The third and final phase of the Downtown Revitalization Project has begun.
The actual start date of the $2.3 million third phase was July 2 but few citizens would have been able to notice last week.
“The first day of mobilization sounds sexy but it is really not,” said Craig Teal, the town's director of planning and operational services. “They try moving in piece by piece from other jobs, try to make sure all their locates are done and try to make sure their signs and barricades are ready to go. If you are hoping to see backhoes and mud being slung around, give them to (this) week.”
Construction for the 13-week, six-step project is tentatively scheduled to run until Sept. 25. Most of the budget for Phase 3 will go towards road surface work, new water and sanitation lines and landscaping. However, there will also be expansion of the boulevard on the north side of 50 Street, a new asphalt path, additional plantings and the widening of the concrete sidewalk on the south side of 50 Street.
When Phase 3 is completed it will mark the end of the ambitious three-year downtown project, which has cost $8.5 million.
“It will be nice to get this project all wrapped up in our final phase and a couple of million dollars of our taxpayers' money well spent. It will make our whole downtown much nicer,” said Mayor Brian Spiller. “We will have to put up with detours for the next 10 to 12 weeks but hopefully when we are done we are done for hopefully another 50 years, and that will be two generations from now doing the same thing again.”
Spiller said the next goal after the final construction is to attract new businesses to the downtown core, particularly clothing stores.
“If you need a new white shirt to go to a wedding or funeral you can't pick one up in town,” he said, adding there are “gaps” in the town's commercial infrastructure he would like to see filled.
Spiller said he fully supports the town attracting more franchisees to Innisfail, which previous councils have been lukewarm to do.
“A franchisee will give more back to their community than a regional manager of a corporate run store. They are great for our town,” said Spiller. “It keeps the people in town a little bit more.
“We don't have to run to Red Deer or Olds to purchase items,” he added. “It is easier on you if you can stay in your own community to spend your pay cheque.”
