New survey looks to the future of Downtown Kitchener

What do you think of when you think of Downtown Kitchener?

It's a question being posed in a new online survey being run by the City of Kitchener and the Downtown Community Working Group, focused on shaping and transforming the commercial core into a 'downtown for all.'

“When I think about the downtown, I think about evolution, I think about change, I think about more people living there,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, pointing the transformation over the past few decades while saying it's now time to consider what we want for the future. “With this mix of people working there, a mix of people of all generations living there, what do we want that future to look like?”

The survey is calling on all residents, visitors, businesses, educational institutions, and property owners to “help shape a new vision and set principles for Downtown Kitchener” reflective of the unique characteristics of the community.

David Marskell is CEO of THEMUSEUM, he said he continues to see a key role for arts and culture.

“It's so critical that the museum, Centre In The Square, Registry Theatre, and those types of organizations not just 'go along', but they need to thrive,” Marskell said. “It's critical that we bring people downtown and we share those people with the bars, restaurants, stores, and other businesses downtown.”

Both Marskell and the mayor are also factoring in the continued importance of the ION LRT when it comes to not just fuelling, but accelerating growth.

“[The ION] created the condos and that brought people downtown as well,” said Marskell. “I think it's interesting that, while King St. is almost filled now with all the shops and so on, you're starting to see the side streets start to fill-up […] and that, to me, that's success happening.”

But while success may be happening now, Marskell said he does also see the core as sitting at a tipping point.

“We've begun to tip, if you will, [and] I think the biggest decision, the most important decision is what happens to the region's bus terminal and to the city's 44 Gaukel [Creative Workspace],” he said. “Those two properties […], they are so important, paramount to the future, and that will be the legacy of this region and the city's counsel, in my view.”

The survey will remain open until the end of March.

The city says there will also be pop-up events throughout the month aimed at offering the community opportunity to share their ideas and input in-person.