A plan to guide downtown Orillia into the future is nearing completion, with seven goals and 31 strategic initiatives for the city to help its core improve and grow.
Meant to guide city actions and priorities over the next 20 years, consultants from Urban Strategies presented a draft update of the Downtown Tomorrow Plan to city council on Monday. The plan is set to be finalized in the fall.
As an update to its 2012 predecessor, the draft update includes the following goals for downtown Orillia:
- Increasing the residential population and offering a full range of housing options;
- Reinforcing downtown as a civic and institutional hub;
- Acknowledging Orillia’s Indigenous history and reinforcing cultural resources;
- Enhancing the shopping and dining experience;
- Improving connections downtown and enhancing safety;
- Creating and enhancing space for playing, gathering, and relaxing; and
- Promoting Orillia as a year-round destination and enhancing the visitor experience.
The plan’s 31 strategic initiatives are organized across several main themes, consultants said, including facilitating mixed-income housing development, encouraging more people to visit downtown Orillia, positioning the city as a four-season destination, and celebrating Indigenous culture and history.
Consultants said the city should “continue to play an active role” in building housing by using existing properties, expediting the process, and forming partnerships with non-profits.
They also recommend a secondary plan to develop south downtown and permit mid-rise residential buildings.
“We envision this area east of the (Orillia Recreation Centre) as a major opportunity for intensification with mid-rise buildings and tall buildings up to 16 storeys,” said James DiPaolo. “In this case, the city’s role could include … putting in place the required infrastructure servicing … to help entice development.”
In order to draw more people downtown, DiPaolo said a variety of measures could be taken, from spaces and housing geared toward students, to a downtown-specific transit route, on-demand transit services, expanding recreation opportunities, and more.
“(We’re) thinking about new and expanded destinations, from an enhanced farmers’ market, multipurpose rec club along the waterfront, this notion of a sports court plan for expanded recreation access across downtown, and a sort of destination dog park at the (Orillia Recreation Centre),” he said.
Facilities like skating pads or trails and warming stations could also be implemented to help make Orillia a four-season destination, he said.
Collaborating with Rama First Nation through public art and the design of public realm improvements are ideas DiPaolo suggested for celebrating Indigenous culture and history, as well.
During the presentation, consultants highlighted numerous successes through the 2012 plan, including redevelopment of the Front Street plaza, extensive work carried out along Lightfoot (formerly Centennial) Drive, heightened tourism traffic, and more.
When concerns about height were mentioned by Coun. Jay Fallis later in the meeting, consultants stressed taller, mid-rise buildings are not being suggested for the city’s core, but as a means to help broader development in the south section of downtown.
“(I’m) always a little bit concerned with height. I do recognize the use of that southern downtown area is probably not the worst spot to have that … but my preference would be to maybe see, rather than up to 16 storeys, maybe eight to 10 storeys,” Fallis said.
“I think what was loud and clear through engagement was Mississaga Street and the blocks on the shoulders of Mississaga Street are very well loved in terms of their scale and character,” DiPaolo said. “While there are opportunities for smaller infill development along Mississaga Street and those adjacent blocks, it largely will be that same kind of historic scale.”
Having taller buildings in other areas, however, could help “unlock” certain parts of the city.
“In our experience, we find that there are these strategic locations where greater height really unlocks these lands,” Tim Smith said, adding increased height can make the “economics” of many projects work.
Several members of council spoke positively about aspects of the plan following the presentation.
“One of my favourite of those goals is to increase the residential population in downtown Orillia,” said Coun. Luke Leatherdale. “I think that would have a ripple effect; I think it would check off a lot of those other boxes and those other goals, (and) it would also create more customers for downtown businesses and potentially more employees for downtown businesses.”
“I don’t say this lightly, that I thought this was a really great report. It’s covered a lot of different facets and it really did show that you guys actually went and got a sense for the city again,” said Fallis.
Council previously approved $120,000 to update the plan through the city’s 2022 budget, with numerous days of public consultation and an online survey made available for public input in 2023.
A public feedback survey regarding the draft updates is available here, and Urban Strategies’ presentation to council can be viewed on Monday’s council meeting YouTube stream.
More about the Downtown Tomorrow Plan draft update may also be found in Monday’s council agenda.
