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