by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative
After a lot of community engagement, a previous Term of Council adopted the Essex Centre Streetscape Master Plan in 2013 with a vision to enhance the aesthetics of the downtown business core.
Eleven-years later – after a lot of organizing, planning, and re-scoping the size of the project – Essex Council and staff were able to celebrate the project’s completion on Saturday morning with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
“This project represents a significant multi-million-dollar investment aimed at improving both the infrastructure and the aesthetic appeal of the urban core in Essex Centre,” Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy said, with a pair of scissors in hand. “As I look around today, I am truly impressed by the remarkable transformation that has taken place. The vision we had at the onset has now become a reality.
“From the very beginning, this project has been driven by the needs and desires of Essex residents and business owners. Our downtown core is a bustling, lively space where people come in to shop, dine, and explore. It was important for us to ensure that every aspect of this project reflected and enhanced the unique character of our community,” Bondy added.
In 2021, Stantec Consulting Ltd. was appointed to take the project from the pages of a document into reality in providing the engineering services to design, assist in procurement, and administer the Essex Streetscape project.
Victoria Avenue was also added to be included in the Downtown Essex Centre Revitalization project, noting the high state of disrepair.
The original scope for the Essex Centre Streetscape project was reduced from its original plan to only include Talbot Street, from Arthur Avenue to Cameron Avenue, due to increasing costs noticed in the past few years.
The tender for the re-scoped Essex Centre Streetscaping was awarded to J&J Lepera Infrastructures Inc., in the amount of $9,149,219.21 at the March 20, 2023 Council meeting, in addition to approving the Victoria Avenue roadworks. Stantec Consulting Ltd. was approved to provide engineering services to conduct engineering inspection and maintenance services, for a total cost of $506,093.18, including non-refundable HST.
Shovels finally broke ground on the project in May of 2023 – which included a variety of aesthetic and accessibility enhancements, such as AODA-compliant sidewalks and crosswalks, curbing, bicycle racks, and landscape treatments and plantings.
Though the majority of the work on the Talbot Street portion of the project was completed last year, decorative crosswalk stamping, handicap parking markings, and the flashing pedestrian crossing at Victoria Avenue were completed this summer.
Bondy extended recognition to Stantec and J&J Lepera for taking on the project, Town staff for their dedication, and the Federal government for providing a $750,000 grant through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, $104,000 provided through the Province’s Rural Economic Development Grant, and to the local residents and businesses for their patience during construction.
Chairperson of the Essex Centre BIA, Stephanie Winger, said the project was exactly what was envisioned for the business community. She added the BIA promoted the local businesses through online videos and promotion throughout construction.
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