Latest news with #urbanbeach
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Excitement as Sault plans major waterfront makeover
Sault's tourism department is working on a 20-year plan for improving its waterfront, with features like a promenade, a river pool & more. Planning is underway for a makeover to Sault Ste. Marie's waterfront, with the latest update given at this week's council meeting. The St. Marys River is viewed as the Sault's greatest natural draw, although many at city hall view it as underutilized. The city's tourism department is working on a 20-year plan for improving the area, with features such as a waterfront promenade, a river pool and more. Tourism officials said public feedback when creating the plan has been more than five times higher than normal. 'Outreach and support has been huge so far,' said Travis Anderson of Tourism Sault Ste. Marie. 'I'm certainly hoping that will eventually transition into some funding to be available. But again, that's at council's discretion.' Sault waterfront Sault Ste. Marie's tourism department is working on a 20-year plan for improving the area, with features such as a waterfront promenade, a river pool and more. Plans includes an urban beach The plan includes improvements to walkability, locations for wildlife observation, designated fishing spots and an urban beach, an idea Mayor Matthew Shoemaker is eager to support. 'The urban beach is a concept that I think has a lot of interest, has a lot of support and one that I campaigned on in 2022,' Shoemaker said. '(I'm) eager to see that come to fruition over the course of the coming years.' A number of the ideas include land the city doesn't own, including changes to St. Marys Drive that would need approval from the new owners of the Station Mall. 'So if we could move that street back closer to the mall building, then that would free up a lot of space for retail shops for mixed-use developments and would really revitalize a really well-used part of the waterfront, but really amplify the use even more,' Shoemaker said. An area that Anderson said would be easiest to improve is an already busy public space near the Roberta Bondar Pavilion. 'Adding some pop-up facilities, some seasonal retail and really looking at the connection on, you know, what we would term a tourist promenade up Spring Street to the plaza and all the way up to Queen Street,' he said. 'So really trying to drive, you know, people from the waterfront to Queen Street and vice versa.' City staff intend to break down the waterfront plan into different phases, prioritizing additions that will bring in dollars to the city the quickest. Anderson said he will return to council at the end of June with more details on the next phase.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Major expansion to Sault Ste. Marie's waterfront clears key hurdle
City council greenlit a waterfront redesign Monday featuring an urban beach, to be funded through a hotel tax increase. Loading the player instance is taking more time than usual Loading the player instance is taking more time than usual City council has approved a multimillion-dollar plan to revitalize Sault Ste. Marie's waterfront, with an urban beach along the St. Mary's River as its first priority. Concerpt art - Sault urban beach Concept art showing the City of Sault Ste. Marie's vision for an urban beach along the St. Mary's River. (Supplied/City of Sault Ste. Marie) The 'Waterfront Design Master Plan,' passed last Monday night, outlines a $17-million facelift for Clergue and John Rowswell parks, which city officials describe as underutilized assets along the river. Travis Anderson, the city's director of tourism and community development, said the initial phase — featuring a destination playground, urban beach and river pool — is expected to draw the largest number of visitors. 'That's where we're looking at doing the destination playground, as well as the urban beach and the river pool,' Anderson said. Some councillors raised concerns about the cost, but the plan was approved with assurances that no municipal tax dollars would fund the project. Instead, council greenlit a two-per-cent increase to the municipal accommodation tax, with the additional revenue – estimated at up to $900,000 annually – dedicated to the initiative. The city plans to use those funds to leverage government and private-sector financing. Mayor Matthew Shoemaker emphasized a phased approach. 'You don't have to do everything all at once if there's not funding available from upper levels of government for every aspect of the project,' Shoemaker said. 'Try and take what you can off the list and keep working on the next thing.' Sault Waterfront The Sault Ste. Marie waterfront on June 3, 2025. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario) The parks are popular in winter, and the plan includes potential upgrades to the skating trail to adapt to warmer winters. The broader vision is to transform the area into a year-round attraction. 'There's a reason why communities like Toronto have urban beaches – they've got three or four of them,' Shoemaker said. 'Having a place downtown where you can enhance somebody's stay is really a value add to the tourism sector. And it helps retain that quality of life that we like to advertise here in the Sault.' Concerpt art - Sault waterfron Concept art showing the City of Sault Ste. Marie's vision for revitalizing its waterfront. (Supplied/City of Sault Ste. Marie) Anderson said city staff will use accommodation tax revenue this year for engineering work, including a detailed design plan and community engagement. The city will then seek third-party funding, aiming to break ground on the urban beach within two years.
CTV News
7 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Sault hotel tax hike to fund $17M waterfront project
Sault city council approved a waterfront redesign featuring an urban beach to be funded by a hotel tax hike. The first phase is set to include a river pool and playground. Cory Nordstrom has more.
