December 11th, 2024

U of C students reimagine N. Railway

By James Tubb on June 21, 2022.

NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT Architectural graduate students from the University of Calgary sit at Monday’s city council meeting with models they made of N. Railway Street in Medicine Hat. Pictured from front to back are Lo-Lynn Yen, Corrine Osmanski, Wesley Tran, and Brennan Halliwell.

COLLIN GALLANT

cgallant@medicinehatnews

N. Railway street has been getting a “design intervention” from architectural students from the University of Calgary, who presented four group projects to city council on Monday.

They propose major development of one of Medicine Hat’s oldest commercial strips, elevated walkways, widespread civic land massing and redevelopment, and even new loops of the trail system and festival space.

The exercise is entirely academic; they bear no weight on planning priorities of existing land use or priorities — but give a glimpse of what might be possible, say the students, based on other world cities of the Hat’s size and same general climate.

All found the stretch between First Street and the Allowance Avenue overpass as “significantly underused with significant potential,” said student presenter Jo-Lynn Yen.

Her group’s project, titled “Emerald Green Road,” suggests the north-to-south alleyway become a landscaped pathway, side street be closed to become pedways, and streets raised to curb level.

Planners are quick to note they hosted the students and judged the final projects, but they are not set plans.

However, they are happy to host the students and will consider the ideas as new planning work in the area is tackled, said Robert Sissons, planning manager with the City of Medicine Hat

“In my mind, the incorporation of some of these ideas — at least the inspiration — could be included in the redevelopment plan,” said Sissons. “There’s something from each that we’ll be able to grab from.”

The area, as well as the downtown and the old Arena area, comprise work to create an actual redevelopment plan, suggested in 2021 with creation of the “Waterfront District” effort by Invest Medicine Hat, and budgeted this year. It is tentatively scheduled to be completed by next summer after public consultation.

A redevelopment plan would provide a long-range look for the area, and lay down rules to help accomplish it. That could mean changes to zoning, development rules, as well as infrastructure and transportation needs.

Projects will be posted to the city’s website and be on display at the Esplanade this week.

They show a new pedestrian overpass connecting the city core, a new trailway loop to Medalta and even Police Point.

Both feature presentations suggest improving pedestrian access and safety, along with improving underused space with green space, plazas, features and even city-led construction on greenhouses and a composting facility.

More trees and green space to improve the atmosphere of the community, which would help create a festival area.

But, they also suggest substantial demolition of existing buildings and public investment.

“For a Hatter all my life it seems sensational,” to suggest whole-scale change or demolishing, said Coun. Robert Dumanowski, who told the students that a new view is always valuable, but suggested students also consider the challenges.

Coun. Allison Knodel said the plan “injects some energy in to a community that obviously needs so love.”

Emerald Green Road calls for a winding greenway path through the alleyway along the stretch, closing east-west streets, raising the street level to meet curbs and creating city-owned nodes at either end as an anchor.

Even more ambitious, a city-led real estate investment could be open to citizens to help pay for it.

“Sometime it’s forest for the trees, we see it every day, it’s invigorating to have a different look,” said Coun. Darren Hirsch, chair of the municipal planning commission.

He said the city’s job might be to nudge developers toward investments, but new public spaces came with “a very practical question of maintenance.”

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