These banners and light standards will eventually be installed throughout downtown replacing the older black light posts. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

full-court press to revive downtown

Mayor and City urging Red Deerians to return downtown, where “city was born”

Aug 18, 2023 | 3:37 PM

Downtown Red Deer is getting a facelift as City officials look upon what may be a new horizon for the beleaguered municipal core.

Issues include safety, perceived and reality, as well as vacant spaces, although vacancy rates have declined, rdnewsNOW confirmed earlier this month.

During a downtown celebration event Thursday evening, City officials unveiled new branding for downtown Red Deer, plus new banners and light fixtures which will be installed over the next year. Materials cost The City $25,000, approved in the 23/24 Operating Budget.

“We need you downtown, and it’s not the royal ‘we’, it’s not the mayor’s office, it’s not council, it’s not administration at City Hall; the ‘we’ I speak of is the collective ‘we’ of the citizens of the entire city. This is where our city was born. Our city started here. The legacy of our forefathers and our grandparents, etcetera, was done here in this space. We need to come back and celebrate it,” Mayor Ken Johnston told a crowd who came down for face painting, virtual reality, a petting zoo and more activities along Ross Street.

“If every household of Red Deer, and there are 43,000 households in Red Deer, was to spend $5 a week, $20 a month downtown, do the math; that’s a million dollars of economic growth in our downtown. So Red Deer, rediscover the beauty you see in front of me today, rediscover Capstone, rediscover the blocks, the artisan shops and the art galleries. That’s my ask of Red Deer today.”

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Messaging of the mayor and from others comes as The City of Red Deer looks to implement different elements of its Downtown Activation Playbook.

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The message inside a pamphlet handed out at the event reads as follows:

“Without local businesses, we would not be able to bring the exciting vision for Downtown Red Deer to fruition. Downtown businesses provide Red Deerians with places to work, gather and connect. They feed our identity and sustain the relationships that create a healthy and thriving city.”

rdnewsNOW asked Rob Lewis, chair of the Downtown Identity Plan Community Collaborative Committee (DIPCCC), if moving ahead on these initiatives and urging Red Deerians downtown in this way requires complete buy-in from business owners, agencies and residents.

People came downtown for a celebration event along Ross Street on Thursday, Aug. 17. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

“Every business owner [in the downtown] had the opportunity to speak into the process; some did, some didn’t, and it’ll never be the case where everyone is on the same page, but the work our committee did was something that could easily be accepted by the community at-large,” Lewis remarked.

“Will there be dissent? I’m sure there will be. Will there be people who don’t like the look of the art? Maybe. From the work and consultations we did though, the vast majority we spoke to said this looks good and feels right for the downtown.”

As for the perceived and real safety issues, which some would also call social issues, much of this work couldn’t be done without knowing what the future may hold in terms of addressing those.

Speaking to Johnston, he told rdnewsNOW that the matter of the permanent shelter looks to be coming to a head.

“I’m as frustrated as anyone else, but we are arriving at a shelter site decision. We are arriving at a solution that sustains the downtown and gives dignity to those who need that step forward in life, either through addiction, homelessness, poverty or trauma,” the mayor said.

“Our community and council have wrestled with it, but a part of this is to encourage our citizens to say ‘Hey, a culture exists here, there’s business being done here, people are making lives here, there are people in the parks here,’ but let’s not let perceptions or third-hand stories from time to time dissuade you from coming downtown.”

Asked point blank if the shelter will be downtown, Johnston said, “A shelter in the downtown is incongruent to the success of the downtown and the success of the shelter.”

“We have provincial approval of the site and council has to ratify it. It comes back to us on Monday (Aug. 21). We’re talking to landowners also,” he continued. “I’m hoping, though I’ve hoped before, that we can come out with an announcement of a vision and way forward where we can have the best of both worlds, where we can have vibrancy, reinvestment and confidence in the downtown, but also the social services people need in the contemporary setting we find ourselves.”

READ MORE: Land negotiations unsuccessful for permanent shelter; Red Deer council vows continued search

The City notes that no decisions will be made on Monday when this item is heard in-camera (closed meeting).

Johnston added that The City understands there are going to be safety incidents, but that’s why downtown RCMP patrols have been beefed up.

“There is a perception of safety issues, and people do feel unsafe. That’s a major deterrent, but it’s not a Red Deer phenomena. Downtowns face that everywhere. I walk the streets downtown daily, and go through the parks, and I feel okay,” Johnston said, acknowledging that others do have different experiences.

“Do I like what I see from time to time? No, but I do feel safe.”

In the meantime, a Downtown Community Association has been formed. Businesses, agencies and residents can get involved by contacting culturemailbox@reddeer.ca. There are 10-15 members currently, but all are welcome given you work or live in the downtown.

The City has also launched bettertogether.reddeer.ca to share ongoing information about work going on to move downtown forward.

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