"I would love to see a public square with a park, benches and trees; a peaceful place to gather and read books, and a great place for sight see-ers as well."
- comment from attendee at Canada Day celebration Recent Press August 14, 2015 Stratford Gazette Market Square IS Market Square July 28, 2015 The Beacon Herald, Mike Beitz Federal Infrastructure Grant Announced May 28, 2015 Stratford Gazette, Chet Greason Market Square Survey Results In May 20, 2015 The Beacon Herald, Mike Beitz Consultant presents "vision scenarios" for redeveloping Stratford's Market Square September 9, 2014 The Beacon Herald, Donal O'Connor Market Square ideas clash September 3, 2014 Stratford Gazette, Stratford Market Square Committee Throwing the baby out with the bath water August 12, 2014 Stratford Gazette, Jeff Heuchert Back to the drawing board with Market Square August 1, 2014 Stratford Gazette, Stratford Market Square Committee The time to plan is now July 7, 2014 Stratford Beacon Herald, Chet Greason What's to be done with Market Square? July 3, 2014 Stratford Beacon Herald, Donal O'Connor Open House Draws Crowd June 11, 2014 Stratford Beacon Herald, Market Square Committee Market Square the heart of the city May 13, 2014 Stratford Beacon Herald, Donal O'Connor Market Square Public Meeting Announced April 24, 2014 Stratford Gazette, Dan Rankin Long-term benefits in reimagined Market Square, says group |
News
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July 1, 2017 City of Stratford Unveils Its New Market Square
At the newly revitalized Market Square, filled with citizens celebrating Canada Day, Mayor Dan Mathieson, members of the Sesquicentennial Committee participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony to launch this wonderful new civic space. Photo on the left, Kimberly Richardson, CAO Rob Horne, Councillors Bonnie Henderson & Graham Bunting, Mayor Dan Mathieson, Councillors Tom Clifford & Kathy Vassilakos, BIA Chair Rob Russell and Market Square Committee Chair Eleanor Kane. Photo to the right shows members of the Stratford Market Square Committee at a brunch gathering prior to the ribbon cutting: from left, David Blandford, Rick Matthews, Cindy Hubert, Gord Steed, Susan Wright, Eleanor Kane, Marianne Brandis and Gordon Sherwin.
Since July 1st, Market Square has hosted an outdoor "Queen of the Square" cinema presentation of Neverland, Stratford /Perth Slow Food Sunday Markets, Stratford Summer Music outdoor spectacle Mobile Homme with Les Tambours from France. An eight- day Carillon Festival will launch in the Square on August 5th. The public are making wonderful use of this vital civic space. Thank you City of Stratford!
January 26, 2017 City of Stratford
Below are the new 3D renderings of Stratford Market Square provided by GSP Group consultants. These images are posted on the city's website and present a more user-friendly glimpse of our future Square. From the top picture and scrolling down, the views represent 1) looking along the southerly stretch of Market Place, home to many wonderful food enterprises and small boutique stores. 2) A birds-eye view of the Square looking west towards Wellington St. and capturing the pedestrian pattern and tree placements. 3) A close-up of bench placements. 4) Shows the playful water feature. You will note that the design provides for bus parking on either side of the square, as a temporary solution until final decisions are made regarding a transit hub. 
January 13, 2017 City of Stratford
The following information has been posted on the City of Stratford's website - an update on design and construction details. Click on this link below for the full posting. October 17, 2016 City of Stratford General Construction Questionnaire
Following the September Open House at City Hall, attendees were encouraged to complete a questionnaire in response to the GSP design plan on view that night. The questionnaire is closed October 14, 2016. Check with city hall if you wish to review the feedback. May 1, 2016 10am to 2pm SLOW FOOD MARKET returns to STRATFORD MARKET SQUARE
A sure sign of Spring - the wonderful food vendors of Perth County are back in the square for the open air Market, every Sunday from May 1st until October! Look for our information / display table on May 1st, stop by to catch up on the ongoing plans for a revitalized square. January 15, 2015 And the beat goes on ...
City officials are moving forward with the process of selecting a design firm to kickstart the redevelopment of Market Square. This week, city staff met with the short-listed firms to provide direction and respond to questions. Between now and the spring, watch for these milestones: · February 17: Design firms submit their proposals with preliminary concept drawings (NB: Since submissions will be digital, these design options will be available on-line). · February 22: Drop-In Public Open House · March 7: Selection of Successful Bidder by Council · March 8: Project commences · June 30: Final Market Square design is complete While these dates and deadlines may shift a bit, city staff tell us that this is the plan for now. The Stratford Market Square Committee will provide updates as they become available. May 14, 2015 Press Release
Stratford City Council Take Note – Many Ontario Communities Benefit from Dynamic Market Squares
STRATFORD, May 14, 2015 – The Stratford Market Square Committee delivered a compelling video call to action to City Council today. The #MyMarketSquare video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnFnf1ATdO8 highlights the many benefits and economic advancements other Ontario communities have realized since they invested in their downtown market squares. The Committee wants to ensure that Councillors are aware of the best practices right in their own backyards. The video points Councillors to the example set by nearby Waterloo, Brantford and Guelph. All three cities have redeveloped their market spaces and report that these gathering places have returned countless economic, social and cultural benefits to their communities. “The City of Stratford is just wrapping up a high-profile consultation process about Market Square that has generated a lot of local input and interest,” said Eleanor Kane of the Stratford Market Square Committee. “It’s time for Council to make a visionary decision and we are hoping for a quality redevelopment of the Square that reflects Stratford’s character and history. They don’t have to drive very far to find exciting city centre development that is strongly linked to economic growth.” Council will be presented with the results of the City’s public consultation process on May 19, 2015. The local volunteer committee has long been a proponent of a thoughtful and well-planned revitalization of the historic Market Square that would attract more walking traffic and new business and tourism activity. The experience of other Ontario cities proves that people are naturally drawn to green, people-friendly spaces that encourage outdoor activity and create attractive venues for local businesses (especially those in the hospitality industry), public programming and the arts. Evidence shows that municipal tax revenues have risen and local business has grown. Even local charities and not-for-profits have benefited once they had a high-quality venue for their fundraising events. The Stratford Market Square Committee recommends that Council quickly clarify its vision for the Square, based on public input, and then proceed with a high-quality design that can be implemented in phases, if necessary. A $1.25 million contribution from WalMart, added to other funds earmarked for Canada’s sesquicentennial celebrations, could fund a first phase including build elements suitable for celebrations in 2017. Strong economic data collected about Waterloo Public Square prove the point. In 2013, an analysis using the Ontario government’s Tourism Regional Economic Impact Model (TREIM) revealed that Waterloo’s square generated $ 3,585,276 in new visitor spending, a $ 2,367,258 increase to the GDP of the Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge area, 42 new jobs, and $1,228,837 in new tax revenue (combined municipal, provincial and federal). “There were naysayers when we started to redevelop the Waterloo Public Square in 2008, but I would say that most have done a 360 now that it is up and running. Our local businesses appreciate the draw the Public Square is to UpTown Waterloo,” says Patti Brooks, Executive Director, UpTown Waterloo (Business Improvement Area (BIA)). The same enthusiasm was repeated in both Guelph and Brantford where councillors, citizens and the local business community worked together to design and build public spaces that are alive with public activity no matter the season. In Stratford a number of prominent local business leaders added their voices to the call for a revitalized Market Square. These business leaders have signed a Letter to Council, indicating their support for positive change in the Square. Their letter is posted on the Market Square website and was delivered to Council along with the video. “Some of our volunteers have been engaged in a dialogue with Council for over a decade and now it’s time for a firm decision, not half-measures or further delays,” said Kane. “Our Committee urges Council to listen to our business leaders and citizens, look at best practices, and plan and design wisely. There is so much to be gained for everyone in Stratford”. The video is posted to both the Committee’s website at www.stratfordmarketsquare.ca and to its Facebook page.May 14, 2015 Stratford Downtown Business and Property Owners Sign Letter to Council May 14, 2015 Add your name and business title by contacting mailto:stratfordmarketsquare15@gmail.com Jeremy & Carrie Wreford, Bradshaws & Kitchen Detail Kelly Ballantyne, Sirkel Foods Jessie Larsen, The Red Rabbit Tim Larsen, The Red Rabbit Sean Collins, The Red Rabbit Ruth Klahsen, Monforte on Wellington Steve Giannakopoulos, Pizza Bistro Jacqueline & Derek Barr, Chocolate Barrs Mark & Linda Simone, Bijou Restaurant Ali Farahani, Dr. Ali Farahani, DDS Glee Balmer, White Balmer Shoes Liz Payne, The Milky Whey Ross Taylor, Ross’ Bike Works Rob Blowes, Blowes Travel & Cruise Centres Derek Denny, Soup Surreal Ashley Stewart, Soup Surreal Anne Campion, revel caffè Bill Windsor, Mercer Hall Bill Windsor, The Prune Paul Parlee, Parlee Law Offices Cindy Hubert, Agora Gallery Candice & Rob Wigan, Revival House Candice & Rob Wigan, Molly Blooms Nancy Hotson, Buzz Stop Helen Mathieson, The Green Room Larry McCabe, Pazzo Taverna and Pizzeria Michael A. Wilson, Marklevitz Architects Inc. Rita Osypa-Fishman, Marklevitz Architects Inc. Terry Marklevitz, Marklevitz Architects Inc. Kristene Steed, Rheo Thompson Candies Marc Johnstone, Rheo Thompson Candies Susie Palach, York Street Kitchen Andrew MacDonald, McDonald & MacDonald, Barristers & Soliciters Jeff Walsh, The Compudoc Inc. Laura Vandenberg, Grace the Boutique Rob Russell, MacLeods Scottish Shop Martine Becu, 3rd Rail Society Alan Mailloux, Downie Street Bakehouse Barb McMahon, Downie Street Bakehouse Bruce Pepper, Black Swan Brewing Co. Craig Foster, Foster’s Inn Mike Heisz, Junction 56 Distillery Maureen McCabe, The Spa on Albert Katharine Rajczak, Next Stage Conflict Resolution Bert Notebomer, Owner, 37 Market Place Tom Stulberg, Above & Beyond Rob & Caroline Bosworth, Optical Design Derek & Alison Reid, The Artful Badger Janice Lindsay, Owner, The Baker House, Wellington & St. Patrick Kerrie Maslen, Mane Stage Hair Salon & Day Spa Martha Cook, Martha Cook Professional Corporation April 7, 2015 In December 2014, Stratford City Council engaged the services of a Toronto consulting firm, "AtFocus", to guide a public consultation process which has included four visioning sessions, now complete, along with an online survey available until April 16, 2015. We urge you to participate in the survey; it will require 15 to 20 minutes of your time. The AtFocus survey link is removed as the survey period has closed. March 18, 2015 Local author and historian Marianne Brandis provides a thoughtful perspective on the quality of public engagement which should be included in developing the community's vision for the heart and core of our city,Stratford's Market Square. Read Marianne's excellent piece, published in the Stratford Gazette. http://www.southwesternontario.ca/opinion/good-public-consultation/ January 14, 2015 Riversedge Developments gave students and the public an advanced look at what student dorm rooms could look like at the Bradshaw Building on Downie Street this week. At the same time, the developer, who will soon make recommendations to City Council about the Cooper site, coined the phrase "the Downie District" to characterize an integrated approach to revitalizing Stratford's downtown. This concept would link Market Square, the Cooper site CNR building and lands, and the adjacent neighbourhoods. Riversedge is scheduled to deliver their first report to Council on January 20 regarding adaptive re-use of the Cooper site building. RiversEdge Developments plans student housing in the old Bradshaw building with input from University of Waterloo students The Beacon Herald, Laura Cudworth September 9, 2014 Market Square ideas clash The Beacon Herald, Donal O'Connor September 3, 2014 Throwing the Baby Out with the Bath Water August 11 was a hard day for Market Square Committee volunteers. Many have led or been involved with research, consultations and planning activities for the Market Square revitalization for more than a decade. So, when the Finance and Labour Committee decided to recommend that Council toss out that decade of work (along with the preliminary design concepts of one of North America’s most respected urban design firms (PLANT Architect Inc.)) and start all over again with new RFPs, you could imagine their disappointment. On September 8, when Council considers the future of the Market Square yet again, these same volunteers will be arguing once more for thoughtful, visionary leadership from our Council. The advice will be the same: get this right; make the revitalization of the Market Square a legacy initiative with future generations in mind; whether there is funding or not, develop a phased master plan based on one overarching design and a sub-plan for parking and buses; use a Community Consultation/Design Review advisory committee and local expertise to guide both planning and implementation; work with PLANT and put some resources into “next stage” conceptual drawings so their concept makes more sense to the public and a consensus can be reached about a final design; and, make that desolate, car-strewn place a magnet for people and activity and commerce. The Market Square Committee is trying not to cry over spilt milk, but at the September 8 Council meeting, they will be reminding Council that they risk throwing out: • Results of an international design committee based on carefully considered design guidelines, and output from several significant public consultation processes endorsed by the City. • Preliminary design work by an internationally recognized firm that has already listened to public input and considered the unique requirements of our sloping Market Square. Their conceptual design is just that – conceptual. It will evolve as more public and expert input is sought on issues such as accessibility, traffic flow, heritage requirements etc. • Capacity to deliver a final design within months, not years, that is suited to implementation in phases, as City operations and finances allow. • Evidence that many Stratford residents support a high-quality revitalization of the Square and want action now. • Possible loss of the $1 million City staff designated from the 2013 Budget surplus. The Market Square Committee believes that the most prudent course of action for the City is to engage more fully with PLANT Architect Inc. a firm that has already invested upwards of $60,000 (at no cost to local taxpayers) in order to leverage their existing design and commitment to assisting Stratford, and get on with this project with no further delay. If Council is confused about “next steps” just before the municipal election, then the Committee thinks this important issue should be delayed to a time when all the options and information can be on the table. There is a fast and sensible route to success. Here’s hoping that Council agrees. |
With the support of the Perth Community Futures and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
