A three-metre-wide sidewalk adjacent to storefronts, planters, trees, pedestrian lights, street furniture and a unique paving treatment for the street and the sidewalk are some of the key components of the newly approved design for the Front Street Mews.

Council has approved a design that includes a one-way street with back-in angled parking (about 38 stalls) on the south side of the street to create a continuous buffer between the mews and the truck route.

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The latest Front Street newsletter indicates the rehabilitation of the B and C parkade decks will wrap up in November, the parkade deconstruction and rehabilitation of the A deck will take place from December to April, and construction of the mews will take place from April to June 2016. The parkade renovation includes rehabilitation of the concrete, railings, lighting and electrical components.

Mayor Jonathan Cote said Front Street will be closed to vehicles for about four months so the city is developing a traffic mitigation program.

“There’s no doubt this project, as it moves into the next stages, is going to cause some disruption in the community,” he said. “We want to make sure the community is well informed and we are doing everything possible to minimize that disruption.”

The city believes that taking down the portion of the parkade from Sixth to Begbie streets will improve access and connectivity between the downtown and the waterfront, the esplanade and Westminster Pier Park. About 450 stalls will remain in the eastern portion of the parkade, which stretches from Sixth to Fourth streets.

During the initial planning for the deconstruction of a portion of the Front Street parkade and the construction of a Front Street Mews, the city budgeted $11.25 million, which included $1.8 million for the mews, and was based on preliminary design concepts.

“The revised cost estimate for the preferred design option is approximately $2.4 million,” stated a Nov. 2 update to council. “The major cost drivers for the budget increase are attributed to the realignment of Front Street and the high level and quality of landscape finish.”

Last month, city council approved a staff recommendation that would allow the city to borrow $3.3 million for the remediation of the Front Street parkade. The Front Street parkade deconstruction and rehabilitation project is to be funded by reserves and debt.

“The temporary borrowing bylaw is required to obtain the debt approval through the Municipal Finance Authority,” said Mark Allison, the city’s manager of strategic initiatives and sustainability. “Once the project is compete and all costs and financing components are known, then the short-term borrowing will be converted to long-term debt. This debt will then be repaid from future parkade revenues.”