The Civic Centre Plaza will get a cosmetic makeover in advance of the 2015 Canada Winter Games, but the basic infrastructure of the public square will remain intact.
The city has commissioned two design concepts for the site in an effort to make it more inviting and increase its functionality. Drawing on the themes of the water and forestry, the designers have focused their attention on adding more green space and public art to the site.
The first concept, called The River, touches on the importance the Fraser and Nechako rivers have played in the city's history.
"The river provides for dramatic opportunities to break through the formal grid of the plaza, providing new landscape forms and opportunities," Van der Zalm and Associates wrote in their proposal.
The proposal calls for a public art installation in front of the Civic Centre's entrance in the form of a steel cage-like structure with rocks inside. Community members could be invited to make donations of rocks, which will appear to be flowing into the river.
The river concept also includes plans to narrow the entrance along Ninth Avenue to accommodate the addition of more green space.
The second concept, called The Cell, has a more rigid landscape design based on the city's connection with the forest industry.
The public art idea for The Cell is a steel structure with caged areas that also include rocks.
The city's director of community services Colleen van Mook said the two design proposals have been circulated to the major stakeholders, including the Canada Games host committee and the 100th anniversary committee. A survey of other community groups is also in the works and a public open house will also be held.
According to the timeline presented to city council in November, the city hopes to award the project by September, with construction getting underway next spring. The goal is to have work complete by October 2014, with a grand opening set for November.
The final costs of the project will be determined once a design is selected, but the city has set aside $500,000.
Both concepts call for maintaining the existing skating rink and enhancing the splash pad to bring more recreational opportunities to the site. They both also feature a podium to be used during the games and seating areas located near the Quebec Street entrance. The River idea calls for a concrete podium, which could double as a bench while The Cell design suggests granite blocks be used for the podium.
The site will be renamed Canada Games Plaza to comply with games requirements that at least one site in town bear the name of the event in perpetuity.
