The City of Victoria will move forward on redesigning Centennial Square and bringing a new swim platform to the Gorge Waterway.
Council on Thursday (June 15) supported the recommendation to take $750,000 from its building and infrastructure reserve to craft detailed redesign plans for the downtown square, plus $300,000 from the same fund to design, build and install the new recreational swim platform next year. Both actions require a procedural vote in the coming weeks.
The two initiatives are seen as immediate priorities in the plan to update parks citywide. The Centennial Square work would be phased and begin with renovating the central plaza and staircase, along with replacing the fountain and monoliths with a new splash park and in-ground water-spraying features.
The plans also include a commercial kiosk, new accessibility features, more seating and added trees in the initial phase.
“These investments will help to enhance the Square’s overall appeal as a welcoming destination,” a staff report said.
Staff on Thursday stressed that a rendering presented to council is a template, but said removing the square’s fountain and monoliths would form the basis of the redesign in order to make the square into a flexible space that could host a variety of activities.
With the template showing two small commercial spaces, multiple councillors hoped final plans would include a larger footprint for businesses as they said that would help draw people to the site.
In later phases, the city plans to convert the structure at the west end of City Hall into an indoor, multi-use space and add transit improvements to the east end of the square. Staff said the multi-use space could incorporate the bike valet that’s currently operating out of that location.
Later phases could also see more commercial opportunities in the southwest corner of the square as staff said the focus will be improving that area’s connectivity to the coming revitalization of Government Street.
The city will aim to install a new swim platform in the Gorge Inlet for summer 2024. The swim structure will be located off of Bamfield Park, in the southwest area of the Gorge Marine Park. The city said that area of the Gorge allows for separation between swimmers, paddlers and boats, plus buoys would be added to outline the protected swim zone.
In 2021, the city installed a floating swim platform out in the water east of the Bamfield Park dock. The latter was also expanded last year and is located in the active recreation zone, which was formed after Victoria granted a Transport Canada permit that prohibits motorized vessels from entering the area.
READ: Victoria unveils plan for $1M revitalization of downtown with public events, safety
