Cultural Destination: Revitalizing Downtown Aurora

NRU
Aug. 12, 2015
By Edward Larusic

Aurora council is expected to approve a plan for a new cultural precinct that the proponents say will help revitalize the downtown and create a new destination in York Region.

Like many smaller municipalities, Aurora’s downtown business area has been weakened by the proliferation of large retail centres on its borders. Councillor Michael Thompson told NRU that the creation of a cultural precinct could bring new vitality to the larger downtown and is “long overdue,” having been studied for more than 20 years.

The thought was that we needed to get started on this so we can bring it before our [2016] council budget and start actually planning some of the improvements necessary.”

Thompson, along with councillor Tom Mrakas, expected council to approve their motion to hire a design firm to create a vision and conceptual plan for a new cultural precinct within the larger downtown at its meeting last night.

Planning and development services director Marco Ramunno said the idea of a cultural precinct originates from the 2010 Aurora Promenade Urban Design Strategy. The strategy identified three blocks of the downtown for a new cultural precinct—bounded by Mosley Street to the north, Church and Metcaff e streets to the south, Yonge Street to the west and Larmont Street to the east.

“It’s really aligning the arts and heritage and cultural community in the area,” Ramunno said. He noted that the three blocks are home to a number of public facilities including a public library, Town Park and the historic Aurora Armoury.

Ramunno said that there are two town-owned properties in particular within the cultural precinct that have development potential: a former senior’s centre and library at 52 and 56 Victoria Street respectively. Any plan, he said, would need to figure out the future of those buildings and create appropriate linkages to Yonge Street as well as new pedestrian connections to and from the various cultural facilities.

Mrakas told NRU that the downtown isn’t pedestrian friendly, and the lack of people has caused retail vacancies. But he doesn’t want a “regular built-up downtown area, the same as anyone else.” He wants to see something that can draw residents from across York Region.

“[Our direction is] almost giving a painter a blank canvas and saying ‘paint that perfect picture for us,’” said Mrakas. “We want to give [the consultant hired] everything we’ve come up with over the last 20 years, and develop a plan that would be unique and special, and have that Aurora essence or style to it.”

If council agrees to establish a cultural district, Thompson will be asking staff to prepare a final report and plan for council consideration before the end of the year.