Wheatley Urban Visioning

More than a park: placemaking as an economic and cultural catalyst in post-disaster redevelopment

Working in conjunction with the Wheatley Task Force, the municipality of Chatham-Kent, and with support from the province of Ontario, Fotenn was retained to aid in Wheatley’s downtown revitalization efforts after a natural gas explosion in August of 2021, and subsequent geotechnical investigation deemed a cluster of properties unsuitable for commercial redevelopment. Informed by extensive public consultation and technical concerns, Fotenn designed a high-performance multi-functional open space as the Town’s new economic and cultural anchor. Best practices for the redevelopment of the surrounding downtown core were also provided as a guideline for future development, including streetscapes, pedestrian networks, and architectural form. 

The resulting concept centralizes the downtown around a park and plaza designed with Wheatley’s long-standing local culture, ideas for their future, and concerns for local ecology and infrastructure in mind. Areas for community gatherings, performances, special events, and processing grief are provided while also increasing the site’s green infrastructure stormwater capacity and establishing habitat for regionally threatened, and endangered, avian insectivore species.  

The project is a finalist for the 2025 Economic Developers Council of Ontario Awards of Excellence.