Yorkton working on downtown plan

YORKTON – The City of Yorkton is in the process of a Downtown and West Broadway Redevelopment Plan Update.

At its regular meeting Dec. 8, Council heard an update on the plan process from Nick Pryce, Urban Design Lead with V3 Companies of Canada who are doing the work.

The portions of the Plan area remain pretty much undeveloped, he explained.

Pryce said they are in the very early stages of the project timeline with a number of steps still ahead culminating in the reveal of the final plan and its adoption expected sometime between March and May in 2026.

“We’re right at the start of this project,” he told Council.

While the plan process is just under way, Pryce said the city has started the work in ways separate from the current work.

That includes a trio of programs which are incentives to downtown businesses, he noted, calling them “impressive.”

“. . . I think you have pretty good incentives to tell the truth,” offered Pryce.

In addition, the city has; completed streetscape improvements (lighting, planters, traffic calming, City Centre Park).

Pryce also noted the city as defined a rather expansive area to be covered.

“It’s a large area that your covering,” said.

The next step, which is already under way is community and stakeholder engagement, said Pryce. That effort will include meetings with groups such as YBID, downtown site walks, and community engagement through online tools.

Councillor Randy Goulden said community input is important.

“I’m really looking forward to the feedback,” she said.

Overall the project has multiple goals including:

* Identifying suitable land uses for downtown and transition areas.

* Examining zoning topics: parking, landscaping, flood mitigation, building appearance, and temporary structures.

* Exploring mixed-use options, including mixed-use buildings.

* Reviewing on-street parking capacity and potential one-way configurations.

* Reviewing sidewalks, lighting, signage, and branding.

“That’s a big list to achieve,” said Pryce, adding that may mean a need “to hone in by the end,” are what is deemed most important locally.

In the end of the process of course is the need to fully understand “the source of money” to do anything, said Pryce. He said without funding any plan only stagnates, so the city will need to determine financing moving forward for whatever it deems it should undertake.

“How are you going to pay? . . . Money doesn’t grow on trees,” said Pryce, adding that is where targeted spending is important. “Where’s the biggest bang for your buck that you put your money.”

That means Council needs to want the plan to work.

“The plan is only as good as the people who make the decisions,” reminded Pryce, saying Council will need to fully buy-in for it to work. “If at the end of the day you don’t take ownership it’s useless.

“A plan should never be something that sits on a shelf and collects dust.”

Mayor Aaron Kienle suggested he is already on-side.

“I’m excited to see this happen,” he said.