What’s in store for St. George’s Square?
The intersection of Wyndham and Quebec streets in Guelph was once the city’s downtown transit hub.
Now, it’s a focal point for drivers and pedestrians – most of whom agree that it can be a bit of a headache.
Of four people stopped at the intersection Monday by CTV News, three said there could likely be improvements on the current design of the square.
Where they agreed less was on the current plan being floated for St. George’s Square.
City officials are currently considering a plan which would aim to reduce friction between motorists and pedestrians at the corner.
It would cost between $6 million and $6.5 million.
“We’re at the point where we’ve done one round of consultation,” David DeGroot, Guelph’s senior urban designer, tells CTV News.
“We haven’t been asking council to make any decision. We’re going to move through a public engagement process over the coming months.”
The plan is part of a bigger downtown renewal project.
Among its features is the creation of a new square, with the roadway continuing around the square – and while it sounds a bit like a roundabout, DeGroot says it’s not quite the same thing.
“When people think about roundabouts, they think about something you see in Waterloo Region,” he says.
“It’s more like a square in the centre, with a one-way ring road around the outside. What we’re trying to do in St. George’s Square is make it feel like a square again.”
If the plan is approved, construction likely won’t begin until the second half of the decade.
