City of Vaughan seeks feedback on city hall events, programs

YorkRegion.com
Sept. 1, 2015
By Adam Martin-Robbins

The city wants to pick your brain about the types of events, activities and programs you’d like to see offered at city hall.

To make that happen officials are encouraging residents to participate online either by tweeting ideas to @City_of_Vaughan using the hashtag #MyVaughanCityHall; commenting on the city’s Facebook page at facebook.com/thecityofvaughan or emailing vaughanvision@vaughan.ca.

Alternatively, the city has also created an online feedback at http://myvaughan.mindmixer.com/.

There are also plans in the works for a panel discussion featuring experts in urban design, architecture and community development. A date has not yet been set for the panel discussion.

It’s all part of an public engagement campaign dubbed My Vaughan City Hall.

“Public opinion is a powerful tool that provides direction for how we move our agenda forward,” Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua said. “This mindful and inclusive approach to planning is in keeping with our vision to create communities that are livable and attractive to residents and visitors alike.”

Planning for the civic centre campus, at Keele Street and Major Mackenzie Drive began back in 2002.

At that time, the concept was to develop the city-owned property into a campus featuring a new city hall, a library, a performing arts and cultural centre as well recreation facilities and other government offices.

The plan was revised in 2005 and again in 2013 at which time city council directed staff to seek public input on the future development of the campus.

In 2014, city council approved funding of $50,000 to undertake a public consultation process, which will be led by LURA Consulting.

Currently, the site is home to city hall and a four-storey affordable housing complex for seniors while the avant-garde resource library is under construction.

Input garnered from the public to date shows there’s interest in seeing a number of additions to the campus including an ice rink, a splash pad, a bike trail, performance space and a community garden.

People have also expressed an interest in seeing the campus used for movie screenings, pop-up galleries and a farmers market, among other things.