creating dundas place - city of london, ontario, canada · this document would not have been...
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Creating Dundas PlaceA Flexible Street Scoping Study
January 2015
D u n Das st r ee t sC o Pi n g st u Dy
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | 1
Acknowledgementsthis document would not have been possible without the guidance of the project team and contribution of the many stakeholders who participated in the process.
Project TeamIBI GroupJoe Heyninck
trevor Mcintyre
rebecca Dewdney
Joyce renfrew
Kelly cobbe
ashish ghate
chris prentice
Don Drackley
Linden Laserna
tony Zhou
City of londonedward soldo
John Lucas
Jim yanchula
sean galloway
Karl grabowski
Jane Fullick
shane Maguire
Maged elmadhoon
tom copeland
ugo Decandido
roland Welker
Jake Blancher
Justin Lawrence
ivan Listar
Don purchase
chuck parker
Stakeholders
city of London
Downtown London
London transit commission
London Hydro
Bell canada
rogers cable
union gas
London District Heating
DunDaS STreeT, LonDon, on
D u n Das st r ee t sC o Pi n g st u Dy
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | 3
contents
ExEcutivE Summary .............................................5
1. introduction .................................................71.1. Background ................................................... 81.2. study Purpose ............................................. 10
2. caSE StudiES .................................................112.1. What is a shared/Flexible street? ................. 122.2. shared-space typologies ............................. 122.3. Case studies ............................................... 13
3. contExt ..........................................................173.1. study area ................................................... 183.2. Maintaining the importance of Dundas street
Within Downtown London as an economic and social Hub ............................................ 18
3.3. importance of Dundas street in the City of London transportation system ........... 23
4. ExiSting conditionS ...................................254.1. Dundas street Local attractions .................... 274.2. existing Built Form ....................................... 284.3. Dundas street issues &
opportunities analysis .................................. 30
5. dundaS StrEEt viSion ................................335.1. review of City of London
studies & reports ........................................ 345.2. synthesis ..................................................... 405.3. Vision statement .......................................... 42
6. Public tranSit .............................................456.1. London transit services ............................... 466.2. London’s rapid transit Plan ......................... 46
7. tranSPortation ..........................................497.1. road network operation .............................. 507.2. Parking ........................................................ 507.3. enhanced Pedestrianization .......................... 507.4. Cycling ........................................................ 507.5. event Planning and street Closure ................ 51
8. infraStructurE rEviEw ...........................538.1. general ........................................................ 548.2. Municipal services ...................................... 548.3. utilities ......................................................... 57
9. dESign oPPortunitiES ...............................61
10. imPlEmEntation ...........................................6710.1. Balanced approach
for Dundas street ......................................... 6810.2. infrastructure ............................................... 6810.3. Dundas street scoping study implementation
Plan – Critical Path schedule ........................ 69
11. Staging & coSt EStimatES ........................71
a mIxeD-uSe ComPaCT CITy, The LonDon PLan rePorT
4 | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | E x E c u t i v E S u m m a r y 5
executive Summary
DunDaS anD rIChmonD, PhoTo By Sean_marShaLL
6 E x E c u t i v E S u m m a r y | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
the Dundas street scoping study is a preliminary study to define the scope of future improvement initiatives as related to Dundas street in order to create a more attractive, vibrant and functional corridor in the heart of London, ontario. it is the next step in a commitment to a new and revitalized Dundas street – a bustling, thriving public space which will once again become the economic, cultural and institutional heart of the city.
in 2012, the city of London retained iBi group to carry out the Dundas street
scoping study and develop a project that meets several goals and opportunities
as outlined in the Draft Downtown plan (June 2013) as well as provide the city
with a comprehensive review to identify how Dundas street can be successfully
re-established as the primary shopping and recreation district in London. With
a principal focus on flexible streets, enhanced pedestrianization and increased
linkages to key local features, the scoping study blends a strong understanding
of the relationship between urban design and placemaking, traffic, transportation,
safety, construction staging, utility relocation, maintenance and operation and
costing. the resulting project plan details a balanced approach over a seven year
period and includes budget and timelines for stakeholder consultation, design and
construction.
the report is organized into 11 key sections, each building upon the understanding
and findings of the previous sections to culminate in a set of design opportunities,
implementation and staging and cost estimates. the key sections are briefly
summarized as follows:
IntroductionDundas street has always been an important street for the city of London, with a
rich history dating back well into the 1800s. this section details valuable historical
context, the steps taken to further the revitalization conversation and the purpose of
the Dundas street scoping study.
Case Studiesgiven the intent to transform the segment of Dundas from ridout street to
Wellington street into a flexible street or shared street, there is a strong need to fully
understand the implication and benefits of these types of streets. in this section,
these terms are defined and further expanded upon, providing three successful
case studies for review.
Contextcontext plays a critical role in urban design and placemaking, and in this section,
elements that influence Dundas street both physically and non-physically are
examined. in addition to defining the study area, Dundas street is evaluated in
terms of its place within the city of London and its importance as both an economic
and social hub as well as a key component of the London transportation system.
Existing Conditionsin this section, the existing conditions of the five block section between Wellington
street and the Forks of the thames are studied and graphically represented
including key local attractions, existing built form and the delineation of three
distinct character areas. an issues and opportunities analysis is categorized
by the built environment, the natural environment, infrastructure and servicing,
transportation and transit, social-economic and traffic operations, pedestrian
movement and parking.
Dundas Street VisionWhile Dundas street has been included as part of numerous studies and
improvement initiatives, it has never been the sole subject of a comprehensive
review to create a new project opportunity to “re-invent the street”. the many
studies that have helped to develop the project vision are reviewed and summarized
in this section as well as ideas combined to further develop specific key
components in terms of economic, placemaking and direct benefits.
Public Transitthis section outlines the potential impacts on the public transit services and transit
users should removal of public transit services occur on Dundas street between
Wellington and ridout. specifically, the potential impacts are discussed in regards to
transit operating costs and transit use.
Transportationas Dundas street is a central portion of the Downtown London’s transportation
network, any major changes to the street have to be evaluated against various
transportation considerations. in this section, changes are considered in terms of
road network operation, parking, enhances pedestrianization, cycling and event
planning and street closure.
Infrastructure reviewWithin the city of London, Dundas street has the highest density of municipal
services and utilities and any future improvements will need to have regard for
these services. this section provides a summary of the information provided by
various service and/or utility representatives during the course of this study in
addition to potential impacts these services and/or utilities could have on any future
revitalization projects.
Design OpportunitiesDundas street revitalization has been identified within the Draft Downtown plan as
the first of six strategic directions items focused on public realm improvements. the
project plan presented in this section consolidates all design opportunities identified
and provides direction on specific sections of the street to further execute the
project vision of making Dundas street “the most exciting place in London”.
Implementationthe Dundas street project plan shown in this document will be implemented
over time incrementally and in a balanced manner addressing various conflicting
interests and priorities, which are identified and listed in this section. a critical path
schedule is also recommended, which takes the project from project commitment
to construction over a seven year period.
Stage & Cost EstimatesDue to the size and scale of the anticipated improvements, a two stage phasing
strategy is recommended and outlined in this section as well as pre-design
estimates of probable costs for both stages.
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | i n t r o d u c t i o n 7
renDerInG of a ComPLeTe STreeT. our move forwarD: LonDon’S DownTown PLan, 2015
1. introduction
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Dundas street has been the main street for the city of London dating back well
into the 1800’s. For many years, the stretch of Dundas street between the thames
river and Wellington streets has been recognized as the economic, cultural, and
institutional heart of the city. it has also been the city’s primary transit corridor
from the earliest days of horse and electric streetcars. However, as has occurred
in many north american cities in the last few decades, as the city’s population
has grown, there has been a shift in focus away from the Downtown with new
businesses choosing to locate on the periphery of the city. since Dundas street
is also seen as the city’s primary pedestrian street, the perception that the city’s
overall ‘health’ is affected by the image and experience of this street as a public
space has gained prominence. after years of decline and numerous studies to
provide direction for renewal, there is now a strong interest in repositioning Dundas Street so that it can once again become the primary ‘meeting place’ and destination for residents and visitors in the City – a lively hub for events, activities, shopping and entertainment as well as business.
over the years, Dundas street has been the focus of a number of smaller studies
and improvements but never has there been a dramatic and comprehensive
effort made to “re-invent the street”, to celebrate the past history and to create
a new opportunity for a vibrant place that can transform this part of Downtown.
previous investments in Dundas street have focused on beautification measures
such as street trees, sidewalk pavement and “metal trees” in addition to some
underground infrastructure improvements in response to new development and
to investigate existing problems. since 2007-2008, the city has initiated a series
of incentive programs with buildings on Dundas street included in a “targeted
incentive Zone” in an effort to maintain existing heritage buildings and promote a
more vibrant commercial corridor and neighbourhood. However, a major project
for the entire corridor has not been undertaken since 1994 when the city re-
instated on-street parking.
past studies and initiatives have also had some impact on Dundas street.
“a Blueprint for action; report of the Downtown task Force” (February 2008) was
an important move forward in focusing attention on a comprehensive Downtown
revitalization effort. the report established that one of the three primary goals
for the Downtown in next 10 years is to “make Dundas street the most exciting
street in London.” The Downtown Task force (DTa) also presented a series of
31 recommendations to help set goals for the next 10 years. some of the key
recommendations specific to Dundas street include:
• “Develop a 10-year transportation plan to see buses, then cars, phased out of
the east-west Dundas corridor between Wellington and ridout, the traffic being
replaced by pedestrians and bicycles during the spring-summer-fall months.”
(#28)
• consistent with the transportation plan timetable, develop a plan for the
transformation of Dundas into a piazza-style corridor through beautification,
a greater business street presence and development of a pedestrian oriented
concept” (#29)
in september 2011, conceptual designs for a flexible pedestrian-oriented Dundas
street were presented as part of the Mayor’s “Downtown Vision”. the concepts
were developed as a culmination of ideas from the Draft Downtown plan , the
transportation Master plan, city council meetings, the thames Valley corridor
study, and other public consultations. these initiatives have built strong interest
and excitement with the public and local businesses that a major revitalization
project is feasible and there is a potential for dramatic change in the street.
1.1. Background
vIew of rIChmonD STreeT In The 1940’S
vIew of DunDaS STreeT LookInG eaST from TaLBoT STreeT In The 1870’S
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | i n t r o d u c t i o n 9
the city of London in June 2013 released the Draft Downtown plan which has
been produced based on an extensive public engagement process. the process
helped to solidify the vision for Downtown and chart a path forward. in 2015, the
city will release the final Downtown plan entitled our Move Forward: London’s
Downtown place.
it recognizes that Downtown London is London’s “face” to the world. a successful
Downtown is key for retaining and attracting business investment in London.
the Downtown plan is built around six strategic directions. these provide direction
for projects and actions to follow that will achieve the desired outcomes for our
city, ultimately building a livable and vibrant downtown.
Dundas street revitalization has been identified as the first of six strategic
directions, which are focused on the public realm initiative and their potential
to leverage private investment value, as well as the first listed transformational
project.
Make Dundas street the most exciting place in London.
Dundas street is London’s original main street and a place once lively with activities
of trade and commerce. times have changed significantly since the street’s origin,
but Dundas street can re-establish its place as London’s preeminent street. this
can be achieved through investments that provide people-oriented infrastructure
that is focussed on creating neigbourhoods and a unique and diverse range of
experiences, boulevard tree planting, event programming and providing the highest
level of maintenance in the city.
SourCe: DrafT DownTown PLan
the dundas Street project is a major opportunity to build upon many years of work and a focus on the revitalization of dundas Street in fashion that it:
• will become a focus for downtown london and beyond, a pedestrian space that is a stage for day to day activities as well as special functions and programmed activities, festivals, and events;
• will forge an enduring connection between the forks of the thames and the life of the city.
• can, unlike other streets, transform into a place where pedestrian activities take precedent, where motor vehicles do not dominate the use of the right-of-way and do not prescribe the built form;
• can result in a space that is accessible to all londoners and visitors, with a focus on the quality of the space, the materials used, the lighting, safety, the ambience day and night and seasonally, and that this will help to revitalize this part of the downtown, but also generally will encourage other businesses and development opportunities in the downtown; and
• will include upgrading and replacing aging utilities and a thorough and comprehensive approach that not only replaces, but adds value to the space, by reconfiguring it into a high quality, best in class downtown urban space.
Goal to recréate Dundas street as the preeminent public
place in London-- beyond just a space to move through
and instead to become a destination to arrive at for
shopping, leisure, civic activities and celebrations.
Why Is This Important as Dundas street is a long-time commercial artery and a spine
of civic activity in London, the condition and uses a long Dundas
street have a direct reflection on the health of the downtown
as a whole. Dundas street has experienced an evolution of
uses and activities over time, and the street continues to evolve
as economic conditions and demographic trends change. lt
is important to strengthen the multidimensional aspects of
Dundas street through road improvements, subject to refinement
following conclusions from a project-related environmental
assessment, which will better define the feasibility and limitations
ofthis project. these improvements will create a positive and
compelling experience that will attract businesses and visitors.
SourCe: our move forwarD: LonDon’S DownTown PLan, January 2015
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1.2. Study Purposethe purpose of the Dundas street scoping study is to present a rationale for
investing in infrastructure, propose preliminary design options, undertake an
infrastructure review and provide recommendations, propose implementation
strategies and other recommendations, and prepare a preliminary budget based
on various scenarios. the scoping study draws together urban design and
placemaking, traffic, environmental quality, transportation, safety, construction
staging, utility relocation, maintenance and operations and costing, and gives
direction to the preliminary design exercise, and ultimately the strategy for how to
implement the project. the following key design considerations were reviewed and
addressed as part of the study:
• urban Design: Design themes overall and block by block, streetscape design
details, signage and wayfinding, public art / banner programs, environmental
features, lighting, street furniture;
• programming: opportunities for both everyday use and major event use;
• traffic, transit and active transportation: Various conditions including every day
use, major event use, and emergency operations; and,
• servicing: a range of options including reusing services in current location and
rebuilding and relocating services.
this study and the vision for the project is rooted in numerous city reports and is
the result of an iterative process between city of London departments, Downtown
London, London transit commission and the consultant to determine the most
appropriate strategy for revitalizing Dundas street. the study is intended to provide
clarity in describing and executing the project and also help generate excitement
and support for the full potential of the project.
the final recommendations do not propose a preliminary Design but aim to present a clear direction for the project as an integrated and comprehensive exercise.
PreSenT Day vIew of DunDaS anD rIChmonD. PhoTo By Sean marShaLL CC By-nC 2.0
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | c a S E S t u d i E S 11
kInG STreeT, kITChener, on
2. case Studies
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2.1. What is a Shared/Flexible Street?a flexible street or shared street, is essentially the entire street right-of-way, from
building face to building face shared by pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. By
combining uses rather than segregating them to certain parts of the right-of-way,
there is more flexibility, sharing of surfaces and respect in the way that motorists
and pedestrians share the space and how it can be programmed. at times,
motorists will be allowed to have a higher usage and at times when it is desirable
to reduce the vehicle usage, these spaces will function as pedestrian spaces,
where retail, festival and other occasional, casual, and programmed activities
dominate the space and they essentially become civic plazas, or piazzas.
research conducted on shared streets shows that by combining the activities,
and designing them to reflect the intended usage and slow speeds (30 km/h or
less), motorists become more aware of pedestrians and pedestrians, when not
depending on regulatory signage, are more aware of motorists. this concept
has been more fully accepted in european countries, but is now becoming more
common in north american cities and even locally, in cities such as Kitchener,
ontario and toronto. one of the main controversies of shared space is the right
of pedestrians with visual impairments to be able to travel independently in the
public right-of-way without relying on the motorist’s ability to avoid conflicts with
them. providing ‘comfort space’, an area within the street predominantly used by
pedestrians where motor vehicles are unlikely to be present, may still be needed
within a shared space particularly for younger and older pedestrians and those
with impairments.
flexible / shared streets are streets a living street where pedestrians and cyclists have legal priority over motorists. techniques include shared space, traffic calming, and low speed limits.
16Th STreeT maLL, Denver. PhoTo By GorDon CC By-Sa 2.0
2.2. Shared-Space typologiesshared-space typologies can be classified into three main categories based on the
levels of intervention as per below.
maxImum InTervenTIon: no curbs, flush surface wall-to-wall,
driving surface may be defined by bollards
meDIum InTervenTIon: curbs/rolled curbs to define roadway,
patterned road surface and sidewalk
mInImum InTervenTIon: curbs with defined road, pavers on
flexible sidewalk/event space/parking
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | c a S E S t u d i E S 13
King Street Kitchener, Ontario• time of installation: completed in 2010
• cost: $11M (total construction value)
• Function: Main commercial street through downtown Kitchener
• Flexibility:
– converted the existing lay-by parking and sidewalk into a flexible sidewalk
parking system.
– During warmer months the bollards are located close to the curb to
maximize space for pedestrians, outdoor cafés, restaurants, retail and small-
scale street performances.
– Bollards can be moved to allow for on-street parking in the winter.
– Bollards can also be placed at major crosswalks, allowing each of the six
blocks to be closed off for the city’s major events and festivals
• special Features: infiltration grates direct stormwater runoff to planter beds,
sub-surface tree routing corridors, and semi mountable curbs improve
pedestrian accessibility.
• surface Materials:
– unit paving sidewalk
– removable bollards for flexible parking
– stormwater filtration planters
– asphalt roadway
– permeable surface materials
• Many more trees than previously existed
in 2007, the city of Kitchener undertook a major revitalization project to reshape
and re-energize the downtown into an urban, modern, livable and sustainable
destination for pedestrians and businesses. Beginning with a streetscape Master
plan for the city centre District and continuing through the detailed design and
contract administration services for the reconstruction of six blocks of downtown
Kitchener’s main street, the King street project was founded on the principle that
an investment in a high quality public realm will serve as a catalyst for private
sector investment, intensification and renewal of the downtown Kitchener core.
the design creates a pedestrian-first public realm that reconfigures the street by
converting the existing lay-by parking and sidewalk into a flexible sidewalk-parking
system. During warmer months the bollards are located close to the curb to
maximize space for pedestrians, outdoor cafes, restaurants, retail and small-scale
street performances. in the winter, the bollards can be moved to allow for on-street
parking.
2.3. case Studies
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the project showcases several innovative design features intended to respond to
the public’s wish for a pedestrian oriented space. removable bollards separate
vehicles and pedestrians while providing a flexible sidewalk/ parking system
that can be altered to respond to the season (patios, sidewalk sales and wider
walkways in the summer/ more parking in the winter), allow easy block-by-block
road closures and a special civic area directly in front of Kitchener city Hall.
permanent festival services (water, electrical, audio/ video) and informal “stages”
were integrated into the final design. semi-mountable curbs are provided to
promote the feeling of a pedestrian plaza and improve accessibility during special
events. generously wide sidewalks, two revitalized public plazas, granite clad
planting beds with seat walls, public art and accent lighting are design elements
that contribute to the vibrant pedestrian-friendly streetscape.
StratEgiES for Staging conStructionthe reconstruction of King street was undertaken over two construction seasons,
2009 and 2010. it was important that a careful balance was maintained between
the continued operation of the local businesses and the construction activities.
clear public communication (coordinated with city of Kitchener staff and the
Downtown Bia) and responsive, personable site superintendence allowed business
concerns to be quickly addressed. Detailed scheduling included mandatory night
work and a staged approach to minimize the impacts on the community and
work with the needs of the local businesses. the annual occurrence of special
events taking place in the downtown core (cruising on King street, Bluesfest
and oktoberfest) created key milestones and schedule deadlines throughout
construction operations, which were met with success.
Economic imProvEmEntS/bEnEfitS:the King street revitalization has been an instant catalyst for new development
within the project limits by attracting new businesses and bringing vibrancy back.
• twenty-one (21) good quality businesses have emerged and 22 existing
facades have been enhanced with a total investment in excess of $750,000;
• the average daily foot traffic has increased from 3,000 to 8,300 and festival
and event attendance has increased 33%;
• a new 385-unit condo project is currently in presales phase and a new 96-unit
boutique hotel is proposed; and
• the project’s success has made it a model for best practice urban design for
municipalities and Bias throughout ontario.
PlacEmaking imProvEmEntS/bEnEfitS: the design scheme for King street responded to public’s interest in the
“pedestrian First model”. an original streetscape design and vision for King
street was developed that reflected the area’s character and incorporated street
trees and planting, sidewalk cafés, bicycle connections and bicycle parking,
improved street lighting, public art, transit pads and shelters, wayfinding
signage, and street furniture.
the project received the 2010 community place award from the international
Making cities Livable council in recognition of the innovative design for a
flexible, summer/ winter sidewalk, and sustainable streetscaping to bring people,
particularly youth, back to downtown. the King street project was also recognized
as a “green street’ by tree canada for its contribution to, and leadership in,
creating an environmentally sustainable street design.
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | c a S E S t u d i E S 15
Place d’armes, Montreal, Quebec• time of installation: construction began in 2009 the work was completed in
2011.
• cost: $15.5 million
• Function:
– a public square rich in history located in old Montreal between saint Jacques
and notre-Dame streets
– Formerly the hub of the Montreal’s tramway lines when the city’s downtown
and central business district was centred around old Montreal and saint-
Jacques street
• Flexibility: no curbs with wall-to wall paving and driving surface defined in
bollards
• special Features: utilities box hidden underneath large public seating bench
• surface Materials: unit paving on sidewalk and road
• trees incorporated into design at an early stage
16 c a S E S t u d i E S | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
Exhibition road, London uK• time of installation: competition held in 2003 and won by the architectural firm
Dixon and Jones. construction completed by the 2012 London olympics.
• cost: not available
• Function: street provides access to many nationally significant institutions,
including the Victoria and albert Museum, the science Museum, natural
History Museum (which incorporates the former geological Museum), the royal
geographical society and imperial college London.
• Flexibility: shared space design for the exhibition road and surrounding streets
prioritize pedestrians while allowing some vehicular traffic at a reduced speed
• special Features:
– surface Materials: Wall-to-wall unit paving with bold graphic pattern
– existing trees incorporated into the design and protected
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | c o n t E x t 17
3. context
DunDaS anD TaLBoT LookInG eaST. PhoTo By PeTer harDInG
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3.1. Study areainitially the scope of the study was limited to a four block segment of Dundas street
stretching from ridout street on the west to Wellington street on the east. early in
the scoping study process it was concluded that the connection between Dundas
street and the thames river is an important opportunity to link London’s open
space/green network to the Downtown. as a result, the scope of the study was
extended to include the block west of ridout street to the river.
3.2. maintaining the importance of dundas Street Within downtown London as an Economic and Social HubLondon is a medium sized city in south-western ontario, located in the Quebec city
– Windsor corridor.
the Downtown occupies only 0.2% the city’s expansive land area but accounts for
a substantial portion (about 10%) of the city’s commercial office space, employment
and tax base. the Downtown provides unique cultural facilities and is the focal point
of government functions, London’s transit system and entertainment in the city.
Downtown London is currently rebounding from a downward spiral that began
in the 1970s when suburban malls started to alter shopping habits and attract
retailers and patrons away from the Downtown. this decline arguably accelerated
when a Downtown mall (galleria) was developed to rival these suburban malls, as it
drew many of the remaining independent retailers off the main Downtown streets.
this mall has far fewer retailers and has since been repurposed for offices and the
central Library but street level vacancies on Dundas street continue to remain a
major challenge for Downtown London.
the city is now making major inroads through revitalization. a key part of this
success can be attributed to its strong employment base. Downtown London
contains 80% of the city’s office space and over 30,000 jobs. this concentration
of office space resulted from the city introducing policies into its official plan
in the 1990s that direct all office spaces over 5,000 m2 be located downtown.
the effectiveness of this policy has been paramount to reversing the fortunes of
Downtown London.
Moreover the city of London has been bold and innovative in approaching
revitalization and has strategically invested in many projects designed to attract
new users and residents to the downtown. the Budweiser gardens, central
Library, convent garden Market, and improved city parks have all played an
important role in making the downtown more attractive and enjoyable. these
important assets have greatly increased the importance and prominence of
downtown London both citywide and regionally.
SourCe: The vaLue of InveSTInG In CanaDIan DownTownS, CanaDIan urBan InSTITuTe, may 2012
DownTown ComPrISeS
0.2% oF LonDon’s LanD area (99Ha)
10% DoWntoWn generates aBout 10% oF tHe city’s tax assessMent
1% oF LonDon’s popuLation LiVes DoWntoWn
81% oF LonDon’s oFFice space is DoWntoWn
11% oF trips MaDe to anD FroM DoWntoWn are By transit
DownTown LonDon haS
303 jobs/ha or 30,000+ JoBs
DownTown GeneraTeS
$504k/ha in tax reVenue
DunDaS STreeT. PhoTo By wyLIePoon CC By-nC-nD 2.0
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | c o n t E x t 19
the Downtown Millennium plan, prepared in november of 1998, was the last
significant Downtown plan implemented by London’s city council. approximately
$100 million was invested in Downtown London through that plan for a series
of projects and initiatives. the success stemming from these investments has
been tremendous. the Millennium plan noted that Downtown assessed value had
declined by over $60 million between 1992 and 1996 in just 1/3 of the Downtown
area. this downward trend has been reversed since the Millennium plan .
Most recently, the 2013 state of the Downtown report identified an increase in
Downtown assessed value of $400 million between 2004 and 2013
the successor to the Millennium plan, the Downtown plan, which was released as
a Draft in July 2013 and continues to focus on attracting new visitors downtown
and attempting to further increase the number of residents. this plan, too, places
an emphasis on public and partnership initiatives that will create interest for
private sector investment. it recognizes that downtown London is London’s “face”
to the world. a successful downtown is key for retaining and attracting business
investment in London. a strong downtown tells the world that London is vibrant,
interesting, exciting and enriching. it signals to investors that London’s priority as
a place that is competitive in attracting and retaining a high quality labour force
to London will come easy. it exudes the kind of success that breeds investment
confidence.
this plan was produced based on an extensive public engagement process. the
process helped to solidify the vision for downtown and chart a path forward. the
key conclusion of the process is that people are passionate about downtown
London and its continued revitalization. our community has a very strong emotional
attachment to our downtown. the large number of people who took an interest
in attending the community engagement opportunities, and the enthusiasm with
which they spoke, is clear evidence of this.
Leadership and CollaborationMunicipal leadership has been instrumental in revitalization, developing progressive
planning policies in collaboration with the business and institutional community and
making use of innovative financing tools. the city has a number of Downtown grant
and incentive programs, as well as targeted incentive programs (for the Dundas and
richmond street corridors) to encourage the private sector. For example, since 2008
the city of London has issued a combined total of 104 grants and loans worth $1.7
million, leveraging $3.8 million in construction value.1 Historically, for every $1 of city
money invested, the private sector has invested $3. this arrangement represents the
collaboration between the public and private sector in revitalizing downtown London.
since 2000, 1135 building permits have been issued downtown with a reported
value of $352.7 million.
residential Developmentattracting residential development has been a key aim of planning efforts in
downtown London, and the city has enjoyed success. since 1997, approximately
1,440 apartment units have been built in the downtown with a total construction
value of $120.2M. the population in Downtown currently stands around 5,000.
1 CITy of LonDon. (2011). STaTe of The DownTown rePorT 2011. reTrIeveD from: hTTP://www.LonDon.Ca/PLannInG/PDfS/SoTD_annuaLrePorT_09.PDf. aCCeSSeD 2011 oCToBer 20.
Office Developmenta remarkable 80% of London’s office space is located in the downtown. a key
reason for this is that policies contained in the official plan direct large office
spaces (over 5,000m2) to locate in downtown London. this policy has been
strongly enforced and highly effective at concentrating office space and jobs
downtown.
Downtown office growth in London has been slow in recent years, yet there has
been a gradual downward trend in office vacancy rates. since 2006 when Bell
canada left their offices at 100 Dundas street, downtown has seen a consistent
annual decline in vacancy rates. street vacancy on major downtown pedestrian
routes (richmond, Kind and Dundas streets) shrunk to 11.5% from 12.1% between
2011 and 2013
The no. of DweLLInGS Grew
39%FroM 1996-2006, coMpareD to 12% More DWeLLings cityWiDe
$120.2mon resiDentiaL DeVeLopMent DoWntoWn
DownTown haS
81%oF tHe city’s oFFice FLoor space (4,394,017sF)
LookInG eaST on DunDaS STreeT from rIDouT STreeT.
20 c o n t E x t | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
retail Developmentin the past, retailing in downtown London has been challenged by the emergence
of the suburban mall. For example, in the 1960s downtown had a 70% share of
retailing, yet today it is around 10%. While this trend is not unique to London, the
downtown faced particularly negative experiences due to the creation of a downtown
mall (galleria Mall) that was intended to rival the suburban malls. this downtown
mall attracted many of the retailers from the downtown’s main streets (Dundas,
richmond and King streets) and left some significant street level vacancies. When
the mall was repurposed, the vacancies outside the mall continued to be a problem.
the downtown is slowly overcoming this challenge and storefront vacancy rates have
been consistently declining over time. With a focus on independent retailers instead
of national chain stores, available space on King and richmond streets is now largely
absorbed, which could be attributed to public investments such as the Budweiser
gardens and sqm garden Market. yet there remain some vacancies on Dundas
street and the need for stronger retail, restaurant and people-oriented service mix.
Educational & Institutional Developmentthe main campuses of London’s two major post-secondary institutions – the
university of Western ontario and Fanshawe college – are located outside
downtown. these are key assets for the city that have helped strengthen the city as
a whole. additionally, downtown London will soon receive increased benefits from
these institutions with Fanshawe college securing a site for a new applied school of
performing arts. the college has purchased an 8,000 m2 building as a first phase
of the project that will eventually host 1,000 new students and 75 staff. the college
plans to expand this campus in the future by purchasing and renovating some of
London’s downtown heritage buildings. this new campus will strengthen Downtown
London’s local art scene and leverage existing arts and cultural facilities such as the
grand theatre. this brought 400 new students plus staff to the downtown in 2013.2
2 fanShawe CoLLeGe. (2011). fanShawe To LaunCh fIrST PhaSe of DownTown CamPuS. reTrIeveD from: hTTP://www.LonDonCommunITynewS.Com/2011/02/new-DownTown-CamPuS-for-fanShawee-CoLLeGe/. aCCeSSeD 2012 January 17.
Municipal Tax Baseciting the major declines that occurred in the 1990s, a major goal of the
Downtown Millennium plan was to increase tax assessment in the downtown.
since 2002, the total current value assessment in the downtown has risen by
3.8% annually, combining for a total increase of 60% from $567.6 million to
$1.05 billion.3 additionally, for 2009-2011, downtown’s rate of assessment growth
was 15%, exceeding the citywide rate of 6%.
Jobsthere are approximately 30,000 office workers in downtown London. these office
workers are primarily employed in banks, trust companies and the national and
regional head offices.4 Jobs in retail, entertainment, and cultural facilities have not
been inventoried.
PopulationLondon’s downtown population growth has been relatively strong; from 2001 to
2006 the population increased by a quarter, and in the decade following 1996, it
grew over a third. in 2006, downtown London’s population was 3,430 and today
it has reached approximately 5,000. growth in the downtown outpaced that of the
remainder of the central London planning District (includes downtown),
which recorded a growth of 1% during this period. Downtown London still relies
heavily on a day time population for vitality with a ratio of day time to night time
population of 10:1.
3 CITy of LonDon. (2013). STaTe of The DownTown rePorT 2013. reTrIeveD from: hTTP://www.LonDon.Ca/BuSIneSS/PLannInG-DeveLoPmenT/DownTown/DoCumenTS/DrafT-DownTownmP-fInaL-DrafT-June2013-1.PDf. aCCeSSeD 2014 auGuST 28.4 CITy of LonDon. (2010). DownTown PLan BaCkGrounD STuDy. reTrIeveD from: hTTP://www.LonDon.Ca/PLannInG/PDfS/40TheImPorTanCeofTheDownTown.PDf. aCCeSSeD 2011 oCToBer 14.
DownTown haS
30,000+ JoBs
Diversityapproximately 57% of the downtown population is single, versus 28% citywide.
Downtown London has a slightly lower proportion of immigrants (18%) than the
citywide population. additionally, 10% of downtown residents identify themselves
as a visible minority.
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | c o n t E x t 21
HousingWhile the majority of London’s housing stock is single family dwellings, almost all downtown
residents live in apartments. there are also much higher levels of renting in the downtown;
71% of dwellings are rented downtown compared with 38% citywide. Housing prices have
also been rising in the downtown and from 2001 to 2006, the average value of an owned
unit downtown increased by 63%. in addition the downtown has an average household size
of 1.6 compared to 2.4 per household citywide.
Downtown London is adjacent to single family neighbourhoods on all four sides
(north and east - Woodfield; south - soHo; West Blackfriars - petersville). these
neighbourhoods are well connected by pedestrian and cycling trails so residents can
easily access and support the downtown.
DownTown haS
±5000 resiDents
37% popuLation groWtH DoWntoWn BetWeen 1996-2006 (coMpareD to 8% cityWiDe)
18% oF tHe DoWntoWn popuLation are internationaL Migrants (coMpareD to 21% cityWiDe)
1.6is tHe aVerage HouseHoLD siZe (coMpareD to 2.4 cityWiDe)
DownTown DoeS noT have any LarGe formaT GroCery SToreS, yeT IT DoeS have a freSh ProDuCe markeT(coVent garDen MarKet)
The renaISSanCe ConDomInIum aT The Corner of rIDouT STreeT & kInG STreeT
Land usesDowntown London is dominated by office, retail, and transportation uses. residential uses occupy a sixth
of all land uses. Many large city properties with public infrastructure are also located downtown (Budweiser
gardens, convent garden Market). on the boundaries of the downtown are two large parks.
downtown london land uSES
Land use by ParcelCOMMErCIaLInDuSTrIaLInSTITuTIOnaLParKS & OPEn SPaCErESIDEnTIaLTranSPOrTaTIOn
DunDaS ST
22 c o n t E x t | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
Public realma decade ago, with downtown retail significantly declining and with few residents –
the “spaces” in downtown London struggled to attract the people they needed to be
vital. in response, the city has invested in the public realm, making it more attractive
and drawing increased activity to the downtown, which in turn attracts even more
activity and helps to accelerate the downtown revitalization process.
the public realm has also been enhanced through the introduction of new
infrastructure, street trees, benches and other furniture, and more pedestrian-
friendly streets. secondly, the city has created financial incentives to support the
private sector in upgrading the heritage building stock. these two processes are
interconnected, because as the public leads the way on major new investments
it can entice the private sector to upgrade their own sites to improve the
attractiveness of the area. For example, the construction of the Budweiser gardens
has stimulated the lease-up of storefronts along adjacent King street.
London is known as “the Forest city.” the treescape of Dundas street has
deteriorated over the past 20 years. at one time there were many more trees
than currently exists. reasons for their demise include inadequate soil conditions,
mechanical damage, lack of maintenance, and harsh urban environments. More
recently an emerald ash Bore infestation has further decimated the street tree
population as ash was the most common tree species planted in the downtown area.
new planting technology has allowed trees to be established in more suitable soil
conditions that will improve their survival, health, growth, aesthetic appeal, and
environmental benefits that they will provide. a downtown tree planting strategy is
being developed to diversify the number of tree species and “reforest” the downtown.
Downtown has green edges to the north and the west, with a number of large parks
surrounding it – Victoria, Harris, Labatt, and ivey parks. However, the downtown
itself contains minimal open spaces and the Downtown plan report 2010 identified
the need for “smaller ‘pocket parks,’ small squares and seating areas.” the city
has created public squares and spaces at talbot and Dundas street and Budweiser
gardens. covent garden Market has also developed a significant public space that
features picnic tables, cafe tables with umbrellas and street vendors at the front.
Most recently, a national design competition was undertaken to design the Market
Lane connection which links Dundas street to covent garden Market.
approach to Downtown Investmentsthe city of London has taken progressive approaches to reviving its once
struggling downtown. Major investments in strategically located buildings and
facilities, as well as the public realm have brought increased activity and new
residents to the downtown. yet the city has been patient with the revitalization
process, taking many small steps over the past two decades.
ConnectivityDowntown London is moving toward more pedestrian and transit-oriented
development. new residents are increasingly moving around on foot, with 42% of
downtown residents walking or biking to work and 14% taking public transit. the
downtown is connected to 70% of the city’s 38 transit routes.
However, the downtown has a strong presence of vehicles with the current mode
split for commuters accessing downtown by transit at 7%.5 in 2008 the parking
supply in downtown was 14,268 spaces.
5 CITy of LonDon. (2010). DownTown PLan - new IDeaS, oPTIonS, reCommenDaTIonS anD ImPLemenTaTIon. reTrIeveD from: hTTP://www.LonDon.Ca/PLannInG/PDfS/newIDeaSoPTIonSImPLemenTaTIonrePorT.PDf. aCCeSSeD 2012 January 17.
wInnInG DeSIGn for markeT Lane By haPa. PhoTo By JuLIe mIChauD anD arT LIerman
DownTown haS
14,268 parKing staLLs
5 DesignateD anD
32 ListeD Heritage properties
DoWntoWn’s BuiLDing Footprint is 33Ha; tHereFore
70% oF LonDon’s DoWntoWn area is not coVereD By a BuiLDing
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | c o n t E x t 23
3.3. importance of dundas Street in the city of London transportation Systemthe current role and function of Dundas street in Downtown London is
that of a primary collector as defined by the city’s road classification.
the road’s two way operation and one lane per direction capacity are
well suited to its role as the “Main street” of the city, as described
through public consultation in the development of the Downtown plan.
the downtown section of Dundas street also functions as part of a major
cross-town arterial route through its connection to riverside Drive to the
west, and King street to the east of the downtown.
Dundas street also functions as part of a larger road grid in the
downtown. this is a very important feature of downtown London
because the capacity to move into, within and out of the downtown is
shared by all the roads in this grid. this includes the east-west york
street, King street and Queens avenue arterials, and the north-south
richmond street and Wellington street arterials. intersecting with these
arterial routes are the associated grid of primary collectors that include
Dundas street for east-west movement, and ridout street, talbot
street, clarence street, Waterloo street and colborne street for north-
south movement. this road grid serves auto, truck, transit, cycling and
pedestrian movement in downtown London, providing a high degree of
redundancy in the downtown road network.
this redundancy is advantageous for the downtown because it provides the opportunity to consider options on how dundas Street functions through this area. Examples of these options range from a continued status quo operation, through to a “complete Street” approach designed to safely accommodate all modes of surface transportation. other options can involve a transit-oriented rt concept for the street serving all but private auto use, through to a complete pedestrian mall concept. Even the pedestrian mall concept can be further refined as being either permanent, or involve event/seasonal closure to auto traffic.
eventual selection of a preferred functional concept for Dundas street
in the downtown will be required so that detailed implementation
plans, designs and associated cost estimates can be prepared. this
selection will need to be objectively and traceably evaluated through an
environmental assessment process, which is not within the framework of
this scoping study.
LegendarTS & EnTErTaInMEnTCOMMErCIaLInSTITuTIOnaLParKS & OPEn SPaCE
DunDaS STLIBrary
ConvenTIon
CenTer
markeT
TOTaL CaPITaL InVESTMEnT
>$35M
<$2M
MaJOr CaPITaL InVESTMEnTS In DOWnTOWn LOnDOn – 1998-2012
24 c o n t E x t | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | E x i S t i n g c o n d i t i o n S 25
4. existing conditions
exISTInG DunDaS STreeT. PhoTo By wayneray wayne ray
26 E x i S t i n g c o n d i t i o n S | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | E x i S t i n g c o n d i t i o n S 27
4.1. dundas Street Local attractions
Office
BUDWEISER GARDENS
Office
BUDWEISER GARDENS
DUNDAS STREET
SourCe: DownTownLonDon.Ca
LaBaTT Park25 WiLson aVenue
forkS of The ThameS & SPLaSh PaD
muSeum LonDon421 riDout street n
BuDweISer GarDenS99 DunDas street
CovenT GarDen markeT130 King street
fanShawe CoLLeGe137 DunDas street
markeT Lane LonDon PuBLIC LIBrary251 DunDas street
CITI PLaza355 WeLLington street
LonDon TraIn STaTIon205 yorK street
LonDon ConvenTIon CTr300 yorK street
LeGenD
offICe
DInInG
enTerTaInmenT & CLuBS
TourISm & aTTraCTIonS
reTaIL
ServICeS
PuBLIC
reSIDenTIaL
ParkS
1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
3
4 8
11
67
9
10
5
2
2
28 E x i S t i n g c o n d i t i o n S | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
Wel
lingt
on S
t.
Cla
renc
e S
t.
Ric
hmon
d S
t.
Dundas St.
Talb
ot S
t.
Rid
out S
t. N
.
MARKET LANE
FAN-SHAWE
COLLEGE
LONDON PUBLIC
LIBRARY
J. ALLEN TAYLOR
COVENT GARDENMARKET
THAMES VALLEY
PARKWAY
TRAIN STATION
BUDWEISER GARDENS
COURT HOUSE
MUSEUMLONDON
COUNTYBUILDING
READING GARDEN
BUS STATION
KEY BUILDING
STUDY AREA (BUILDING FACE TO FACE)
OPEN SPACE
KEY PEDESTRIAN DESTINATION
nortH ElEvation
SoutH ElEvation
4.2. Existing Built Formillustrated below is the five block section between Wellington street and the Forks of the thames. the context of Dundas street varies and transitions between blocks and intersections. not every block is alike as the character of the built form and the scale of the street changes.
0m30m
50m
1:500
Wel
lingt
on S
t.
Cla
renc
e S
t.
Ric
hmon
d S
t.
Dundas St.
Talb
ot S
t.
Rid
out S
t. N
.
MARKET LANE
FAN-SHAWE
COLLEGE
LONDON PUBLIC
LIBRARY
CITY PLANNINGDEPT.
COVENT GARDENMARKET
TRAIN STATION
BUDWEISER GARDENS
COURT HOUSE
MUSEUMLONDON
COUNTYBUILDING
READING GARDEN
KEY BUILDING
STUDY AREA (BUILDING FACE TO FACE)
OPEN SPACE
KEY PEDESTRIAN DESTINATION
3 2
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | E x i S t i n g c o n d i t i o n S 29
Wel
lingt
on S
t.
Cla
renc
e S
t.
Ric
hmon
d S
t.
Dundas St.
Talb
ot S
t.
Rid
out S
t. N
.
MARKET LANE
FAN-SHAWE
COLLEGE
LONDON PUBLIC
LIBRARY
J. ALLEN TAYLOR
COVENT GARDENMARKET
THAMES VALLEY
PARKWAY
TRAIN STATION
BUDWEISER GARDENS
COURT HOUSE
MUSEUMLONDON
COUNTYBUILDING
READING GARDEN
BUS STATION
KEY BUILDING
STUDY AREA (BUILDING FACE TO FACE)
OPEN SPACE
KEY PEDESTRIAN DESTINATION
1 reTaIL anD CommerCIaL STreeTSCaPe BeTween weLLInGTon STreeT anD TaLBoT STreeT – these four blocks contain a
combination of new and historical buildings with heights generally between two
to four storeys and some prominent corner buildings of more than five storeys.
the frequent rhythm of doors and windows and varying architectural detail on the
building facades create visual interest and help to contribute to an active street
frontage. there are few trees with none between Wellington and clarence street.
2 InSTITuTIonaL /enTerTaInmenT STreeTSCaPe BeTween TaLBoT STreeT anD rIDouT STreeT norTh – the scale of this
block is very different from the retail/commercial buildings that characterize most
of Dundas street. the built form and massing is dominated by a three large
buildings including Budweiser gardens on the south side and former Bell office
building and court House to the north. there are few doors and entrances on
these buildings, and the street activity drastically fluctuates between larger crowds
during events with minimal pedestrian activity during other times. the street’s
proximity to the Forks of the thames, and reduced pedestrian and automobile
traffic activity compared to most of Dundas street, provides an opportunity to
create a distinct streetscape and public spaces such as a “garden plazas” with
frequent trees and landscaping. this is the only section of Dundas street that has
any appreciable number of street trees. these trees have only been established in
2009.
3 CuLTuraL / Green STreeTSCaPe BeTween rIDouT STreeT norTh anD The ThameS rIverfronT this block is adjacent to the
ivey park, the splash pad and the thames riverfront and houses important cultural
destinations such as Museum London and the county Building. as such this area
is a recreational and a cultural destination for visitors and residents alike. the scale
and the character is distinctly recreational but the needs of vehicular traffic need to
be balanced as well.
in response to these three different built-form conditions and character, it will be
important to consider different degrees of flexibility within the blocks themselves,
and the means to integrate the public realm between these blocks.
overall, the street can be defined by three distinct character areas:
1
30 E x i S t i n g c o n d i t i o n S | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
4.3. dundas Street issues & opportunities analysisSubJEct iSSuES/conStraintS oPPortunitiES
Built Environment
narrowness of the street and the competing interests of pedestrians,
businesses, parking, vehicles & transit
transform Dundas street into a piazza-style corridor through a pedestrian-oriented concept
create a continuous streetscape that is attractive, interesting, well-maintained and comfortable for pedestrians
although Dundas is seen as the city’s “main street” it is not widely
regarded as comfortable or attractive environment for strolling, sidewalk
cafes, outdoor retailing and other pedestrian-oriented activities.
promote a high standard of design for downtown development and public spaces that is conducive to a safe and attractive pedestrian
environment and make Dundas street the most exciting street in London
provide flexible on-street parking to free up space for pedestrians and more sidewalk presence for cafes, patios, store displays, etc.
Lack of liveliness on talbot to ridout street integrate the public realm between the three distinct streetscapes
Despite smaller pockets of open areas and green spaces a larger distinct
“public space / square” is missing.
opportunity for Dundas street itself to serve many purposes for distinct public square.
gaps or “dead spaces” in the built form along the streetscape provide special consideration for unique spaces such as Market Lane
natural Environment Minimal street trees along Dundas street preserve existing trees and plant new trees to create an urban canopy where possible, add infrastructure creating larger soil volumes to
sustain canopy trees.
poor pedestrian connection between Dundas street and the Forks of the
thames
since the character of talbot/ridout is different from the other three blocks, there is an opportunity to transition to the river with a
unique design and landscaping (e.g. “green” street)
Infrastructure & Servicing
1. High concentration of infrastructure in varying states of repair With full reconstruction of surface works the opportunity exists for various municipal services and utilities to upgrade their buried
infrastructure at the same time minimizing restoration costs to be borne by each utility, using standard and non-standard locations so
all new infrastructure will fit.
2. separation of private storm and sanitary flows the separation of storm and sanitary flows within the older parts of the city of London continue to be a major focus for the city.
notwithstanding the major works that were completed in the 1960’s with the installation of new storm and sanitary sewers on Dundas
street, there remain a number of private building units where the storm and sanitary have not been appropriately separated within the
buildings. the reconstruction of Dundas street provides an opportunity to extend storm private drain connections into the buildings
facilitating future separation. Further incentives could be provided to building owners to encourage them to undertake the modifications
within their buildings to separate storm and sanitary flows increasing the efficiency of the municipal sewer system.
3. excavations for maintenance and repair results in an unattractive
patchwork of surface repairs
With the concentration of services and utilities along Dundas street, excavations for remedial works and maintenance are unavoidable.
a comprehensive review of the current state of utilities and services and the subsequent implementation of upgrades in advance of the
reconstruction of surface works on Dundas street will serve to minimize future maintenance works. Further, new pavement structures
can be designed to facilitate surface restorations without significant pavement scarring.
4. Disruption to businesses and services during construction given the extent of works, there will be major disruption to local businesses during the construction. Disruption can be minimized by
ensuring that the extent of works undertaken can be completed including full surface restoration within a single construction season.
5. ease of Maintenance With full reconstruction of surface works, the opportunity exists for various municipal services and utilities to upgrade and relocate their
buried infrastructure in a manner that can be easily maintained. provision of covered utility trench along the sidewalk will ensure that
any maintenance work can be carried out without disrupting the traffic, sidewalks and businesses.
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | E x i S t i n g c o n d i t i o n S 31
SubJEct iSSuES/conStraintS oPPortunitiES
Transportation & Transit
street is a constrained space for both buses and pedestrians remove east-west bus travel from Dundas street between Wellington and ridout, re-routing buses as appropriate to the city’s transit
objectives.
pedestrian congestion around transit stops. Loitering around transit
stops; bus noise, dust, vibrations deter potential for lingering.
the destination needs to be a place to “linger” in a positive way.
Dundas street through downtown London carries an average of up to
8,000 vehicles a day depending on location, according to city data.
this is noticeably less than other downtown arterial streets such as york
street or Queens avenue that carry up to 20,000 or 13,000 vehicles
daily respectively.
Dundas street in the downtown operates as a “retail Main street”, according to the Downtown plan, and within a relatively dense grid
of streets. this makes it different than other streets through the downtown. and so it should not be expected to operate the same as
other streets in terms of traffic movement and management. a retail Main street is intended to operate at a generally slow pace, with
ample visibility and accessibility to businesses and attractions along the route. the planting of trees along retail streets has been shown
to increase sales and boast local economy.
Traffic Operations, Pedestrian Movement and Parking
With one lane of traffic per direction and on-street parking on each side,
Dundas street cannot currently accommodate designated cycling lanes.
accommodating cycling on Dundas street in the downtown could be achieved either by taking space from on-street parking, or
designating the travel lanes as “sharrow” lanes as has been done elsewhere in the downtown.
the ability to move people and goods on Dundas street is limited by the
space available from building face to building face. this width cannot
be changed without wholesale removal of buildings, and so is not a
reasonable concept.
When dealing with limited roadway width to manage traffic, the first opportunity to investigate is to provide minimum roadway
geometry. this can include minimum lane width and minimum radius at corners. the city’s Design specifications and requirements
Manual (september 2012) should be referred to in order to either identify geometric reduction opportunities, or the potential to actually
reduce standards where feasible and supported by national and provincial roadway engineering guidelines.
it is recognized that current rapid transit planning in London includes
one routing option on Dundas street between richmond and Wellington
streets in the Downtown. if this option is to be further evaluated as part
of a rapid transit environmental assessment, assessing the impacts of
such a change on traffic operations would be critical. the extent of such
impacts would be dictated by whether potential rapid transit on Dundas
street would operate in mixed traffic or an exclusive right of way. in
mixed traffic, the impacts could be minor except at stops. in an exclusive
right-of-way, rapid transit operation can limit or restrict certain vehicle
turning movements.
owing to the relatively narrow width of Dundas street, one option for potential rapid transit service along Dundas street would be to
operate in a piazza-style corridor where private motorized vehicles are restricted. this would leave the available right-of-way for rapid
transit, pedestrian, and cyclist movement.
the existing on-street parking along Dundas street in the Downtown
takes away limited space for movement of autos, transit, cyclists and
pedestrians, establishing trees and space for outdoor activities.
parking is recognized as an important component of any transportation system. in Downtown London there are 1,860 municipal
and 12,250 private off-street parking spaces, and 714 on-street parking stalls. the tMp also allows for the reduction of parking
requirements where feasible, and supports the development of central parking facilities (i.e. underground garages). However, any
Dundas street option that would remove on-street parking is expected to meet with strong merchant opposition along the street. one
practical way of addressing such concerns is to incorporate additional off-street parking supply in close proximity to Dundas street to
create a parking supply equilibrium.
32 E x i S t i n g c o n d i t i o n S | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
SubJEct iSSuES/conStraintS oPPortunitiES
Walking is the most basic and essential travel mode. the sidewalks
along Dundas street must provide for maximum accessibility by all users,
no matter their physical or cognitive ability.
the Downtown plan recognizes that most of Dundas street in the downtown attracts high volumes of pedestrian use. With the grid of
streets and especially arterial thoroughfares in the downtown, the city has an opportunity to focus on pedestrian movement on Dundas
street as the first transportation priority. the existing pace and type of vehicular traffic along Dundas street can be compatible with
more outdoor sidewalk activities along the street.
one function of Dundas street that must be considered in any
improvement planning is the ability to serve business loading and
unloading. providing and enforcing loading/unloading zones is key
to many business operations. Where rear lane space is limited or
non-existent, businesses must continue to be provided with delivery
capabilities on Dundas street.
Delivery vehicles can be accommodated on a street that restricts car and truck use through provision of moveable barriers (i.e.
bollards) and restricted delivery times. Deliveries to/from side street may also be possible if distances to businesses being served is not
excessive. However, any alternative method for loading/unloading is generally not as practical or acceptable as having loading/unloading
zones provided on the street.
each downtown intersection must operate at an acceptable Level-of-
service (Los). However, the traffic Los in a downtown, where the traffic
progression should be slow and steady, visibility to building faces should
be maximized and where there are high pedestrian crossing volumes is
different that the Los provided in other areas of the city.
there are two aspects of Downtown traffic conditions in London that benefit future opportunities for Dundas street. the first is the fact
that traffic volumes and associated management requirements occur during peak and off-perk periods. the city may consider providing
capacity on Dundas street to meet off-peak demand, recognizing that Los can deteriorate during the peak periods. Motorists would
then have the option of either altering their travel times or use alternative routes in response to any Los reduction during peak period.
Socio-Economic
the “health” and image of the Downtown have an impact on city-wide
economic development as they are among the criteria used by new
companies and businesses to select locations for investment.
Dundas street is rarely regarded as a first-choice shopping,
entertainment, or cultural destination.
this ability to alter travel routes in Downtown London is seen as a major advantage of the downtown street grid. Motorist, as well as
cyclists and pedestrians would have the ability to divert to alternative routes in response to any Los issues along Dundas street. only
public transit would be restricted to established transit routes through the Downtown.
Dundas street is not an appealing enough place for a large-scale
investment, and there is currently a spread of office buildings north on
richmond rather than along Dundas street.
create an attractive location for new businesses and with a distinctive, high quality retail/commercial environment
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | d u n d a S S t r E E t v i S i o n 33
kInG STreeT, kITChener, on
5. dundas Street Vision
34 d u n d a S S t r E E t v i S i o n | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
5.1. review of city of London Studies & reportsMany studies have helped develop the vision for this project and affect this initiative.
the studies that were reviewed as part of the scoping study to understand the
background of the project included the following:
• the London plan. Draft May 2014
• our Move Forward: London’s Downtown plan (January 2015)
• report to the civic Works committee on Dundas street improvements
Formulating and implementation plan (May, 2012)
• London report, the Value of investing in canadian Downtowns, cul (May 2012)
• 2011 state of the Downtown report, city of London
• city of London plan (1989)
• Downtown plan Background studies (2009-2012;
• Downtown Vision (nov 2010)
• a Blueprint for action - report of the Downtown task Force (Feb, 2008)
• Downtown revitalization strategy (2007)
• Formation of an urban Design section and an urban Design peer review panel
• Development of Downtown urban Design guidelines
• Downtown Heritage conservation District plan and conservation guideline
(March 2012)
• transportation Master plan (smart Moves)
• Future planning of a Downtown Brt, and
• ongoing Bicycle Master planning.
• uban Forest strategy
since other studies have summarized many of these reports, a more useful exercise
for this scoping study is to highlight the key recommendations that are relevant to
Dundas street.
The London Plan. Draft May 2014
“Dundas street will be the most exciting street in the city, offering a multitude of experiences as one progresses along its length. We will connect strongly to our birthplace, at the Forks of the thames river, where we will create beautifully landscaped “people places” that Londoners will gravitate toward. and, we will cherish our heritage streetscapes that tell the story of our past, and create a unique and enriching setting that will give our core a strong sense of place and identity.” —tHe LonDon pLan. DraFt May 2014, p. 199
the London plan is the result of extensive community conversations through a
highly publicized public engagement campaign called rethink London, which
utilized various modes of community outreach including 80 community events,
surveys and social media. Londoners were asked to conceive a vision for their city
for the year 2035 – a 20 year outlook from 2015, the proposed completion year of
the finalized document.
in response to London’s new and changing context, the London plan was
developed using eight key directions that define the exciting, exceptional and
connected approach:
1. plan strategically for a prosperous city
2. connect London to the surrounding region
3. celebrate and support London as a culturally rich, creative, and diverse city
4. Become one of the greenest cities in canada
5. Build a mixed-use compact city
6. place a new emphasis on creating attractive transportation choice
7. Build strong and attractive neighbourhoods for everyone
8. Make wise planning decisions
as identified by the London plan, Dundas street is part of the Vision for the
Downtown place type which focuses on creating a Downtown neighbourhood which
is exciting, vibrant and provides a high quality of urban living with housing, services
and amenities to serve the diverse London population. in terms of the city structure
plan, which provides a framework of the numerous systems and/or networks that
make up London, the Downtown will “serve as the highest-order mixed-use centre
and unique in the city.” (p.199) and provide ample connections and linkages to the
vast recreational network, proposed transit villages and major rail lines. in addition,
the Downtown will have the tallest buildings and highest densities permitted and all
planning and development application will be reviewed by the urban Design peer
review panel to ensure alignment with multiple proposed policies and guidelines.
in support of cultural and innovative programming to create a city which is culturally
rich and diverse, the London plan specifically calls for an action to “improve the
vibrancy of Dundas street, our cultural corridor, which runs through old east
Village and the Downtown, and enhance connections to the thames river.” (p. 179)
in addition, the plan recommends to “Design streets, parking spaces and public
spaces that can be transformed or activated to support festivals/events on weekend
or low-peak traffic periods, including Dundas street between the Forks of the
thames and Wellington road.” (p. 180)
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | d u n d a S S t r E E t v i S i o n 35
Our Move Forward London’s Downtown Plan, January 2015the Downtown plan provides detailed direction for public investment that will
influence Downtown London’s future success.
overall, the plan looks to identify major pieces that can continue to help the
Downtown flourish. the strategic directions and implementation tools will assist
citizens, businesses and city staff in creating a Downtown that is livable and
enjoyable for all residents and visitors.
the Downtown plan is organised into five sections: planning Framework, strategic
Directions, transformational projects, tools and implementation and targets.
the transformational projects describe specific areas of improvement in the
downtown, ultimately improving the overall experience for visitors and resident alike.
some of the projects and actions may occur immediately, while others will occur
over the long term subject to budget processes. implementing these projects will
deliver the overall vision of the Downtown and secure its place as the preeminent
destination for the city and region. these projects are important as they are
primarily public investments in the Downtown that set the context and environment
for private sector investment. the main focus of these projects is to improve the
public realm, and the pedestrian experience and create improved amenities for
downtown living, business development and connection to the downtown.
36 d u n d a S S t r E E t v i S i o n | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
Transformational Projects
dundaS PlacE markEt diStrict QuEEnS Station
forkS of tHE tHamES croSS-rivEr connEction
PErformancE vEnuE
ricHmond walk clarEncE StrEEt
city gatEway connEctor allEy way
Dundas place (Flexible street) transformational project
amongst the six strategic Directions identified in the
Downtown plan, Dundas street revitalization has been
identified as strategic Direction 1.
the priority is to make Dundas street the most exciting place
in London. in order to achieve this mandate, the Dundas
place transformational project has been identified.
the Dundas place transformational projects looks to
transform Dundas street into a seamless flexible street and
linear public space. a unifying surface treatment will extend
from building face to building face, enabling the space in
between to easily transition functions at different times of the
year.
a project such as this is important because it identifies
and re-enforces Dundas street as the most exciting street
in the city. lt enhances downtown’s historical context. lt
supports the street’s development as a premiere destination
for cultural and entertainment events that can easily and
frequently merge with adjacent commercial enterprises to
create diverse multi-sensory experiences.
By implementing the flexible street, it provides an
exceptional public amenity for those living in the downtown
neighbourhood and space well-equipped to routinely provide
programmed events compelling for visitar to the downtown.
similar projects on a scale ofthis nature in north america are
rare and certainly this provides London with an opportunity
to showcase how public space, land use and transportation
can be innovatively combined to create a great place to·visit,
live and do business.
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | d u n d a S S t r E E t v i S i o n 37
The Value of Investing in Canadian Downtowns, Canadian urban Institute, May 2012this report examines 10 canadian downtowns (Halifax, Fredericton, ottawa,
toronto, London, Winnipeg, saskatoon, edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria)
assessing changes in attitudes, perceptions, functionality and performance over
time. specifically for London, the report first provides a socio-economic snapshot
of downtown London and then highlights the four major investment / incentives
that have helped stimulate growth in downtown London including their benefits, as
summarized below:
1. InVESTInG In KEy CuLTuraL, EnTErTaInMEnT anD EDuCaTIOnaL FaCILITIES TO BrInG nEW FunCTIOnS TO THE DOWnTOWn the city has been committed to leading by example and showing the private
sector that the municipality is confident enough to make major investments in the
downtown. the city has been investing heavily in key cultural, educational and
entertainment facilities in downtown London.
these new buildings and the related activity have then helped stimulate growth in
the surrounding areas. the city has also invested in upgrading the heritage assets
of the city, through interest-free loans and grants to improve facades. the city
has been very strategic in its approach, tracking (on a parcel level) the success of
its investments and being able to understand how these investments are helping
revitalize the downtown. these cultural and entertainment facilities that bring new
uses and functions are capable of drawing people to the downtown. these include:
the Budweiser gardens, covent garden Market and the transformation of galleria
Mall to citi plaza and London’s central Library.
overall, the city’s efforts to revitalize downtown London have been paying off.
since 2000, 1135 building permits have been issued in the downtown with a
reported value of $352.7 million.
2. InCEnTIVES TO EnHanCE HErITaGE BuILDInGS anD rEVITaLIzE THE DOWnTOWn London has a significant number of heritage buildings in its downtown, with
Dundas and richmond streets’ streetscapes largely intact. Façade upgrades
and repurposing and readapting heritage buildings to modern uses have been
a key focus of city investments. More specifically, the city has offered a wide
range of incentives downtown since the 1980s that have resulted in significant
enhancement of its heritage features. this has had major benefits for the public
realm and allowed London to develop its own unique and distinct downtown. the
city has been working to restore and repurpose heritage buildings, wherever
possible. For example, the J allyn taylor Building was restored to accommodate the
Medical Hall of Fame, city offices, and offices of tourism London. Moreover the
city is supporting Fanshawe college in its multi-phase plans that aim to develop a
satellite campus in several downtown buildings.
on a more micro scale, the city has heavily invested in incentives and loans as
a way to encourage the improvement of building façades and existing buildings.
the city first developed the Facade improvement Loan program in 1988. it was
expanded in 1998 when council adopted the Downtown Millennium plan, which
included two new incentive programs – the upgrade to Building code Loan
program and the redevelopment grant program. these three incentive programs
helped drastically improve the state of London’s downtown with noticeable
increases in the assessment base, private sector investment, and residential
development. While these programs were positive, the city recognized that the
main commercial corridors along Dundas and richmond streets were still in a state
of decline. in 2008 council adopted a second set of incentive programs that were
aimed at downtown property owners located along these corridors through the
creation of a targeted incentive Zone that included seven new incentive programs.
since 2008, the city of London has issued a combined total of 104 grants and
loans worth $1.1 million, leveraging a remarkable $3.8 million in construction
value. this means that the downtown receives $2.44 of investment for every $1.00
given out in loans and grants by the city of London. the popularity of these grants
continues to rise and applications from 2008 to 2010 increased steadily from 16 to
49 applications respectively.
3. GrEEn EDGES FOr THE DOWnTOWnthe city has also invested in parks outside the downtown boundaries – the
Forks of the thames to the west and Victoria park to the north. While outside
the downtown boundary, these parks are a major asset for drawing people to the
downtown and strengthening connections between the downtown and surrounding
neighbourhoods
4. DOWnTOWn InVESTMEnT PrOJECTS: several projects are underway or expected in the city’s downtown, which aim to
increase productivity, activity and the pedestrian experience in downtown London,
which include the following:
• Downtown London with the city of London installed WiFi technology throughout
its entire downtown area.
• Fanshawe college will be introducing 1000 new students and 75 staff over the
next 5 years.
• pedestrian enhancements to remain as a legacy of hosting the 2013 World
Figure skating championships to be held at the Budweiser gardens.
• new technology and techniques are being employed in the planting of trees that
result in larger and healthier trees being able to be sustained.
38 d u n d a S S t r E E t v i S i o n | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
Downtown London Heritage Conservation District Study Final Report
In association with: • SJMA Architecture Inc. • Michael Baker, Historian • Sylvia Behr, Landscape Heritage Consultant
January 2011 161401203
Submitted by: STANTEC CONSULTING LTD.
Downtown London Heritage Conservation District Plan – March 2012• the primary eastern entrance into the district occurs on Dundas street at
Wellington street ‘where the street profile narrows and the buildings form a
tight, unified wall along the sidewalk. this results in a inviting human scale
to the buildings and streetscape within the northern and southwest corners
framing the view from the east approach.” (p. 5.43)
• one of the implementation guidelines states that policies and programs should
address:
“the preservation of streetscapes (or return to former characteristics) to
maintain the feel and sense of Downtown as it is and has been while allowing for
intensification and evolution.”
Downtown Plan new Ideas, Options, recommendations and Implementation report – June 2010
“Because of its visibility and its importance as the ‘mainstreet’ of the city, the rejuvenation of Dundas street should be one of the top priorities over the next few years... one of the problems with Dundas street is its narrowness and the competing interests of pedestrians, businesses, parking, vehicles and transit.” (p. 40)
this report includes ‘issues raised through the public process and a series of
preliminary recommendations.
KEy ExCErPTS: • in november 2006, the planning committee reviewed a report which contained
a vision statement for Dundas and richmond street, the main pedestrian
corridors in the Downtown. it stated:
“Dundas street is recognized as London’s Main street, and is the focus of
the city’s revitalization efforts. Dundas street will be a thriving, bustling and
attractive streetscape that offers numerous distinctive culture, arts, recreation,
entertainment, niche retail, restaurant, and service uses, during the morning, day
and evening. these uses will create a continuous streetscape that is attractive,
interesting, well-maintained and comfortable for pedestrians. there will be no
gaps or “dead spaces” in the Dundas street streetscape between colborne and
talbot street. Heritage buildings will constitute a large portion of the streetscape
to provide architectural interest, a unique identity and a strong tie to our past”
(p. 7)
Downtown Plan Background Study 2009this Background study provides an overview of downtown planning initiatives and
highlights important goals set in other documents.
KEy ExCErPTS: • goal of the community strategic plan, “Heart of the city,” states that: “our goal
is to enhance the Downtown as a unique community and the Heart of the city.
the Downtown shall be a place where people are attracted to live, work, shop
and play.”
• current official plan (approved by council June 19, 1989) laid out the
Downtown goal: “it is the goal of this plan to promote Downtown revitalization,
and to strengthen the role of the Downtown as the historic, cultural, institutional
and economic heart of the city and region.”
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | d u n d a S S t r E E t v i S i o n 39
Downtown Plan Identification of Issues and Terms of reference, Jan 26 2009this 2009 report served as the basis for the preparation of the Downtown
Background study, the Downtown plan, the Downtown Heritage conservation
District plan and revised Downtown Design guidelines. it summarizes past efforts
and identifies components of the Downtown which have been studied and were
being addressed at the time. the document also summarizes issues raised through
public process (e.g. connection between downtown and the river across King and
Dundas streets) and possible changes to consider through the master plan process
(e.g. summer pedestrian mall on Dundas street).
KEy ExCErPTS:• statements outlining the importance of the Downtown:
1) the state of a city’s Downtown is often viewed as a reflection of the health
of that city. the “health” and image of the Downtown also have an impact on
economic development as they are among the criteria used by new companies
and businesses to select locations.”
2) Downtowns typically serve as the “meeting place” for major activities and
special events attracting residents from all areas of the city and region.
• retail Land use principle: a successful Downtown presents an economically
attractive location for new businesses and offers a distinctive, high quality retail
environment that acts as an attraction for tourists and citizens. (p. 59)
Presented to the Boards of
February 2008
A Blueprint for Action
R e P o R t o F t h e D o w n t o w n t A s k F o r c e
report of the Downtown Task Force - a Blueprint for action, February 2008KEy ExCErPTS: • recommends establishing the following three primary goals for the next 10
years:
1. Double the number of people living in London’s urban core
2. Make Dundas street the most exciting street in London
3. Make downtown London the greenest in canada.
40 d u n d a S S t r E E t v i S i o n | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
5.2. Synthesis
the following statements capture the essence of the discussion, the policy review and the lessons learned from the case studies. the synthesis which is categorized under, economic, placemaking and direct benefits.
exISTInG DunDaS STreeT. PhoTo By wyLIePoon CC By-nC-nD 2.0
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | d u n d a S S t r E E t v i S i o n 41
Economic• “the success of Dundas street is critical to the success of the Downtown as a
whole, and the redevelopment of London’s Main street should be the focus of the
city’s revitalization efforts.” (excerpt from ‘Financial incentives for revitalization
and redevelopment in the Downtown and the old east Village,’ www.london.ca)
• revitalization on Dundas street is required in order to improve economic
development and to become an appealing place to invest
• urban outfitters’ decision to not locate their new London store on Dundas street
is an example of an economic argument for streetscape revitalization. the retailer
initially looked at a Dundas street site and then decided to move to a “better”
site.
• there is proof that street revitalization has had a positive economic impact in
other projects (e.g. Kitchener)
• “the ‘health’ and image of the Downtown is often viewed as a reflection of
the health of that city. the ‘health and image of the Downtown also have an
impact on economic development as they are among the criteria used by new
companies and business to select locations.” (Downtown plan identification of
issues and terms of reference, Jan 26 2009)
Placemaking• it was noted that pedestrian movement through the city is one of the big “whys”.
• the notion of prioritizing the pedestrian is recognized as a key driver for Dundas
street improvements.
• providing a “flexible street” will allow for a wide-ranging programme of uses.
• it will also allow activity and commerce to spill out onto the street, and to
potentially link the Downtown to the thames river.
• a high-quality public realm and urban streetscape design will attract new
businesses and consumers
• Distinct character and unique design elements will help foster a stronger sense
of identity
Direct Benefits• opportunity to improve infrastructure
• the team discussed that some issues are drivers and some are responders. it
was suggested that the “whys” could be organized into purposes and beneficial
consequences (e.g. traffic, transit, ucc, watermains that need to be replaced.)
• the team agreed that updating, watermains and other utilities will be more cost-
effective when the streets are already opened up.
• it was noted that in many of the buildings along Dundas street sanitary and
storm flows have not been properly separated and there could be an opportunity
to promote the separation of these flows during any reconstruction of Dundas
street.
• the establishment of trees using new technologies will be more cost effective
and allow more trees to be planted when the trees are already opened up.
kInG STreeT, kITChener, onQueen STreeT In nIaGara on The Lake. PhoTo By Tom fLemmInG CC By-nC 2.0 kInG STreeT, kITChener, on
42 d u n d a S S t r E E t v i S i o n | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
5.3. vision Statement
“Make Dundas street the most exciting place in London.” —our MoVe ForWarD: LonDon’s DoWntoWn pLan, January 2015
in order to achieve this mandate, the Dundas place transformational project has been identified.
the Dundas place transformational project looks to transform Dundas street into a seamless flexible
street and linear public space. a unifying surface treatment will extend from building face to building face,
enabling the space in between to easily transition functions at different times of the year.
the design of Dundas street should take an integrated
approach from building face to building face to result in a well
balanced space that will accommodate a range of events and
everyday uses while being an attractive, comfortable, well-
maintained, high-quality public realm.
Dundas street should ultimately become the most exciting
street in London, a people place, with a focus given to the
pedestrian environment.
1. Turn Dundas Street into a flexible street between Wellington Street and the Thames river.
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | d u n d a S S t r E E t v i S i o n 43
Downtown’s economic success is tied to its ability to attract people to visit, live and shop. as Dundas street is a long-time
commercial artery and a spine of civic activity in London, the condition and uses a long Dundas street have a direct reflection
on the health of the downtown as a whole. Dundas street has experienced an evolution of uses and activities over time,
and the street continues to evolve as economic conditions and demographic trends change. lt is important to strengthen the
multidimensional aspects of Dundas street through road improvements, subject to refinement following conclusions from
a project-related environmental assessment, which will better define the feasibility and limitations of this project. these
improvements will create a positive and compelling experience that will attract businesses and visitors.
Dundas street needs to be re-established as London’s preeminent street. When people talk about London, Dundas street
should be their first image. this can be achieved through place-based investments such as pedestrian oriented infrastructure
and event programming.
2. Ensure all public realm works and planning applications support Dundas Street as the City’s premier destination street.
3. relocate bus routes from Dundas Street to create a more flexible public space and promote pedestrian activity.
nIaGara on The Lake. PhoTo By DJ SInGh CC By-nC-nD 2.0
44 d u n d a S S t r E E t v i S i o n | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | P u B L i c t r a n S i t 45
DunDaS STreeT, LonDon, TranSIT BuS. PhoTo By STreeTCar.PreSS CC By-nC-nD 2.0
6. public transit
46 P u B L i c t r a n S i t | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
6.1. London transit Servicespublic transit service has operated on Dundas street since the 1870’s and Dundas street continues
today as a major corridor for Ltc’s bus route network. Dundas street is a major destination point
for commuter public transit users for work as well as users looking to access social, health,
entertainment, education, and financial services in the downtown core.
TrIP PurPoSe – LTC rIDerShIP aLonG DunDaS STreeT
according to the Ltc, some 20 of the system’s 45 routes either operate along, outside or
terminate along the Dundas street corridor between Wellington and ridout streets. over 12,300
boardings are recorded along this stretch each weekday. the intersection of richmond and
Dundas is a major transfer and terminus point between intersecting transit routes. eleven routes
(2,7,8,9,11,12,13,19,20,22,and 23) operate both ways along Dundas with a further seven routes
(3,4,6,13,15,21,and 26) operating both ways on richmond street. other routes serving the Downtown
circulate variously via Queens, talbot, ridout, King, york and clarence. exhibit 2 presents the current
transit route network for the Downtown.
over the years there have been numerous discussions and reports which have dealt with the impact
of removing transit services on Dundas street between ridout and Wellington on the public transit
services and transit users. While the Ltc staff and commission are supportive of the revitalization or
re-scoping effort for Dundas street, they have highlighted that the change has the potential to increase
transit operating costs and could impact transit use.
6.2. London’s rapid transit Planthe city of London is embarking on a major initiative to implement rapid transit within the city. this
initiative builds on the London smart Moves 2030 transportation Master plan (tMp) approved by city
council in June 2012. the current exercise is to undertake a class environmental assessment for an
overall rapid transit Master plan to confirm the preferred form of rapid transit and routing. Following
the Master plan, a more detailed analysis will be undertaken for the preferred routing to complete the
class ea process for both the north-south corridor, the east-west corridor and the downtown. this
process will have regard for the Dundas Flexible street project.
rapid transit will redefine the existing transit routes and operations. a new downtown transit station is
one of the recommendation that could result.
the rapid transit ea process allows for a unique opportunity to rethink the entire design of the
corridors through which transit will travel including the critical downtown area. the analysis will
examine how to redesign corridors from building face to building face in order to create a consistent
and functional urban design. this vision is consistent with the “complete streets” approach to urban
design – creating an environment that is attractive and comfortable for all modes of transportation and
a range of users.
6.3. alternative routing of transit Servicespending the implementation of rapid transit, the elimination of current transit routes along Dundas
from ridout to Wellington or Waterloo, would require that west bound buses be diverted north via
Wellington or Waterloo then west on Queens street to ridout street, and eastbound buses diverted via
ridout street and King street to Wellington or Waterloo then north to Dundas.
routes currently using Dundas in the downtown core as a terminus (end points) would be need to be re-
routed in a loop either via Queens or King streets in order to complete their route and reverse direction.
in view of the distance between the two streets, two separate transit hubs, or transfer points, would
likely need to be created in place of the existing one major transfer point at Dundas/richmond - one
each at Kings and at Queens.
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | P u B L i c t r a n S i t 47
6.4. Financial impactthe Ltc estimates that the required change in the route network configuration and operation of buses
would result in an increased annual operating cost of approximately $282,000 per year, with one-time
costs for infrastructure relocation and customer communications of $170,000, and capital costs of
$1.5 million for three additional buses.
the additional buses would be required to maintain transit service levels (schedules and headways)
due to the projected additional running time required by the re-routing of the routes. Ltc advises that
these additional costs cannot be accommodated within the existing Ltc budget allocation and would
represent a requirement for the city to increase its financial investment in Ltc services.
the above impacts on operating cost could be viewed as conservative. the area of greatest unknown
is the impact on transit operations of closing Dundas to all traffic and the resulting impact on traffic
volumes and flow on the resulting street network. Ltc has assumed some additional running time
(bus travel time) requirements for the many of the routes operating through the area. in particular,
Ltc has allowed for an increase in its overall bus requirement to maintain headways (time between
buses) on three routes hence its projected need for three additional buses. actual experience will, of
course, determine what the cost impact is but, for planning purposes, an assumption of an increase in
operating costs and bus requirements is reasonable.
6.5. implementationprior to the implementation to changes to the transit operations on Dundas street, further study should
be undertaken to minimize the impact of changes on transit operations and ridership.
such a study should would lay out the process for implementing the recommended changes and
would identify specifically how Ltc services would transition away from Dundas street. this would
include specifics of bus stop locations, transit information signage, on-street parking implications,
transit priority needs and the operating and capital budget implications. it is anticipated that the cost to
undertake this type of study may range from $50,000 to $75,000 depending on final study scope.
CurrenT LTC BuS rouTe neTwork
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7. transportation
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Downtown London is the city’s premier transportation node based on its variety and intensity of land uses, places, activities and relating travel. as such, any major change to Dundas street in the context of Downtown London will have to be evaluated against the following scoped transportation considerations.
7.1. road network operationany operational changes that are considered for Dundas street in the Downtown
should allow the street to continue to provide a level-of-service (Los) appropriate
for its role as a main street in a downtown setting. this Los applies not only to
the signalized intersections along Dundas street, but also to how the entire road
section operates in terms of traffic volume compared to the two-lane vehicular
road capacity (the v/c ratio). While the city’s smart Moves transportation Master
plan expects that the upper limit of roadway Los in the city is at Los e, where
traffic volume equals the available road capacity, it also recognizes that some road
sections may operate over capacity especially during the pM peak period. any
significant capacity or operational changes to Dundas street in the downtown
should come with the objective of maintaining or improving traffic operations in the
core area, as measured by Los at no worse that Los e.
note that Los is a six level measurement of the effectiveness of roadway
infrastructure, where Los a is unrestricted free flow and Los F is forced flow or
“gridlock”.
this is not to say that Dundas street in Downtown London should be expected
to operate similar to other major collector roads outside of the downtown. to the
contrary, reductions in motorized travel time and speed on downtown streets are
typically expected as part of the downtown “character”, a character that includes a
slower pace, a mix of various travel modes and exposure to enhanced street friction
and attractions. However, if traffic operations within the Downtown core area
become deficient, this can lead to traffic diversion away from the area, with resulting
potentially negative impacts on access to businesses and services along the street.
impacts on roadway Los can be measured and forecasted using travel demand
forecasting and intersection operation modeling as part of traffic impacts
assessments. accordingly, any proposed future modifications to Dundas street would
warrant the undertaking of a traffic impact study which would identify the implications
of major changes to the road network in the core area and identify mitigation
measures required to maintain the proper level of service on adjacent streets.
7.2. Parkingit is important that Downtown London continues to provide a supply of parking, and
at a cost that serves downtown needs, while at the same time encouraging use of
public transit and active transportation in the Downtown. in terms of parking cost,
both public and private, it should be structured to provide an incentive for short-
term “customer” parking and a disincentive for long-term “storage” parking. any
changes to Dundas street would not be expected to impact the supply of off-street
structured parking in the Downtown, as this supply is provided through Downtown
building projects. However, functional changes to Dundas street, happening from
building face to building face, can include the option of removing some or all on-
street parking so as to use this space for alternative streetscape purposes. any
removal of on-street parking is almost always met with opposition from nearby
businesses. planning for any on-street parking removal therefore requires effective
communication and consultation with the business community to better understand
their parking need and alternative parking opportunities.
there are many examples of very successful downtown places, as for example
shown by section 4 case studies, where parking removal or reduction has
maintained or improved business vitality. the important consideration for the city
is whether a parking supply equilibrium (i.e. no net loss in parking) can or should
be maintained in Downtown London or specifically along Dundas street. a parking
utilization survey would provide information as to how the current on-street parking
is being utilitized and would assist in the decision making as to whether parking and
how much parking is to be provided on Dundas street.
7.3. Enhanced PedestrianizationWalking is the most essential travel mode for most people, and an important
element of Downtown London transportation. enhancing pedestrian movement
opportunities on Dundas street has the potential to attract new and lively activities
to the sidewalks. Widening sidewalks creates more space for sidewalk retailing and
services, ranging from “sidewalk sales” through to outdoor cafes and other food
and beverage operations. More sidewalk activities also draws more “eyes on the
street” (a Jane Jacobs term), which in turn tends to discourage and divert anti-
social behaviour away from active people areas.
7.4. cycling
in ontario, it is illegal for adults to cycle on sidewalks. However, some do in
response to the lack of exclusively marked cycling space on downtown streets such
as Dundas street. Dundas street in the Downtown is a constrained street in terms
of cycling. in such cases, the option to retrofit constrained streets to accommodate
standard on-street bike lanes is not available. However more recently, new changes
to national road design guidelines and transportation legislation allows for the use
of “sharrow” lanes on streets as a way of facilitating cycling on constrained streets.
sharrows involve markings in the center of a travel lane to indicate that a cyclist can
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | t r a n S P o r tat i o n 51
use the full lane. the cycling and motorized vehicles then move down the street in
the same lateral position without requiring added bike lane space at the curb. this
new way of accommodating cycling on narrow or constrained streets should be
considered on Dundas street, and within Downtown London generally, where the
speed, volume and type of motorized traffic make it a feasible option.
7.5. Event Planning and Street closureWhen a downtown sidewalk is widened to accommodate multiple uses, it is
important that the municipality and downtown business organization partner in
effectively using this space. if this is not done, the widened sidewalk will become
only a blank space waiting for activities. combined efforts are needed to program
this outdoor space for a variety of regular activities, usually by the municipality’s
economic development staff working in association with the downtown business
organization.
this collaboration of event planning should also be a part of early streetscape
planning on Dundas street. this process will identify what types of facilities and
service may be required on the street, for example involving electrical power,
lighting and potable water supply to support street events.
Many street events can also require the closure of a portion of Dundas street
in Downtown London. this can be provided with options ranging from simple
temporary barrier structures, through to complex automated bollard systems. the
selection of street closure techniques should be the subject of more detailed Dundas
street planning. this would need to be explored in the design concept stage.
trees should be incorporated into the design of public gathering spaces to allow
more environmental benefits (e.g. shade, cool temperatures) for people using those
spaces. More people will come, they will stay longer and will be more comfortable
while they are there.
okToBerfeST on kInG STreeT, kITChener
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STorm waTer DraInaGe, kInG STreeT, kITChener, on
8. infrastructure review
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8.1. generalany future improvements to Dundas street will need to have regard for the many
municipal services and utilities which extend through the area. Dundas street has
the highest density of these services within the city and it is of utmost importance
that the future planning for improvements along Dundas street have regard for
these services. they not only impact on the scheduling and construction of works
but ultimately, elements of many of the services could impact on the built form.
a brief presentation regarding the shared street concept was made by iBi
group to senior personnel involved in the planning and design of both municipal
infrastructure and major utilities within the city. afterwards, one on one
discussions took place to:
• confirm the extent of existing infrastructure within the study limits;
• identify planned upgrades and improvements within the foreseeable future; and
• Discuss issues of importance to each utility or service, should a major
reconstruction of the Dundas street corridor be undertaken.
the following provides a summary of the information provided by each service or
utility representative.
8.2. municipal Services
Water the city of London has two separate watermains that extend the length of the
project:
• a 300 mm dia cast iron main installed in 1966 which runs along the north side
of the street and extends the entire length from Wellington street through to
ridout street;
• a 150 mm dia cast iron main installed in 1905 which runs along the south side
of the street and extends from Wellington street through to talbot street.
in addition, there are the north/south connections at each of the intersecting side
streets including:
• a 450 mm dia cast iron main at Wellington street;
• a 250 mm dia cast iron main on clarence street;
• a 200 mm dia cast iron main at richmond street;
• a 300 mm dia pVc main on talbot street; and
• a 300 mm dia pVc main on ridout street.
the service connections into the adjacent buildings were originally constructed of
lead pipe however it is anticipated that over the years a number of these services
have since been replaced with copper pipe.
it is not unusual for watermains to have a design life of 70-80 years. as such, the
smaller 150 mm dia cast iron main is past its typical service life and the larger
300 mm main which has been in service for close to 50 years, is approximately
2/3 through its service life. should Dundas street be fully reconstructed, the city
of London Water Division has advised that it would recommend that both the 300
dia main and 150mm diameter main be replaced for the entire section of Dundas
street from Wellington street through to ridout street with new 300mm dia mains
on each side of the street. in addition, any remaining lead water services should be
replaced with more suitable materials in accordance with modern standards.
With the number of services and utilities running through the relatively narrow
Dundas street corridor, it will be difficult to find clean running lanes for any new
services. the experience of the Water Division is that there is already a significant
amount of congestion of services in the area and they have found that there are
several locations throughout the corridor where their mains are located underneath
other utility conduits and structures. given the extent of congestion, any new
watermains will likely need to be located either immediately adjacent to or in the
same location as the existing mains. this will require the installation of temporary
mains on both sides of the street in order to maintain water service to existing
customers. these temporary service mains with service connections will run along
the surface of the street and will add to the overall disruption to businesses and
services along Dundas street during the construction phase of the project.
any remaining lead services would need to be replaced. typically the city would
undertake to replace the service from the main to the property limit or the building
face. However in this instance, the work would likely require replacement of the
services to just inside the building face up to the water meter which would require
the cooperation of the building owner.
a number of the mains on existing side streets are also cast iron mains and it is
anticipated that the new main replacements on Dundas street would also include
lateral main replacements through the intersections to beyond the curb returns on
the adjacent side streets.
the placement and configuration for fire hydrants will be an item that will need to
be resolved at the time of final design of the reconstruction works.
given the physical constraints, conflicts with other utilities, the need for temporary
service works, and the need for close coordination with local businesses
and customers, it is anticipated that the replacement works and upgrades of
watermains along Dundas street will be undertaken at a cost premium.
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Wastewater and Drainagea major reconstruction of the city’s storm and sanitary infrastructure was
completed in the mid-1960’s which included the installation of a 2400mm dia
storm trunk combined with a 675 sanitary sewer along the south side of Dundas
street along with new storm and sanitary services to the building face. this
improvement was completed in response to flooding in the core area as well as
the need to separate storm and sanitary flows. the anticipated design life for these
works is approximately 100 years and there are no further works planned for either
main line storm or sanitary sewers within the Dundas street corridor.
notwithstanding the major works that were completed in the 1960’s, the
separation of storm and sanitary flows in the core area remains an issue. although
new private drain connections (pdc’s) were installed to the building face in 1964,
a number of building owners along Dundas street have yet to separate their storm
and sanitary flows within the building units. in order minimize future excavations
within the Dundas street corridor, it would be beneficial to extend any unconnected
storm pdc’s into the buildings. similar to the water servicing, this work would
require the cooperation of the building owners. once the storm pdc’s were
extended into the building, further work would be required inside the building to
separate storm and sanitary flows. this work would remain the responsibility of the
building owner and the need for some form of by-law to enforce the requirement
to complete separation works within private building units was raised by city staff.
the implementation of separation strategy would need to be explored during the
final planning and design phases of the project.
the work completed to date along Dundas street has been successful in ensuring
that 100% of dry weather sanitary flows along Dundas street are conveyed within
the sanitary sewer system to the wastewater treatment plant. However, along with
issues of private storm connections being connected to the sanitary sewer, there
remain a number of cross-connected storm drains on some of the adjacent side
streets and works along Dundas street may provide opportunities to implement
further separation measures within the road allowance. although there would be
no mainline sewer works for either storm or sanitary sewers, allowances have been
made within the preliminary cost estimates to allow for improvements at intersections
as well as the extension of any unconnected storm pdc’s into the building units.
Storm Drainage / Stormwater Management / Low Impact Developmenta number of sustainable planning principles can be incorporated into the planning
and design of the Dundas street infrastructure and streetscape. these include:
• implementation of water conservation and water capture measures, particularly
for irrigation purposes
• improvement or enhancement of stormwater runoff quality and quantity
characteristics
• recognition of the reality of climate change and its potential impact on storm
events
• creation of open space, landscape elements, and establishment of trees that
enhance the built environment to reduce water runoff and capture, store, and
regulate water quality and quantity
the density of development and the extent of impervious surfaces associated
with typical development in the downtown core area serve to complicate the
implementation of any conventional stormwater management controls. However,
these constraints combined with the permeable soils characteristic of the core
area, do provide some limited opportunity for the implementation of Low impact
Development (LiD) measures. Low impact Development is defined as a stormwater
management strategy that seeks to mitigate the impacts of increased runoff
and stormwater pollution by managing runoff as close to its source as possible
through the implementation of small scale structural practices that mimic the
natural or pre-development hydrology through the processes of infiltration,
evaportranspiration, harvesting, filtration and the detention of stormwater. these
practises reduce the volume and intensity of stormwater flows and effectively
remove nutrients, pathogens and contaminants from runoff. there are numerous
measures which can be applied to achieve these goals and their practical
application within the Dundas street corridor may be limited, however a number of
opportunities do exist, including:
• the harvesting of runoff for irrigation;
• the use of recent technology such as silva cells to provide uncompacted soil
material below ground while allowing above ground soil infrastructure and trees
and other green infrastructure to be incorporated into the design
• the use of pervious pavements in strategic locations
• the use of infiltration trenches, galleries, bio-swales and soakaway pits
a similar approach was applied on the King street project in Kitchener, on where
curb inlets were directed to landscape areas with overflows in turn directed to the
storm sewers.
it should be noted that some elements of these strategies can be designed and
constructed to be more visible and to provide an educational component with
respect to sustainability measures applied throughout the corridor.
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Traffic Signals and Street Lightingif Dundas street were to be reconstructed, the city would likely re-construct all of
its lighting and traffic infrastructure within the project limits. they would also want
to install a new fibre optic cable and duct the length of the project to accommodate
internal it and communications. given the congestion of utilities throughout the
length of study area new infrastructure works would need to be closely coordinated
with other proposed utility works. notwithstanding the extent of underground plant
congestion, the opportunity does exist to consolidate and upgrade plant potentially
providing some relief to the overall congestion.
although the core area has decorative poles and fixtures, it is anticipated that the
existing type and style would not be compatible with the proposed upgraded street
elements and it is therefore anticipated that all these elements would be replaced
with new poles and fixtures extending along both sides of the street for the length
of the project.
other items related to street fixtures which fall within the control of the parking and
Licensing Division, include the parking kiosks and informational kiosks which have
been installed along the length of Dundas street. Where street parking is provided,
parking meter kiosks need to be spaced no more 12 car lengths away from the
furthest parking space. there also needs to be appropriate space provided for
bicycle parking.
the city currently has a number of “informational” kiosks which are used to post
bulletins and notices for upcoming events. these kiosks also serve an alternative
use which is to contain the hydro connections and meters that are spaced along
Dundas street for special event use. in the future planning of improvements to
Dundas street, consideration will need to be given to upgrading these type of
special event services and as well as where they are to be located.
Street TreesLivability and pedestrian comfort in a street environment is enhanced by the
green elements of that space. trees and plantings will promote a positive image
of Dundas street. these elements also help to provide shade on hot days and
provide some shelter on rainy days. overall green infrastructure ensures a positive
pedestrian experience, which support a vibrant and successful retain environment.
there is an opportunity to not only add trees and landscaping along Dundas street
but to work towards green infrastructure and buildings. through these methods
we will help to create a more comfortable pedestrian environment by reducing the
heat island effect and ensuring Dundas street is not only a great place to be, but
promote Downtown London as a progressive city.
the 2008 task force key concept was to make the downtown London the greenest
street in canada. in order to accomplish this, the number and location of trees
and green spaces will need to take priority over other functions and infrastructure
locations such as parking areas and signs, benches, etc. tree locations will need
to be identified in the preliminary planning stages. trees are an integral component
of the downtown and they are to be considered as infrastructure and long term
assets.
in the study area between Wellington street and ridout street there are 43 trees
most of which are relatively small and in poor condition except for those in front
of the court House and Budweiser gardens. these would need to be removed
to accommodate any new street design. there are currently no trees between
Wellington street and clarence street because they have previously been removed.
as per city records there were 22 trees along this stretch at one time. in addition,
• there are nine trees growing between clarence street and richmond street.
there have been an additional nine trees removed in this stretch;
• there are six trees growing between richmond street and talbot street and an
additional 11 had been removed previously; and
• there are 28 trees growing between talbot street and ridout street and most
of them have been planted in the last five years.
Most of the trees are small and do not provide shade or aesthetics and most will
have to be removed because of health conditions over the next few years. the key
to establishing a new treescape is to ensure that there is sufficient rooting space
and soil to sustain the trees in the long term. there is potential using modern
technology such as citygreen or sivacells in combination with open beds to
increase the number of trees and provide significant shade and aesthetic functions.
Based on a preliminary estimate (provided by the city), there may be a potential to
establish 110 trees in the study area.
in order to maximize trees numbers and benefits actual locations of trees will
need to be determined at preliminary design stages and given equal priority as
other infrastructure. there is potential for additional trees to be planted between
ridout street and the bridge. the relocation of certain existing utilities and services
will need to be accomplished in order to establish a treescape in some areas. in
addition, any bus stops and vehicle parking areas will reduce the number of trees
that can be planted. the location of these parking areas should be considered for
areas where we could not establish trees due to other conditions such as in front
of the Library overhang.
all case studies showcased in this report indicate that trees can coexist with other
planned and integrated into designs. the location of the trees will need to be
determined in the early stages of the design process and not as an add on after all
other issues have been considered.
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8.3. utilities
London HydroLondon Hydro has more infrastructure through the subject area – from Wellington
street to ridout street – than any other utility. Within the corridor, London Hydro
has over 60 chambers and vaults as well as three major duct structures which run
along the north, south and the middle of Dundas street. the number of ducts in
each structure varies significantly plus there are a number of lateral duct structures
at intersections as well as conduits for individual service connections. the majority
of the London Hydro infrastructure dates back to the early 1920’s and is being
considered for replacement.
the largest duct structure runs along the north side of Dundas street has
between 23 to 16 ducts in the structure. the central structure has an average
of approximately 12 ducts and the south side of the street has a small structure
with anywhere from 6 to 20 ducts. Most of the 60 chambers consist of standard
manholes however there are 4 to 5 large underground transformer vaults which
contain transformers and low voltage junctions.
a number of years ago, London Hydro prepared a set of drawings in an attempt
to map the location of the existing utilities in downtown London and to identify
available running lines for new infrastructure. the purpose of the exercise was to
assess how difficult it would be replace existing or to add new infrastructure in the
core area. it was also intended to serve as a reference document in the event that
a section of the downtown was scheduled for reconstruction.
in light of the current project being considered by the city of London along Dundas
street, London Hydro would likely proceed with upgrading and reconstructing
a significant amount of its underground plant. this would likely consist of
consolidating the three duct structures into two structures as well as the
reconstruction/relocation of manholes where practical. the intent of the resultant
consolidation would be to leave one structure on the north side of the street and
one structure on the south side.
Where possible, utilities should be relocated to the street, away from buildings and
tree rooting corridors, or incorporated into the design of the tree rooting corridors.
in order to execute the proposed London Hydro upgrade project on Dundas street,
the new civil structure works for electrical ducts would have to be constructed
and the restoration completed. Following this stage, the electrical cables and
transformers would have to be relocated from the old to new structures. relocation
of the electrical plant could take up to an additional 12 months to complete.
although this work would be less intrusive than the civil works, it would likely result
in intermittent electrical outages to adjacent customers.
the reconstruction of hydro plant represents a significant construction activity
that would require planning and coordination with other utilities and services as
well as capital planning. From London Hydro’s perspective alone, it would require
a minimum of 24 – 36 months to properly plan and coordinate such a project.
in addition, there would need to be consideration for other utilities as well as the
coordination of the planning, design and construction of the larger Dundas street
reconstruction.
the extent of the project would also be conducive to phasing and London Hydro
would prefer to see the work completed in a minimum of two or three phases. For
illustration, a two phase process could extend approximately from Wellington street
to richmond street and richmond street to ridout street.
the cost to complete this work may be in the order of $6 to 10 million dollars for
both phases. this represents a substantial investment for London Hydro and as
such London Hydro would need time to secure the necessary funding through the
appropriate regulatory channels. there may be opportunities to share project costs
as has been done on previous projects of a similar nature (eg. ridout street).
union Gasthere are two low pressure gas lines which extend the length of the study area
running down both the north and south side of Dundas street generally running
1.0 to 1.5 m off the building face. these mains range in size from 100mm to
200mm in diameter. in addition, there are approximately 93 existing services. the
existing pipelines and services in this area were installed in the early 60’s and are
cathodically protected. these lines are seen to be at the midpoint of their useable
lifespan and replacement is not seen to be warranted by union gas at this time.
all of union gas’s facilities along Dundas street are for the sole purpose of
distributing natural gas to the merchants and customers in the immediate area.
the current pipe sizing is adequate for today’s loads and there is no additional load
requirements anticipated at this time. since union gas is regulated by the oeB, any
over sizing of their facilities for the purpose of avoiding future upsizing would need
to be paid 100% by the city of London.
Many of the businesses along Dundas already have natural gas services but there
are still a few that do not. if any currently un-serviced property owners were to
request service in the future, union gas would need to provide it. this is an activity
that cannot be predicted and could result in future excavations from the gas main
to the building frontage within Dundas street.
if union gas were requested to replace their pipeline and services in this area
it would have to be constructed using open cut methods. For this reason it
would have to be a coordinated construction effort using an approved union gas
contractor as a sub-contractor to the general contractor.
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Bell CanadaBell canada has extensive cable and conduit works that extend the length of the
project from Wellington street through to ridout street generally running along
the south side of Dundas street. there are numerous lateral conduit crossings for
services as well as intermittent manholes and underground vaults at intersections.
the cables in this area are major lines that feed the downtown core along with
most of the developed areas of the city. they consist of large copper cables(50 to
2700 pair cable) as well as the main fibre cables for the majority of the businesses
in the area . these cables feed from as far south as commissioners road area,
west past Wharncliffe road, east to Western Fair grounds and north from the
clarence switching centre.
existing conduit structures were generally upgraded from talbot street to
Wellington street with the previous city work on Dundas street in 1994, however
any conduit west of talbot to the river likely consists of clay tile and is in poor
condition. any work adjacent or near these conduits would need to be carefully
executed to avoid any damage.
Bell is not in a position to pro-actively upgrade their plant in advance of when it
would normally be required. this includes the installation of conduit or cable works
in anticipation of growth in future demands or from a preventative maintenance
perspective. an assessment of existing structures would however be undertaken
in advance of any planned works for Dundas street and any repair or structural
remedial works would be identified. Bell would also likely look at replacing any
manhole brick collars with more solid concrete collars for structures located
within the project limits. should any relocation of their plant be required due to
the proposed works or due to the relocation of other utilities, the costs of the
relocation works would shared based on the public service Works on Highways
act (psWHa).
From a construction perspective, timing and coordination are key for Bell in order
to ensure proper planning and coordination. From a built form perspective, Bell’s
main concerns would be to ensure access to all equipment whether it is located in
manholes, grade level boxes or surface pedestals and terminals.
rogers Cablerogers has existing conduit, cable and vaults within the corridor. if the subject
section of road were to be reconstructed, rogers would consider installing two
new spare 100mm ducts along the length of the project as most of their existing
conduit is likely in poor condition. notwithstanding the installation of new conduit to
accommodate future upgrades, rogers cannot predict the location or extent of any
new development nor where new customer service connections would be required
in the future. as such, they cannot rule out the need for future excavations to
install such services, however excavations would be more localized and would not
require extensive reconstruction of plant.
rogers has a number of chambers/pull boxes throughout the length of the
project which typically range in size from 0.6x1.0m to 1.0x1.2m. in general these
chambers are in poor condition and rogers currently has a program to reconstruct
them through the core area. it is likely that most of these will be replaced within
the next couple of years prior to any a major reconstruction of Dundas street.
there is also a situation where rogers does not own some of the manholes where
they have conduit and cable (likely owned by London Hydro). it is possible that
owners of the structures would ask them to remove their plant and construct their
own chambers should extensive reconstruction works be planned for the area.
typically there would not be any cost to the city for roger’s infrastructure
upgrades. the only time that the city would be responsible for costs would be
if rogers were asked to relocate – in which case there would be a municipal
component.
rogers would support a general contract with approved rogers subcontractor
to complete the rogers component of utility work. such an arrangement would
eliminate constructor issues and help compress the overall construction schedule.
at least 12 to 18 months notice would be required to allow for the planning and
budgeting of rogers infrastructure works.
London District Heating (Veresen) the majority of London District Heating (LDH) steam plant which services the
downtown core area is located on adjacent streets including Queen street, King
street and york street, however there are a number of locations where steam lines
do run for short sections out into Dundas street. this includes a section of 150mm
(200 to 250mm oD) in front of 141 Dundas street as well as a section east of
ridout street in front of the Budweiser centre. in addition there are a number of
chambers and numerous crossings of steam and condensate lines at intersections.
if Dundas street were to be reconstructed, LDH would have an interest in installing
a new 100mm condensate line which would run the length of the project from
Wellington street to ridout street. in addition, LDH would undertake an inspection
of their chambers along the length of the project to determine their condition. if
necessary, remedial reconstruction or replacement works would be scheduled to
coordinate with the proposed works.
LDH also has a program of upgrading vault lids to a “Fiberlite” product and vent
stacks to avoid pedestrian conflict issues. any vault lids not upgraded prior to
the Dundas street works would be included in their program. steam plant vent
stacks exist in a couple of locations on Dundas street. these vent stacks have
been integrated into decorative street poles consistent with either street light or
traffic signal pole configurations. it is anticipated that should Dundas street be fully
reconstructed with new decorative elements, a similar approach would be taken to
include vent stacks.
LDH would be open to using an approved contractor or sub-contractor under a
single contract to avoid constructor issues. advanced notice of the proposed works
is required to ensure proper coordination and planning.
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | i n F r a S t r u c t u r E r E v i E W 59
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exISTInG uTILITIeS aT rIChmonD STreeT anD DunDaS STreeT, LonDon
60 i n F r a S t r u c t u r E r E v i E W | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | d E S i g n o P P o r t u n i t i E S 61
kInG STreeT, kITChener, on
9. design opportunities
62 d E S i g n o P P o r t u n i t i E S | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | d E S i g n o P P o r t u n i t i E S 63
the following plan consolidates all design opportunities related to Dundas street, as identified in the Downtown plan document. these design opportunities provide direction on specific sections of Dundas street in order to transform Dundas street as the most exciting street in London; ultimately improving the overall experience for visitors and residents alike in Downtown London.
the focus of all these opportunities is to create a positive pedestrian experience, create improved amenities for downtown living, further support the downtown’s retail landscape, strengthen the street’s function as the heart of London, and promote a positive city image. these projects will have to be pursued with careful analysis and studies over the long term as future budgets are developed and opportunities arise to implement them.
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FAN-SHAWE
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LONDON PUBLIC
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CITY PLANNINGDEPT.
COVENT GARDENMARKET
TRAIN STATION
BUDWEISER GARDENS
COURT HOUSE
MUSEUMLONDON
COUNTYBUILDING
READING GARDEN
KEY BUILDING
STUDY AREA (BUILDING FACE TO FACE)
OPEN SPACE
KEY PEDESTRIAN DESTINATION
ENHANCE VIEWS OF THE THAMES RIVER
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REDEVELOP THE FORKS OF THE THAMES INTRODUCING AN URBAN RIVERSCAPE, RESTAURANTS, RETAIL, RECREATIONAL AND RESIDEN-TIAL OPPORTUNITIES
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RELOCATE BUS ROUTES FROM DUNDAS STREET TO CREATE A MORE FLEXIBLE PUBLIC SPACE AND PROMOTE PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY
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IMPLEMENT A COORDINATED WAYFINDING SYSTEM THAT BUILDS A BRAND FOR DOWNTOWN LONDON
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CREATE A DISTINCT AND CONSISTENT PUBLIC REALM TREATMENT THAT IDENTIFIES THE DOWNTOWN AS A UNIQUE NEIGHBOURHOOD
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CREATE A SHARED SPACE ON TALBOT STREET BETWEEN THE MARKET AND BUDWEISER GARDENS TO PROVIDE A MORE FUNCTIONAL SINGLE PUBLIC SPACE
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CREATE AN EXCEPTIONAL PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE ALONG KENSINGTON BRIDGE
CLOSE DUNDAS STREET BETWEEN RIDOUT STREET AND THE RIVER TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC
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ALL PUBLIC REALM ENHANCEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT APPLICA-TION WILL SUPPORT DUNDAS STREET AS THE PRIMARY SHOPPING STREET IN THE DOWNTOWN
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IN DOWNTOWN LONDON AS PER THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE RAPID TRANSIT EA.
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TURN DUNDAS STREET INTO A FLEXIBLE STREET BETWEEN WELLING-TON STREET AND THE THAMES RIVER
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MARKET LANE
FAN-SHAWE
COLLEGE
LONDON PUBLIC
LIBRARY
CITY PLANNINGDEPT.
COVENT GARDENMARKET
TRAIN STATION
BUDWEISER GARDENS
COURT HOUSE
MUSEUMLONDON
COUNTYBUILDING
READING GARDEN
KEY BUILDING
STUDY AREA (BUILDING FACE TO FACE)
OPEN SPACE
KEY PEDESTRIAN DESTINATION
ENHANCE VIEWS OF THE THAMES RIVER
1
REDEVELOP THE FORKS OF THE THAMES INTRODUCING AN URBAN RIVERSCAPE, RESTAURANTS, RETAIL, RECREATIONAL AND RESIDEN-TIAL OPPORTUNITIES
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RELOCATE BUS ROUTES FROM DUNDAS STREET TO CREATE A MORE FLEXIBLE PUBLIC SPACE AND PROMOTE PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY
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IMPLEMENT A COORDINATED WAYFINDING SYSTEM THAT BUILDS A BRAND FOR DOWNTOWN LONDON
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CREATE A DISTINCT AND CONSISTENT PUBLIC REALM TREATMENT THAT IDENTIFIES THE DOWNTOWN AS A UNIQUE NEIGHBOURHOOD
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CREATE A SHARED SPACE ON TALBOT STREET BETWEEN THE MARKET AND BUDWEISER GARDENS TO PROVIDE A MORE FUNCTIONAL SINGLE PUBLIC SPACE
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CREATE AN EXCEPTIONAL PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE ALONG KENSINGTON BRIDGE
CLOSE DUNDAS STREET BETWEEN RIDOUT STREET AND THE RIVER TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC
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ALL PUBLIC REALM ENHANCEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT APPLICA-TION WILL SUPPORT DUNDAS STREET AS THE PRIMARY SHOPPING STREET IN THE DOWNTOWN
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IN DOWNTOWN LONDON AS PER THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE RAPID TRANSIT EA.
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TURN DUNDAS STREET INTO A FLEXIBLE STREET BETWEEN WELLING-TON STREET AND THE THAMES RIVER
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66 d E S i g n o P P o r t u n i t i E S | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | i m P L E m E n tat i o n 67
10. implementation
68 i m P L E m E n tat i o n | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
10.1. Balanced approach for dundas Streetan approach that balances often conflicting interests is critical in order to achieve the transformation of Dundas street as the most exciting street in London. in addition, staging of all projects and actions pertaining to the Dundas street transformation will be critical. Bringing multiple stakeholders together, coordination, support from the community, businesses and all developer groups will be required to achieve this bold vision. some of the conflicting interests and priorities are identified below:
• pedestrianize and close section(s) of Dundas street vs the need for vehicular access for retail and servicing;
• remove public transit from Dundas street to create a pleasant and vibrant space vs. the need to strengthen transit connections between downtown and the rest of the city;
• turn Dundas street into a flexible street vs. the demand to provide year round retail parking and vehicular access;
• create and implement a distinct and consistent public realm treatment vs the availability of funding;
• Balance public financial investment vs the urgency to generate revenue, investment and interest from the private sector;
• ensure design excellence and project durability vs financial constraints;
• Balance placemaking and streetscaping vs. engineering and infrastructure requirements;
• Balance interests of multiple stakeholders, municipal agencies, transit agencies, community, Bia groups, residents, business owners amongst others;
• efficient communications and project branding, to generate community interests and project buzz;
• ensure all stakeholders adhere to long term planning policies and “one-vision” solutions vs. implement short term quick-fix, disjointed projects / initiatives;
• efficient construction management and staging to provide access to businesses and residents throughout the implementation phases;
• ensure above grade streetscaping improvements are tied to, and occur simultaneous with below grade public and private infrastructure improvements;
• the desire to implement the project in the short term vs the time required to undertake infrastructure improvements
• ensure a thought-through project which undertakes all planning, transit and infrastructure studies.
10.2. infrastructure• Hydro and other utilities can be incorporated into the design of the streetscape
through the use of ducts or other common corridors. these could also be incorporated into the underground tree rooting structures such as silva cells. trees and utilities can coexist below ground if properly planned. a good example of this in London can be found along King street in front of covenant garden Market, major developments identified in the case studies and elsewhere like olympic Village in Whistler, Bc.
• trees are recognized as infrastructure and incorporated into the design. protection, establishment, maintenance and replacement of trees are recognized as important elements to consider when other infrastructure construction, maintenance or replacement are planned;
• Deep services such as storm sewers and sanitary sewers along Dundas street are not in need of replacement or upgrading;
• it is likely that a number of storm connections that were previously installed in the mid 1960’s have not been extended and connected into the buildings. it is advisable that any major reconstruction on Dundas street include the connection of any remaining storm pdc’s. this work would require the cooperation of building owners and potentially the passing of a municipal by-law to assist in the enforcement of the separation of internal storm and sanitary building plumbing;
• the existing watermains along Dundas street are to be replaced with two new 300 dia watermains running along the north and south side of Dundas street. any remain lead services are to be replaced;
• the watermain replacements will require the installation of temporary watermains and services to be installed along the surface of the street;
• should the major works be planned for the reconstruction of Dundas street, London Hydro would proceed to undertake a major reconstruction of its buried conduits, cable and chambers within the subject corridor from Wellington street to ridout street;
• other potential utility works include: new rogers conduits; a new District Heating condensate line; and minor Bell structure repairs;
• the reconstruction of London Hydro facilities within the corridor represent a significant undertaking which will have a major impact on the planning, design and construction of the overall reconstruction works;
• the London Hydro work, watermain replacements, temporary surface mains, connections to existing water and storm services will result in significant disruption to businesses and services within the area;
• London Hydro has advised that they would required at least 2 years advance notice to allow for the planning and budgeting of their proposed works. other utilities have advised that they require at least 12 to 18 months prior notice and reiterated that a significant amount of coordination would be required in the planning and construction of the works;
• opportunities exist for the consolidation of infrastructure and utility plant within the Dundas street corridor; the planning and design of infrastructure improvements should have regard for these opportunities as capital spent on improving utility separations and running lines would yield significant benefits in the undertaking of future repair and servicing works;
• all utilities advised that it would be possible to have pre-qualified specialized sub-contractors complete their specific utility work under a general contract. such a measure would serve to help expedite utility works by avoiding “constructor” issues under the occupational Health and safety act;
• given the extent of utility and serving work, it is recommended that reconstruction works on Dundas street be undertaken in phases that can be substantially completed within one construction season. as a minimum, this would mean completing the works in at least two phases – Wellington to richmond street and richmond to ridout street. the order or sequencing of the phases would be determined through the planning of the project;
• Future excavations are unavoidable, either for the installation of new services or for repairs. any new pavement surfaces should be constructed in such a manner that will allow for the excavation and replacement without visible scarring. (ie paving stones set in concrete).
D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y | i m P L E m E n tat i o n 69
Dundas Street Scoping Study ‐ Implementation Plan
Critical Path Schedule
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7
1 Project Commitment
2 Stakeholder Consultation
3 Conceptual Plan Development
4 Background Studies
~ Traffic Impact Study
~ Parking Study
~ Transit Study ‐ relocation of Dundas/Richmond Hub
~RT EA
5 Utility Consultations
Preliminary Engineering / Streetscape Design
6 Final Design:
Utilities:
~ London Hydro
~ Bell, Rogers
~ City Heating
Detailed Design Drawings
7 Construction:
~ Part 1~ Part 2
10.3. dundas Street Scoping Study implementation Plan – critical Path Scheduleoverall, it is estimated that the planning, design and coordination of major reconstruction works on Dundas street will require four to five years. this includes the preparation of planning studies, conceptual designs, public consultation as well as lead time required for the completion of detailed design for utility and infrastructure improvements. it is estimated that construction will be spread over a period of two years.
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DunDaS STreeT. PhoTo By wyLIePoon CC By-nC-nD 2.0
11. Staging & cost estimates
72 S ta g i n g & c o S t E S t i m at E S | D u n D a s s t r e e t s c o p i n g s t u D y
as previously noted, due to the size and scale of the anticipated improvements,
it is expected that the works would occur in at least two parts:
• part 1 from Wellington street through to just east of richmond street – excluding
the richmond street intersection;
• part 2 from east of richmond through to ridout street with some allowance for
continued streetscape improvements from ridout street through to the thames river.
the two parts have been established on the basis of setting the limits of a contract
to what could reasonably be completed in one construction season. in addition, it
has been assumed that richmond street and Wellington street intersections would
not be included in the same contract in order to ensure that at least one major north
south arterial remains open and unimpeded.
as conceptual and functional design work proceeds, alternate staging may need to
be considered to accommodate utilities, servicing, fiscal constraints or to provide
special accommodation for downtown businesses.
an estimate of probable costs has been prepared for the anticipated capital
improvements on Dundas street extending from Wellington street through to ridout
street. in addition, allowances for continued streetscape improvements from ridout
street through to the thames river have been included in part 2.
costs for establishing trees are estimated at $ 8,000 per tree using silva cell
technology (or similar) and taking into account savings from doing the work in
conjunction with Dundas street construction. an average estimate of thirty (30)
trees per block, fifteen (15) per side has been taken into account.
it should also be noted that annual operating and maintenance costs associated
with this Dundas street transformation project will have to take into consideration by
different city departments. these costs will range from maintenance of the higher-
quality public realm to event programming and planning. an assessment of these
costs can only be undertaken during the detailed design stage of this transformation
project. at the same time, some of these costs can be offset by revenue generating
opportunities such as advertising, event permits, parking premiums amongst others.
the estimates are for general budgeting purposes only and have been prepared
without the benefit of conceptual designs. all dollar amounts presented in the
following tables are in 2014 dollar amounts.
pre-design estimate of probable costsParT 1 - weLLInGTon STreeT To rIChmonD STreeTi) removals $ 165,000ii) new roadworks (building face to building face) $ 2,250,000iii) street Furniture and Landscaping $ 350,000iv) Waterworks $ 580,000v) storm sewers $ 170,000vi) sanitary sewers $ 85,000vii) traffic signals, Lighting and utilities $ 1,150,000viii) trees (60) $ 480,000
Subtotal: $ 5,230,000ix) Miscellaneous contract items
– Mobilization / Demobilization $ 25,000
– Bonds and insurance $ 120,000
– traffic control $ 160,000
– temporary pedestrian access $ 100,000
– Misc. contract items $ 25,000
$ 430,000 $ 430,000
Sub-Total: $ 5,660,000construction contingency allowance: $ 430,000
subtotal (including contingency allowance): $ 6,090,000engineering (@ 20%) : $ 1,218,000
STaGe 1 - Total estimated Probable Costs: $ 7,308,000
pre-design estimate of probable costsParT 2 - weLLInGTon STreeT To ThameS rIveri) removals $ 170,000ii) new roadworks (building face to building face) $ 2,250,000iii) street Furniture and Landscaping $ 620,000iv) Waterworks $ 580,000v) storm sewers $ 215,000vi) sanitary sewers $ 105,000vii) traffic signals, Lighting and utilities $ 1,400,000viii) trees (60) $ 480,000
Subtotal: $ 5,820,000ix) Miscellaneous contract items
– Mobilization / Demobilization $ 25,000
– Bonds and insurance $ 150,000
– traffic control $ 175,000
– temporary pedestrian access $ 100,000
– Misc. contract items $ 50,000
$ 500,000 $ 500,000
Sub-Total: $ 6,320,000construction contingency allowance: $ 500,000
subtotal (including contingency allowance): $ 6,820,000engineering (@ 20%) : $ 1,364,000
STaGe 2 - Total estimated Probable Costs: $ 8,184,000
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