If city planners have their way, you might not recognize downtown London in a while.

A draft master plan for the core unveiled Tuesday won support from planning committee before it takes to the road for citizen input. A reworking of an earlier $200-million vision for the core, it has some new and familiar wrinkles in a bid to connect Londoners with the downtown and the downtown with the Thames River.

Among the notions:

Dundas place: Turn the core’s main artery into a “flexible” artery that can be closed to traffic and become a pedestrian concourse for community events.

Alley way connections: Turn downtown back alleys into vibrant restaurant and retail spaces.

Queens station: Create a transit hub on Queens Ave. outside St. Paul’s Cathedral to better connect the core with outlying neighbourhoods.

Clarence St. connector: Enlarge sidewalks and plant trees along this artery with a pedestrian bridge over the CN Rail line.

Sports heros’ way: Convert Kensington Bridge into a pedestrian link and feature Labatt Park and Budweiser Gardens as a westerly gateway to the core.

Market district: Enhance and connect the public squares outside Budweiser Gardens and Covent Garden Market as an improved venue for festivals, public events and large gatherings.

Richmond walk: Improve pedestrian walkways on Richmond between York and Queens and reduce the north-south artery to three lanes for traffic, one of which would be for rapid transit.

City gateway project: Create a new public square in front of the VIA station with direct access to Dundas St.

Forks of the Thames: Create a riverside promenade to ensure downtown dwellers and visitors can connect with the natural beauty of the river corridor. A concrete beach proposal is still considered part of this but a small performing arts bowl has been dropped.

City planner John Fleming said the core helps define a city.

“Our downtown is our image,” he said, “a symbol of city’s vibrancy, how well it is doing.”

A healthy, vibrant core will help attract investors to London and drive up property values, Fleming said. The core occupies 1% of the city footprint but produces 9% of its property taxes, he noted.

The Millennium Plan of the late 1990s that brought a new market and downtown arena produced a boost of $325 million in assessment value and more investment can produce similar gains, he predicted.

Mayor Joe Fontana said the new plan captures the “aspirations of Londoners.” He suggested a timeline of three months for planners to come back after engaging the public while plans are made to set aside funds for an action plan.

Other members of the planning committee also voiced support for the plan which goes to council next Tuesday.

chip.martin@sunmedia.ca

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