Latest news with #MainStreets
Calgary Herald
08-07-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
No end in sight for Marda Loop construction
Article content The city's revamp of Marda Loop's business district is on track to be completed by the fall, but with several private development projects underway and more awaiting approval, there's no end to the construction in sight for the area's businesses and residents. Article content The revitalization project is part of the city's Main Streets initiative, which aims to develop infrastructure to accommodate growth in more established communities throughout the city. Construction on the project began in June 2023, but private development projects have been ongoing in the area for years as well. Article content Article content Article content 'There's a lot going on, but it's been like that for a while,' said Bob van Wegen, executive director of the Marda Loop BIA. 'There's been a lot of development here over the last few years, so it's more of the same.' Article content Article content One major project that could be coming down the pipeline is Marc and Mada Block, a 0.7-hectare development between 33rd and 34th Avenues that would include a Co-op grocery store and two residential towers. The proposed project, which is a collaboration between Calgary Co-op and Truman Homes, would add more than 400 homes to the area. Article content According to the Marda Loop Community Association's planning and development committee, the development's land use change was passed in June, and is now awaiting a final decision from the city's planning commission, expected this month. Article content 'It'll be private development and the inconveniences that go with that, rather than the excavation of the streets and the redoing of all the sidewalks that we've had with the Main Streets project,' van Wegen said. Article content 'It'd be a little more conventional.' Article content In a letter to the city, the MLCA's planning and development outlined some of the residents' concerns about the project, which included the proposed height of the towers, parking a traffic in the area, the sustainability standards of the project and its overall contribution to the public realm. Article content Last month, two Marda Loop business owners filed a lawsuit against the city over the construction in the area, claiming the Main Streets project has caused debilitating losses to their patronage and revenues. The city's statement of defence has yet to be filed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MSD promotes pocket park during Main Street Day at the Capitol
Main Streets representatives gathered for Main Street Day at the Capitol May 5 to showcase what their districts are doing in the community. Executive Director Brandi Johnson said it was a great day at the Oklahoma City Capitol. She said the day celebrated Main Streets from across Oklahoma. 'I was proud to represent Duncan and share the exciting projects on the horizon,' Johnson said. 'As one of the original Oklahoma Main Street communities, it's important that we continue to carry the torch and keep our Main Street thriving.' Johnson said she had the opportunity to speak with Sen. Spencer Kern about the Main Street Duncan Pocket Park. 'He expressed his strong support for keeping Main Street at the heart of our community,' Johnson said. Johnson said a pocket park is a green space in a dense area. She said it's a location to add beauty and greenery to the area. The park drawings show a performance stage with seating, picnic tables, memorial benches, a small children's play area, memorial bricks and more. The memorial bricks will offer community members a chance to leave a tribute within the park. The pocket park will be located on Main Street and 8th Street and will open to the public during MSD's office hours. It will also provide a place where Main Street and the community can host events, like live theatre performances, live music, open mic events, a Christmas tree lighting, seasonal markets or craft fairs, food truck events, community fitness classes like yoga, private celebrations, public art exhibits or outdoor performances and daily rest and relaxation. Oklahoma Main Street Center, a division of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, led the event to help revitalize historical downtown districts. Oklahoma State Main Street Director Buffy Skee said the capitol day gave the Oklahoma Main Street districts an opportunity to showcase what they are doing in their town. 'It was a fantastic day that gave local Main Street programs from all over the state the opportunity to highlight their upcoming events and share the progress of their local economic revitalization efforts,' Skee said. 'The Main Street program is driven by passionate volunteers — local individuals committed to transforming their urban neighborhoods and historic commercial districts. We are grateful for their dedication to their communities and incredibly proud of the hard work they put in to help these programs flourish and grow.' The program included several Main Street milestones and new additions for Ardmore Main Street Authority, the Historic Greenwood District, Main Street Muskogee, Tahlequah Main Street, Tulsa Global District and Tulsa Route 66 Main Street. For more information about Oklahoma Main Street Program, visit or call 405-815-6552. For more information about the MSD's pocket park or support levels, contact Johnson at 580-252-8696, email info@ visit or Main Street Duncan on Facebook.
Boston Globe
01-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
City watchdog finds evidence of possible corruption, misuse of grant money by Three Squares Main Streets program
Three Squares received three grants from the city — in the amounts of $45,000, $42,500, and $57,500 — some of which came from federal pandemic relief dollars given to the city, according to the report. Matt Cahill, the finance commission's executive director, told the Globe that because the organization received several grants, it had to provide the city with multiple bank statements from the same time period that list all expenditures, in order to prove the funds from each separate grant were spent appropriately. Advertisement When a city employee noticed that one of those statements had irregular lettering, she compared it to a different statement from the same time period, and found they didn't match, Cahill said. The employee raised her concerns up the chain, and the administration referred the issue to the commission for an investigation. 'Nobody's going to change a bank statement unless there's a reason for it, right? That, right off the bat, raises your hackles,' Cahill told the Globe in an interview Thursday. 'And then when you started seeing the amount of money that was going back and forth or was being not accounted for, we really started being like, 'All right, this is a problem,' and because it's a federal grant, it rises to a whole different level.' Advertisement The commission only conducted an initial investigation, Cahill said, and recommended that the city pause any further payments to Three Squares, and then audit all Main Streets programs. The commission also intends to give its report and all necessary evidence to the state Inspector General's office, and federal authorities if necessary, Cahill said. The city has already hired an external firm to conduct the audits, Cahill said, which are currently ongoing. 'If there's something else going on, anywhere else you want to nip it in the bud immediately,' Cahill said.'We want [the city] to act as quickly as possible, and I think it's better that they have an outside company do that, rather than trying to do it internally, because it would take longer for the city.' The Globe was unable to immediately reach Three Squares directly, and the number for the organization listed on the Boston Main Streets website appears to have been disconnected. The city will support any further investigation into the matter, city spokesperson Emma Pettit said in a statement. 'We're grateful for City staff who have been working to ensure oversight of every dollar of federal funds spent on pandemic recovery, including grants to nonprofit organizations,' Pettit said in a statement. 'Through their diligence, these financial irregularities were identified and reported to the appropriate agencies to take action.' Advertisement Niki Griswold can be reached at
CBC
21-02-2025
- General
- CBC
Construction starting soon on a pathway connection to make Marda Loop more pedestrian friendly
In March, the city will be resuming work on the Main Streets project in Marda Loop. It includes the construction of a new pathway between 33rd and 34th avenues next to an off-ramp on Crowchild Trail.
