St. Catharines is looking to make its entire downtown core a heritage district, which would protect dozens of buildings and the people who live and work in the area will have their say.
If this is approved, it doesn’t mean the downtown core won’t see new builds like condos and new businesses – it just means the historic look of some the current buildings will be saved.
There’s history all around downtown St. Catharines and if you look closely at the details, you can see the character these buildings have.
The city of St. Catharines is looking into a potential downtown heritage conservation district. It says that would help manage change in the downtown to ensure its character is maintained for future generations.
“It’s not about no developments, happening, it’s making sure developments that happen fit within the current core structure and fabric and streets themselves,” said St. Catharines city councillor Robin McPherson.
Right now the city is asking residents to weigh in. People can fill out an online survey or attend an in person meeting Wednesday night.
St. Catharines already has five historic areas including Port Dalhousie.
If downtown does get a heritage designation, it not only would protect some buildings, but also some trees.
“Trees in our downtown core are so important, and it’s not until the reach maturity -when they get large, that they begin providing the top benefits for our community,” said Sustainability Director with St. Catharines Downtown Association, Lindsay Taylor
The public consultation meeting is happened Wednesday at Market Square between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
