The task of re-imagining Centennial Square has been handed to design firm Dialog, in the hope a new look for the 59-year-old civic landmark could start coming to life next year.
Last week, the City of Victoria awarded a contract to the firm, which has studios in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and California, to provide a new design for the square, as well as cost estimates and construction administration for the project, which has been in the works for six years.
Victoria council approved $750,000 last year to cover consulting and design fees to complete the design for revamping the square beside Victoria City Hall.
Derrick Newman, the city’s acting director of parks, recreation and facilities, said the Dialog team and the city have met once since the contract was awarded.
“They are a leading design firm. They certainly have deep bench strength and a lot of expertise on their team and experience doing civic infrastructure improvements,” he said.
Newman noted there was a lot of competition for the contract from top-tier architectural firms due to the square’s history and the fact this is a capital city.
“It would be a banner project for any design firm.”
Dialog’s previous civic and public-space design work includes the Shipyards in North Vancouver, which has a series of interconnected plazas, transit routes and recreational spaces, the Edmonton Valley Zoo entry plaza and guest services, Rainbow Park in downtown Vancouver, and the Royal Alberta Museum.
When the $750,000 was approved last year, the concept was to include a water feature, play elements, a commercial kiosk, better accessibility, new seating and better infrastructure to house larger events in the redesigned square.
“One of the major goals of the improvement plan was to create a more versatile and flexible plaza so that we could host and attract larger events,” said Newman, noting that goal was set out after extensive public consultation in 2018. “We’re hopeful that this project, combined with the Government Street plaza, will be a bookend to that Government Street pedestrianization work.”
Newman said the early concept plans for Centennial Square will now be expanded, and all options will be considered.
That could include leaving the existing monoliths, a centrepiece of the square, where they have stood since the mid 1960s.
Newman said while council originally indicated it wanted to see the existing fountain and monoliths replaced, no decision has yet been made.
He said Dialog might come back with a design that leaves them where they stand.
“At this time, we haven’t determined what the future of the monoliths will be. The work that will be undertaken by the design team will be to consider options for the future of the monoliths to bring forward to council for consideration,” he said.
That might give hope to a local group of historians, architects and others who have been urging the city to preserve the fountain, a gift from Saanich, Esquimalt and Oak Bay in 1965 for Victoria’s centennial celebrations.
“[Dialog] will come in with fresh eyes and take a look at what does the next generation of this square mean or look like for this community. They will be looking at all things, including the monoliths,” said Newman. He said the firm is aware of the opposition to removing the fountain and monoliths.
The city expects Dialog to come back with a concept design in the late spring, when it will be presented to council alongside a report on the plans.
Newman said if that goes well, they could get direction to move forward and do a detailed design that would allow construction to begin next year.
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