Centre Street Revitalization Visioning and Design

Re-imagining the waterfront experience at the Heart of the Rideau River

The Town of Smiths Falls engaged Fotenn to conduct a visioning exercise to help assess the potential of turning a currently underutilized commercial and industrial area into a vibrant, community-oriented waterfront development.

Fotenn was retained to provide an overview of urban design and planning documentation, conduct a public and stakeholder engagements as well as prepare preliminary demonstration sketches and illustrations to register the findings and ideas explored. The working illustrations, based on the findings generated by feedback received from stakeholders and the public, will help provide direction for the future creation of a Master Plan for the revitalization of the area.

The results of the studies, design charrette and surveys led to the establishment of design priorities such as celebration of indigenous heritage, the site’s industrial past, connection to the river and the water’s edge, pedestrian-friendly spaces for year round use, support for retail and tourism businesses, and implementation of sustainable initiatives. These priorities will serve to guide the future design that will serve both visitors and residents of Smiths Falls.