Station Street Placemaking Project

Project Updates

April 2024: The City of Duncan received bids for the construction of the project, and all came in over budget. The project will not be moving forward for construction this spring, as originally planned. The next step for the City is to revise elements of the design to and retender the project.

February 2024: The City of Duncan has posted the tender for the construction of the project. The tender closes at the end of March 2024.

November 2023: The City of Duncan has received updated detailed design plans from the consultant. View the 2023 Updated Detailed Design Drawings.

October 2023: The City of Duncan has received preliminary design plans from the consultant. View the 2023 Preliminary Detailed Design Plans.

August 2023: The design for the Station Street Placemaking Project was developed in 2020 by residents and interested parties through a series of workshops facilitated by Mark Lakeman, a well-known placemaking advocate and designer. This project will transform an underutilized empty lot into a dynamic public space that will serve as a hub for community events, festivals, and other activities.

View the 2020 CONCEPT PLANS.

The Station Street Placemaking Project is an essential component of the City's efforts to support the downtown businesses and attract more visitors. The new space will be attractive, functional, and reflective of the community's values and needs. The Station Street Placemaking Project is expected to be completed by spring 2024.

With a letter of support from the Downtown Duncan Business Improvement Association, the City successfully applied for a grant in the amount of $1 million from the Government of B.C. through the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP) to undertake this Project. The REDIP funding is part of a broader effort by the Province to support economic diversification and infrastructure development in rural communities throughout BC. Together with a contribution of $200,000 from the City, this $1.2 million initiative will revitalize a business node in downtown Duncan through the creation of a vibrant public space.

At its August 14, 2023 meeting, Council directed staff to incorporate the following refinements and considerations into the design:

1. Respecting how the existing park is being used and incorporating those uses into the design.
2. Increasing the number of tables and seating opportunities.
3. Using motion-activated lighting.
4. Removing the water feature.
5. Repainting the existing forest mural.
6. Ensuring full accessibility.
7. Incorporating the use of large shade trees.
8. Focusing design efforts on the pedestrian crossings at the intersection rather than reconstructing the centre of the intersection with art and brickwork.
9. Moving the climbing vines/plantings closer to the washroom building so they do not conceal a potential mural on the wall at the north end of the site.
10. Using trellises or pergola-type structures for the covered seating rather than full rain protection.
11. Adding colour to the pavers accessing the park.
12. Adding wiring for food trucks, with decisions on applicants to occur at a later time.