City has three plans to spruce up Civic Square area in downtown Burlington

Burlington has a plan to refurbish the downtown Civic Square, City Hall front entrance, façade and streetscapes. Three plans, in fact, and this is where you come in.

An online survey as well as public drop-in session are both being held so people can give their feedback about the plans, which were created following consultations with residents, businesses, community partners and Indigenous and First Nations groups.

“The renewal of Civic Square along with enhancements to the building and surrounding streetscape brings us one step closer to contributing to a healthier and more vibrant downtown core,” said Marion Rabeau, manager, Parks Design and Construction.

“This project exemplifies a public participation process in the development of a preferred concept. We are just over a year away from having shovels in the ground and reinvigorating one of our prime outdoor public spaces, so I encourage everyone to look at the online concepts and take part in the final survey.”

Residents can not only pick the concept they prefer, but also select aspects of the other concepts to combine into a design that uses the best features of all three concepts.

Providing your feedback will allow staff to create the best design that will help us turn the area into a vibrant, exciting and accessible space where people can connect in the downtown core.

The online survey can be found here and is open until June 9.

The drop-in session is scheduled at City Hall, 426 Brant St., on Wednesday, June 5, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Staff will be in the City Hall lobby with concepts on display to take feedback and answer questions.

Parking downtown after 6 p.m. is free on weekdays.

Some of the intended final design objectives for the refresh are:

• Enhancing community connections – Focus on walkability and amenities for pedestrians
• Developing community identity – Bring together arts and culture through festivals, events and ceremonies
• Creating a welcoming, accessible and comfortable public space

Construction on the space will begin next summer of 2025 and will be complete in 2026.