The National Capital Commission has agreed to lead a workshop on the future of Sparks St., the agency's CEO says.

"We will be the convenor of a kind of visioning session of Sparks St. in the coming months," Kristmanson told the Sun's editorial board Thursday.

Kristmanson said the NCC doesn't actually own much on Sparks St. -- though it gives some design advice on the exterior of the buildings -- yet people assume the NCC owns it all and it's doing nothing with it.

The federal public works department and the city are the main players, Kristmanson said, with the city owning the street.

"When people say, 'Why doesn't the NCC do something about this?' On the one hand, we can't do much because we don't own much of it and it's hard to lead if you don't own it," Kristmanson said.

"On the other hand, we do have the planning vision of the capital, and for that we can influence public works, and for that we can even try to influence the City of Ottawa toward the future."

Residents have been waiting for years for either the city or the feds to take Sparks St. seriously.

Kristmanson said he has met with city manager Kent Kirkpatrick, economic development director Saad Bashir and federal public works about having a design charrette for Sparks St.

There has been some promising developments in recent years with new restaurants and retail openings, but there has been a lack of long-term planning that could ultimately set the pedestrian mall on a path to revival.

The future of Sparks St. is likely to remain a pedestrian-only stretch.

Kristmanson said one of the first things he did after being appointed CEO in February 2014 was meet with the Sparks St. Authority. He asked if any of the merchants at the meeting would want the street opened to vehicles.

"Nobody put up their hands," Kristmanson said.

The NCC has had a "lively discussion" with public works to bring back an animated streetscape through the retail offerings, Kristmanson said. Finishing the renovation work on some federal buildings will bring more office workers back and that will help, he noted.

Sparks St. has big potential in the next three years with two LRT stations being built a block away, Kristmanson said.

But when Kristmanson begins the redesign exercise next year, he'll be asking about retail potential, considering the growth of Internet shopping and the expansion of the nearby Rideau Centre.

"How can the retail mix on Sparks St. work to bring that street life back?" Kristmanson said.

Twitter: @JonathanWilling