Residents share views on reimagining Bridge Street in Tillsonburg

Tillsonburg’s Bridge Street Reimagining Task Force has entered a new phase with its two-hour public engagement event held earlier this month at the Tillsonburg Farmers Market on Bridge Street West.

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Residents were invited to share their vision of Bridge Street, which extends from Rolph Street to Lisgar Avenue, and ‘reimagine’ how the streetscape can be enhanced.

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The community-based task force, which consists of business members, community partners, property owners and Town of Tillsonburg staff, asked, ‘What will Bridge Street look like in the future?’ and ‘How can the street be improved?’

Consultants from SHIFT Landscape Architecture, hired by the task force in July with approval from council, are looking at the potential for Bridge Street, and will continue to work on the streetscape plan through January 2024, developing three preliminary design ideas and options to be presented at another open house in February/March 2024, and gather further public feedback in the form of a survey (www.tillsonburg.ca/streetscape).

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The task force is committed to developing a final streetscape plan in the spring of 2024.

“The way we’re looking at it is how it can be improved from the public realm and public experience perspective,” said David Duhan of SHIFT Landscape Architecture. “What that really means is looking at how people move across the street, how cars move across the street, how things like beautification happens. All of that happens along this section, but moving forward we know that there’s going to be development along Bridge Street. We are not working for those developers, but we’re working to look at ‘how growth happens in the community.’ The street can be a space that supports people.”

There are points where people have expressed difficulty crossing the street, Duhan noted. Could the Rotary Clock area be a mini-park space? Better seating? Bike lanes? More green space? A meandering one-way section?

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“Some of those things are part of the discussion that we are having. We’re looking at it right now in terms of vision and we’re here today (Oct. 7) at the market to really hear from people.”

Pictures of streetscape ideas were presented at the pop-up event with hopes to get feedback. Organizers heard from people with grievances, Duhan said, and people excited about the project. They also heard many stories about the historic Broadway bridge.

“The overall project is to create a vision for what Bridge Street can become,” said Duhan, noting SHIFT Landscape Architecture’s work will be completed in the spring.

The idea for the streetscape project was initially pitched by John Veldman, who is developing a property across from Station Arts Centre.

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“He (Veldman) said we needed to incorporate the community into this project and we have such a great opportunity, and I agree 100 per cent,” said Cephas Panschow, development commissioner, Town of Tillsonburg, who was at the pop-up event with council and town staff representatives. “Especially since the pieces are all here – we’ve got the Kinsmen Bridge, we’ve got the Participark, we’ve got the trail system, and we’ve got the customer service xentre at the other end.

“We’ve now got an opportunity to take our town to the next level. And my personal goal is that I want to see a streetscape plan here that is one of the best around. Let’s take all the ideas from (other communities) that have done it and let’s make this even better.”

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Panschow said the streetscape will likely proceed on a timeline with the development project.

“We have two main themes here… we’ve got the rail theme and I think that’s an authentic part of Tillsonburg. I think we need to retain that theme. And I think the developer can bring forward themes he’s picked up, and I think we can tie those two together.”

Some low-cost improvements might be made in the near future, and some can be incorporated into the long-term Asset Management Plan.

“I want people to drive through Tillsonburg and I want them to see this street and stop ‘because it looks so cool,’” Panschow said. “And obviously that has benefits in terms of economic impacts. When people stop, money is generated.”

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