Dundas Street would be divided into three “character areas” connecting five “theming blocks” in a roughly $18-million transformation of the road into a gathering place downtown.

A marque block focused on entertainment and an event block working like an outdoor room are among the five theme sections in a flex-street, pedestrian-friendly Dundas Place outlined in the project’s environmental study report heading to civics works committee Monday.

The report basically finishes the environmental assessment of the project and will be available for public viewing and comment.

“This is going to be as important as Budweiser Gardens, as long as we do it really, really well,” Downtown London’s chief executive Janette MacDonald said.

“I feel this is a once-in-a-generational project so we should aim for it to be as good as it can be.”

Once the public and council review the environmental assessment and broad strokes, city staff and the public can get to work on the finer design details, said Doug MacRae, a manager of transportation and design for the city.

“It is turning a road into a place, a destination and gathering place,” he said. “There are a lot of details that will be worked out in the next year.”

The details will fill out what the report outlines as three character areas, or character blocks from Wellington Street to the Thames River.

Main Street would include three blocks from Talbot to Wellington Street with the highest concentration of ground floor attractions.

The Event Block would go from Ridout to Talbot Street and would be “animated by event planning” and the Budweiser Gardens.

“Budweiser Gardens holds tremendous potential to activate this block on a daily basis,” the report states. “When events are not present, vehicles are allowed to pass, but the street should function as an extension of the riverfront park allowing for recreation and play activities.”

The River/Park Block would extend from Kensington Bridge to Ridout Street and connect the forks of the Thames, Ivey Park and the Thames Valley Parkway with downtown.

Within the Main Street character block are three themed blocks: the Library Block, designed as a outdoor extension of the Central Library program area; the Marquee Block, centred on the London Music Hall and Arts Project and available as a stage for outdoor entertainment, and the Kingsmill Block that would provide outdoor space for Fanshawe College and extend Market Lane.

Based on the public’s wishes, more trees and more seating spaces would be part of Dundas Place. But consultants rejected the call for permanent bicycle lanes on the street because they would crowd the already limited pedestrian space. Ideally, transit would be re-routed off the street.

A key to Dundas Place is “a flush paving surface to maximize the flexibility of Dundas Place when the street is closed to traffic and provide a wide pedestrian realm,” the report states.

Construction of the Wellington Street to Ridout Street section would start in 2018 and cost $15.2 million, within the city’s budget for Dundas Place.

“That is what is feasible right now,” said Coun. Phil Squire, who is a member of the civic works committee. “I would want them to stay very close to that budget.”

The section to the Thames River, phase two of the project, would cost an estimated $2.5 million depending on the role of a new rapid transit system and Back to the River project.

Because of budget considerations, the assessment rejected a $4 million snow and ice melting system that would keep the street in shape for longer than the freeze/thaw cycles as well as make life on the street more pleasant.

Squire said he’s not interested in extra spending for the melt system but MacDonald would like the city to take a closer look at the snow removal system.

“How are we going to put it in later? That is my question,” she said. “I always believe you shoot for the moon and if you miss, you’ll at least land in the stars.”

MacDonald praised the year-long consultation that created the environmental report but added the real fun for her will start at the design stage.

“I’m interested in the icing, not the cake,” she said.

DUNDAS PLACE

A report about converting five blocks of Dundas Street into a flex street that will be called Dundas Place recommends establishing three character areas:

Main Street: three blocks from Talbot Street to Wellington Street; ground floor attractions would be the focus.

Event Block: from Ridout Street to Talbot Street; Budweiser Gardens would play a key role; block closed to vehicle traffic when events are held.

River/Park Block: from Kensington Bridge to Ridout Street; would connect the forks of the Thames, Ivey Park and the Thames Valley Parkway with downtown.

rrichmond@postmedia.com

@RandyRatLFPress