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Downtown Brampton may finally be turning the corner from being a sleepy town centre to becoming the proper hub for a city of nearly 800,000. The Riverwalk<\/span><\/a>, an ambitious plan to enhance flood protection from nearby Etobicoke Creek and create new public space, will break ground this year. The extension of the Hurontario-Main LRT into Downtown Brampton, by way of a deep-mined tunnel, was approved and funded by the provincial and federal governments.<\/span><\/a> The City of Brampton is also hoping to get started on a new Centre for Innovation, which will contain a new central library as well as space for Toronto Metropolitan University and Rogers. The first of a new wave of mixed-use high-rise developments, Rose Garden Residences<\/span><\/a>, has started construction.<\/p>\n In conjunction with this new public and private sector investment in the city\u2019s historic downtown core, Brampton is working to upgrade the public realm. Right after the Region of Peel worked to reconstruct water and wastewater infrastructure under Main and Queen Streets, the city is installing new granite streetscaping, featuring wider sidewalks and new cycle tracks.<\/p>\n The City of Brampton is also looking to revitalize the two public squares in the downtown core: Ken Willians Square at Wellington and Main streets in front of City Hall, and Garden Square, at Queen and Main streets in front of the Rose Theatre and beside the historic Thomas Fuller-designed federal building.<\/p>\n After public consultation in Fall 2024, the city sought submissions for the redevelopment of both public spaces, with the goal of providing a cohesive aesthetic to match the area\u2019s heritage and provide high quality facilities to support public events and attract visitors throughout all four seasons.\u00a0 Four proposals emerged from prominent architectural and design firms, though city staff have not revealed the partners of the four teams. Each of the four designs include new stages, video screens, seating areas, and water features. Three of the four proposals move the cenotaph, currently situated in Ken Willians Square, across Wellington Street into Gage Park to provide more space for public events and place the war memorial in a more subdued setting. Each design plays on Brampton\u2019s \u201cFlower City\u201d branding, a nod to the large flower-growing industry that Brampton was known for up to the 1970s. These designs were presented at a public presentation and open house held on Tuesday, May 27.<\/p>\n Design A<\/strong> Design B<\/strong><\/p>\n Design C<\/strong> Design D<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Details on all four designs are available on the City of Brampton website<\/a>. The city is looking for feedback from the public; there is a link to a survey. However, time to provide is limited as city officials are planning to choose a winning design by the end of June. Following that public announcement, there will be detailed design refinements, with construction set to begin at Ken Willians Square by the end of the year.<\/p>\n UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on these plan, but in the meantime, you can leave a comment in the space provided on this page.<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n UrbanToronto has a research service,\u00a0UTPro<\/a>, that provides comprehensive data on development projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe \u2014 from proposal through to completion. We also offer\u00a0Instant Reports<\/a>, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter,\u00a0New Development Insider<\/a>, that tracks projects from initial application.<\/p>\n <\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/div>\n
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