KITCHENER - Kitchener has a plan to spend almost $2 million to redesign a two-block stretch of Queen Street to give the street a "distinct identity" that capitalizes on its heritage and to encourage people to linger, to spill out of surrounding buildings.

The stretch of Queen Street between Duke and Charles streets links two heritage districts, two LRT stations and the downtown. The whole idea is to make the two-block stretch, and the nearby lanes and parkettes, more inviting, said Brandon Sloan, Kitchener's manager of long-range planning.

The LRT has already sparked several nearby condo and office developments, Sloan said. "LRT is going to increase the pedestrian traffic even more. We want reasons for people to come, to linger and to spend time here."

The street was due for rebuilding in 2019; economic development staff were interested in adding life to underused lanes in the downtown, and Vogelsang Green at Duke and Queen was looking tired and in need of an upgrade, 30 years after the last round of improvements. City staff thought it made sense to try to address all three areas with one plan that could have more impact.

"Bringing people down and having a better streetscape can provide numerous benefits," Sloan said. The city's investment in improved streetscaping on King Street boosted property values, he noted. Six years after the work, the values of properties nearest to the improvements jumped at almost twice the rate of properties in other parts of downtown.

Making an area more inviting can have other benefits, he said: it can be seen as a more desirable place to live or set up shop, and can increase retail sales and rental prices for shops and office space. It can also spur private property owners to make their own investments, he said.

"You need the foot traffic and you need people there who can spend money."

It would also make pedestrians a priority, with wider, decorative sidewalks, whimsically patterned crosswalks in several spots and, if the region approves, a checkerboard "scramble" crosswalk at King and Queen (allowing pedestrians to cross in all directions at once while traffic waits.)

The redesign would feature more bike racks and planters, and bare brick walls would be covered with murals and "living walls" of plants. Heritage plaques and lighting would emphasize the area's long history. Parks and laneways would be strung with lights. A city-owned triangle at Queen and Charles, now occupied by a weedy planter and a couple of parking spots, would become a small garden and seating area.

The area has several pluses that the plan hopes to build on: its rich heritage as the historic heart of the city, nearby cultural sites such as Themuseum, the Conrad Centre for the Arts and the Centre in the Square, and its location between two LRT stops, as well as some vibrant eateries nearby (on the Duke Street food block and along King).

The proposal includes a complete redesign of Vogelsang Green, installing streetside tables and an outdoor amphitheatre and open lawn that could host concerts, theatre or outdoor yoga.

"Vogelsang is the showpiece," said Sloan. "People told us they want safer places with more activity, so the recommended plan has a range of lighting options, it opens up the views in Vogelsang, and provides a space that could be have programming, or would be just a great oasis for people to get away from things."

The redesign replaces the dense shrubbery that blocks sightlines along Duke Street with trees, and creating a much gentler slope from Duke Street to eliminate the need for stairs.

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The plan includes $1 million to improve the two blocks of Queen Street, $455,000 to redesign Vogelsang Green, and about $200,000 each to improve Hall's and Goudies lanes and the city parkette at Charles and Queen, which the report dubs the "People First Plaza." About $1.4 million is already included in the city's budget. The final $460,000 would be paid for either out of future budgets or through a partnership with area businesses.

City councillors consider the proposal at a planning committee next Monday. If it wins council approval, work would start in 2019.