Details of Dewdney Avenue Corridor Revitalization Project revealed at open house

Residents got a sneak peek at the long-awaited Dewdney Avenue Corridor Revitalization Project on Tuesday, as the latest renderings of what the finalized corridor will look like were revealed.

Karen Seguin, the city’s director of sustainable infrastructure, said the revitalization project, once complete, will fuel growth in Regina’s Warehouse District.

“It’ll be a completely different Dewdney Avenue. It will be vibrant (and) attractive, it will have trees and boulevards (and) it will be safer for pedestrians and vehicles,” said Seguin.

“The things that people won’t see is better infrastructure to help support the growth of the neighbourhood.”

With construction set to get underway next week, city officials also highlighted what their plan is for the work, which is being rolled out in phases over the next two years.

Seguin said the city is working closely with business owners to maintain access during construction, while also aiming to keep the road open to drivers as much as possible.

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“There will be some construction that will cause some detours for construction, but we will try to keep it open as much as possible,” Seguin said.

Leasa Gibbons, the Regina Warehouse Business Improvement District’s executive director, likened the revitalization to the Wascana Lake project.

“We called it The Big Dig. I want to bring that Big Dig energy to Dewdney Avenue and into the Warehouse District,” said Gibbons.

“I want our community to be excited about this transformational project that we are only going to have once in a lifetime, so let’s make sure we support those businesses in this community during construction.”

Gibbons said the city is trying to minimize water and power shut-offs to businesses along the corridor while work is underway.

“We know things happen. It is construction, and these pipes are 100 years old, so there will be some incidents that happen,” she said.

“The city is really willing to be at the table and participate – provide their cell numbers when that has to happen – to make sure that quickly as possible we can restore service to businesses and give them as much notice as we can. That way, if they need to make a different arrangement, they can have some time to do that.”

In a statement, the city said drivers should expect regular closures, lane restrictions and speed reductions along Dewdney Avenue between Albert Street and Broad Street.

“While construction will limit parking on Dewdney Avenue, drivers can still park along the north-south streets throughout the Warehouse District. The City will also be providing parking on the Yards site throughout construction. There will be access and crosswalks to this temporary parking site at both Scarth Street and Hamilton Street,” the statement read.

Starting Sunday, transit routes along Dewdney Avenue will be temporarily redirected to Eighth Avenue throughout the duration of construction.