Improvements to Take Place on Queen Street and Spring Street

  By: Karli J Walker  

With a rich history, the Sault Ste. Marie’s downtown area has long been recognized as a vital hub for the city’s growth and economic vitality. Now, after four decades since the Sault Ste. Marie downtown has been redeveloped, the City is poised to embark on a transformative journey once again. The release of a redevelopment plan for Queen St, and Spring St. has sparked a collective desire for change, with a handful of proposed improvements aiming to breathe new life into the downtown area. 

In 1980, the city of Sault Ste. Marie recognized the need for a redevelopment plan for the Central Business District (CBD).  The boundaries of the CBD included St. Mary’s River to the south, East Street to the east, Albert Street to the north and Dennis Street to the west.  The rationale for the redevelopment included among other things the importance of the CBD given its proximity to its greatest natural resource, the waterfront.  Also, it was recognized that the CBD was the strategic hub for any future growth.  Not improving the CBD would result in a decline in property values and assessment which would translate into a loss of tax dollars to the municipality.  Furthermore, no revitalization plan would attract increased social and environmental problems in the downtown area.  As a result of the redevelopment plan, many things were added including; a new senior citizen complex, private apartments, a semi-mall, off-street parking lots, linkages between Station Mall and CBD, as well as the creation of 10,000 square feet of leasable land.

In May 2022, a redevelopment plan for Queen St. and Spring St. was released to the public. The proposal included a number of streetscaping improvements including landscaping, benches, and lighting. 

Salvatore Marchese, Planner, City of Sault Ste. Marie

City officials hope to bring the redevelopment plan to City Council for approval in July 2023.  The redevelopment plan, however, is still in its preliminary design phase and the City's “main focus right now is what do we want Queen St. to look like when we’re done” said the Director of Planning for the City of Sault Ste. Marie, Peter Tonazzo when he commented on when construction will start. This means that the improvement plans are not yet set in stone and are still open to change, depending on the opinions of the public and what the City decides is best for the downtown. What we know for sure is that “Queen Street is starting to show its age” said Tonazzo when speaking on why these improvements are needed.  

The thoughts and opinions of stakeholders and business owners vary as everyone has a different vision of their perfect downtown. Some business owners expressed the need for free parking, given that some customers get upset when they are getting parking tickets for a ten-minute stop.  Others feel that there is too much parking and feel that the wasted space should be used to create more retail businesses. Stakeholder, André Riopel expressed that bicycle lanes are needed throughout our downtown for everyone's safety. He mentioned that cycling is growing in popularity in the city in recent years and feels that the improvement plans should reflect that. He also felt that slowing down traffic would allow for a more pleasant atmosphere for everyone in the downtown area. Some expressed that they would like the downtown to have a sense of unity and consistency of design. 

Bay Street Redevelopment, 2020

Although opinions may differ on the best plan of action, it is clear that business owners, stakeholders, and the city agree that the downtown area needs a revamp. Many expressed the need for our downtown to become the destination not just a place you drive through. The city’s main goal from this redevelopment plan “is to have a busy, hustling and bustling downtown,” said Peter Tonazzo.  Although opinions vary as to what the changes should be, of those business owners who were consulted for this article, the consensus appears to be that they unanimously agreed that the downtown area needs to be improved. 

“The initiative for creating a beautiful downtown is exciting and the people of Sault Ste. Marie deserve that” said Marnie Stone the owner of Stone’s Office Supply Inc located on Queen Street.  

As mentioned, these improvements are still in the planning process. The City would like to welcome the public to join in an information-sharing event that is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, June 13th, 2023, from 4 pm to 7 pm at the Mane St. Café (626 Queen Street East).  The public is encouraged to ask questions and/or offer input into the improvement plans.  

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