A long-term plan for Saskatoon’s downtown area will be presented to City Council later this month, and ahead of that, you have the chance to have a look and ask questions at a Come-and-Go information session tomorrow (Tues) from 3 to 7 p.m. at The Studio at Midtown Plaza. This is a long-range plan to give future councils a guideline, with nothing written in stone.

A report presented to the Governance and Priorities Committee last week stated that Saskatoon is anticipated to grow to half a million people in the next 20 to 30 years, so the goal is to encourage both residential and business growth in downtown and surrounding areas, noting that what happens in the City Centre and District has a direct impact on the rest of the city so to unlock its full potential, it needs investment.

The proposed Downtown Event and Entertainment District is a part of it. Other projects include 22nd Street becoming a Festival Street with wider sidewalks, accessible drop-off locations and more extensive landscaping and Imagine Idylwyld, which will be designed to strengthen the connections between surrounding neighbourhoods and business districts to Downtown, making it easier for people to get around.

It also includes a network of public spaces in the City Centre for all seasons, improved connections to surrounding neighbourhoods, improved transportation and a new west Downtown. To link Riversdale with Downtown, the plan suggests having improved pedestrian access.