Regina City Council has approved a framework aimed at improving the downtown core
The move comes after the city accepted proposals to look at possible sites for a new baseball stadium, and an events centre.
Mayor Sandra Masters says the partnership allows the different community organizations to work together to everyone’s benefit.
“The hopefulness coming out of it, is that as we’re looking at some of these aging facilities, which would be targeted for a core centre location, that they’re able to look and coordinate, and collaborate in terms of what makes the most sense, where it should be located, and is it fulfilling their each of their individual mandates,” said Masters. “But we were looking for them to collaborate to make the best decisions, and recommendations to councils.”
The “City Centre Core Framework” is a collaboration between the city, REAL, the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID) and the Regina Warehouse District.
Masters says she’s really happy to see different organizations band together for the betterment of the city.
“It’s evidence of what we all know, is that we are here to cooperate and collaborate, and I’m not naïve to think that people won’t get competitive and jockey for position when it comes to protecting their particular organizations,” said Masters. “But the fact that they could come together for that overarching vision, and that overarching strategy, is wanted, and most appreciated by council.”
Masters says even without the prospects of a new arena, the framework is an important step in the city’s post-Covid recovery.
“That cooperation and collaboration, whether it’s from those specific organizations, or it’s our tourism folks getting together, it’s really heartening to hear them speak, because they speak about what’s best for the city,” said Masters. “And how do we get more people into the city, how do we get more people into downtown, and how do we create better connection between all of us. That’s exactly what we’re looking for.”