers Cove, Chester

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Final Plan

• Residential development along riverfront (medium
  density approx. 230 units)
• Sanger Park is expanded relocated on the south
  side of the river

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• Summary
• Concept Plan represents the ideas vision is
  not exactly how development will happen
• Concept Plan is the first step more design work
  study needs to happen before development can
  begin including environmental studies
• As it is your town, your feedback input is
  critical to the plan

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• Next Steps
• Compile comments from tonights Open House
• Make changes to the Plan (if necessary)
• Prepare Report Cost Estimates
• Present Final Plan to Council