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The City of Ottawa is hoping to put $10 million of provincial money into building a safe and welcoming ByWard Market.
That could include $300,000 to improve lighting and maintenance of the pedestrian underpass at the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive.
In a report to council, city staff say the work “responds to longstanding concerns regarding the condition and perception of the underpass.”
“We’re excited about our plans for the ByWard Market, and improving those access points and improving the intersection at Rideau and Sussex is a priority,” Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said after a council meeting on Wednesday.
But that’s just one idea on a long wish list. There are also improvements for Rideau station and Rideau Street including new signage, lighting, banners and street furniture. Another idea is an exhibition to illuminate the ByWard Market building.
The city is proposing an illumination exhibition to light up the historic ByWard Market Building as early as this winter. (Francis Ferland/CBC)
The city also wants to hire a consultant to draw up a branding strategy for the area, and is looking to fund a two-day night market to celebrate its 200th birthday.
Staff also want to put more money into Ottawa Public Health’s needle collection program, and to beef up security for shelters and drop-in programs.
The most expensive idea, at $4.2 million, is a “Best of ByWard” initiative that would bring live music, food vendors and family-friendly activities to the market’s public plazas including ByWard Market Square.
But the wish list is just that — aspirational — and the total cost of all the projects actually exceeds the $10 million available. That’s meant to provide “flexibility” as the city asks the province for permission to redirect the money.
The $10 million, initially provided by the province through an Ontario-Ottawa agreement, was supposed to fund work to pedestrianize William Street, but council opted earlier this year to defer that project.
On Wednesday, council voted to reallocate the money and ask the province for its approval.
Debbie Stewart, the city’s general manager of strategic initiatives, said the province has already given a “general nod” to the plan, though she didn’t offer a timeline for when the city expects to have a definitive answer.
The ByWard Market is set to celebrate its 200th anniversary next year. (Francis Ferland/CBC)
She noted that the money will need to be spent by next March.
Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stéphanie Plante, who represents the market area, noted that the projects in the plan are mostly temporary or short-term. In her view, the market really needs funding to tackle deep-seated issues like homelessness and addiction.
“We can have all the outreach we want,” she said. “We can have the sanitation we want. These things are fine and there’s nothing wrong with them, but nothing beats investment in long-term solutions.”