Estimate to refurbish Carl Zehr Square over $7 million
Posted Sep 13, 2016 05:57:45 AM.
Last Updated Sep 13, 2016 08:04:53 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Carl Zehr Square is likely in for a face lift.
Kitchener City Council has given preliminary approval to a proposal to refurbish the square, at a cost of over $7 million.
Lynda Stewart, who headed a city staff study of outdoor spaces, told council the square is heavily used and is very popular.
After 23 years, it is showing signs of wear, including cracked and uneven pavement.
The study also revealed that the concert stage is not wheelchair accessible and has no canopy, lights or sound system.
Council says final approval won’t be given until it’s determined how the project will be paid for.
A report, outlining costs, will be presented to council in 2017.
If approved, work is expected to start in 2018 and take close to two years to complete.
Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic is on board with the preliminary draft and tells 570 News the wear and tear is caused by years of over usage.
“Part of the process, they spoke with the architect. One of the things he said to our staff was, it was really planned for events that would draw in the hundreds of people, not in the thousands of people,”
Vrbanovic says in 2015, between 500,000 and 600,000 people made their way to the square.
