Dunlop Street in Barrie will undergo construction to replace aging infrastructure, expand the road’s sidewalks and beautify the area.
Dunlop Street is an important component to Barrie’s downtown revitalization as the city’s population grows, the city says.
“This project will not only replace aging infrastructure, it will improve the pedestrian experience while providing downtown businesses with more attractive and accessible storefronts” Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman said in a statement.
The city is reminding residents that all downtown businesses will be open during the construction.
“We want everyone to know that downtown Barrie will be open for business during construction,” Denise Tucker, chair of the Downtown Barrie BIA, said in a statement.
While Dunlop Street will be closed to vehicle traffic during construction, it will be open to pedestrians.
According to the City of Barrie, in 2006, Ontario’s growth plan approved targets for a population of 210,000 and 101,000 jobs in Barrie by the year 2031.
To help accommodate the predicted growth, the city’s Downtown Commercial Master Plan provides a guideline for the development and revitalization of Barrie’s downtown and waterfront, including Dunlop Street.
Aug. 19 to Nov. 8 will mark the street’s preliminary construction phases. During this time period, Dunlop Street will be closed from Mulcaster Street to Poyntz Street, including the Dunlop-Mulcaster intersection.
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Phase 1A of construction will run from Sept. 9 to Nov. 8, when Dunlop Street will be closed between Poyntz Street and Owen Street.
Phase 1B will start after Phase 1A is completed and will tentatively happen from spring 2020 to summer 2020. During this time, Dunlop Street will be closed between Owen Street and Bayfield Street, as well as the Five Points intersection.
Phase 2 will begin after both parts of the first phase of construction are complete and will tentatively last from summer 2020 to fall 2020. During this time, Dunlop Street will be closed between Bayfield Street and Toronto Street.
Starting on Sept. 9, parking will be free for patrons of downtown businesses for a maximum of two hours on the fourth floor of the Collier Street Parkade.
The streetscaping will be funded by the city, the Downtown Barrie BIA and Barrie’s municipal accommodation tax.
The roadwork is part of Barrie’s plan for “asset reconstruction.”