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Beefing up the city’s public transit — use of which dropped off sharply last year — will lead to bus stations planned for Eighth Street becoming social and business hubs, drawing even more people into the area, Wallace said. That will in turn persuade developers to tackle projects more suited to foot traffic: mixed-use buildings with alternative parking options that “serve the street a little bit better,” he said.

Photo by Gord Waldner / Saskatoon StarPhoenix

Wallace’s vision is a long-term one and not without problems to overcome. He said zoning regulations along Eighth Street, some of which have been in place since the 1960s, need to be updated to accommodate new types of developments, while private developments must be encouraged by bringing more people — “thousands of customers” — onto the street using robust public transit options.

Although these changes won’t happen quickly, Wallace said he is confident that the prospect of money flowing onto the street will convince developers to change the way they think about corridors and adjust accordingly. He said it’s happened on Eighth Street before and it can happen again.

“It has changed a couple of times, from a rural highway to sort of this quasi-residential (and) retail environment to this very robust retail environment. So it has changed over time, and it will change again. That’s kind of where we’re at, the next version — it’s Eighth Street Version 4.0.”

Photo by Concorde Properties

Some new developments, such as the new Best Western Plus East Side hotel, hint at Wallace’s idea of developments lining the street. However, other developers seem more committed to Eighth Street’s historic model, one that favours single-use buildings separated from the street by parking lots.