There will be no street or sidewalk closures during the Christmas shopping season in downtown Duncan as the City of Duncan begins work on the long-awaited $1.5-million place-making initiative on Station Street.
Duncan’s CAO Peter de Verteuil told council at its meeting on Nov. 18 that while construction of the project, which will see significant improvements to Station Street Park and enhancements to the Station Street/Craig Street intersection and immediate surrounding area, will begin on Nov. 22, as planned, there will be no sidewalk or road closures due to the construction until January.
“But there will be some fencing that will be erected beginning on Nov. 22 because there is some loose concrete (and other material) on the site,” he said. “There will be some longer-term sidewalk closures beginning in January, but road closures should be very intermittent.”
Katherine Devine, the executive director of the Downtown Duncan BIA, told association members that the DDBIA had meetings with the city and was told that starting in January, the sidewalk on Craig Street and Station Street that surrounds Station Street Common will be closed for the duration of the construction as the sidewalk is being incorporated into the new design for the area.
"To put that another way, the sidewalk from the corner of the old Monks building, now the new Hospital Auxiliary’s Thrift Shop building, right up and around the corner to the old HATS building, now the new Laine Vintage, will be closed for the duration of the construction,” Devine said.
“Additionally, Craig Street will be closed for a two-day period in January, from Station Street to Kenneth Street, to run a new hydro line to Station Street Common, and, finally, a small portion of Station Street, from Craig Street to the crosswalk by Island Bagel and Bannock, will become a single lane alternating route for four days in January, with the dates pending.”
This project intends to transform Station Street Park into a dynamic public space that will serve as a hub for community events, festivals, and other activities.
It is an essential component of the city’s efforts to support the downtown businesses and attract more visitors to the area, the city has said.
The city received a $1-million grant from B.C.’s Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program for the project in April, 2023, and the municipality intends to kick in up to $500,000.
