Stratford Memorial Gardens

Opportunity for connection to the Avon Theater

Connection to existing downtown businesses

U of W - Stratford Campus Digital Media School

Former Grand Trunk Railway Buildings - Cooper Site

Potential location for downtown bus hub

Erie Street Parking Lot access

Access from Erie Street Parking Lot to Allen’s Way

Stratford Tourism office

Connection to Lake Victoria and the Avon River

The City’s commitment to pursue the redevelopment of Market Square shows its vested interest in responding to the needs of the community, as expressed in the public consultations. Through the conceptual design process, we have created a concept confirming Market Square as an accessible, welcoming and active space that can be phased successfully over time, all while maintaining access to public transit and parking within the Downtown core.

Connection to existing downtown businesses

Market Square project area

Market Square is a unique place in the heart of Stratford. Our design is focused on a historic space that is bound by City Hall and various Downtown businesses. Our goal is to work from these historic roots to establish a progressive sustainable design that is community driven and showcases the rich heritage of the community.

“Make the plan a grand one that will make a statement about the spirit, values and vision of the Stratford community.”

“W

e need

to d

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re to

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”

“I think that Stratford has such a unique downtown and I would love to see it become even more vibrant”

OUR VISIONMARKET SQUARE

Image courtesy www.travyde.com Image courtesy vz

“Face to face meeting places are more important than ever for a vibrant and healthy society.” “I can just think of what a beautiful and peaceful place Stratford would be if I could come out of Revel or come from a yoga class or go to the market and see greenery, people and life all around me.” “It should be a place that functions as the heart of this community” “Go big or go home.”

INTERACTIONThe Square should include a variety of smaller spaces within it to appeal to various users and to draw people to the space regardless of the activities taking place within it. It should be a place where people naturally want to go, to enable encounters between old friends and introductions to new acquaintances. The Square should meet the needs of a diverse group of users, of all ages and abilities.

IDENTITYMarket Square should reflect the essence of Stratford. It should be seen as an outdoor destination for the City and surrounding communities; vibrant and active space that celebrates the community’s rich history and ties to the surrounding agriculture. It should celebrate the unique character, architecture, industry and heritage of Stratford in a way that is empathetic to the past and sensible to the future.

COMMUNITYThe Square is the heart of the City, and the community is its heartbeat. The Square should function as a central community gathering space; a place where arts and culture are celebrated and threaded into the surrounding neighbourhoods. This space should reclaim some of its original function, as was intended by early Stratford citizens, as a gathering place for the people and the Market.

CULTURE AND THE ARTSMarket Square should evoke the energy, creativity and theatrical spirit of Stratford. It should be a place that is fun, vibrant, exciting and diverse. Local food and art festivals must co-exist with artisan markets, fairs and art installations in a show of the richness and complexity of Stratford’s unique culture.

FLEXIBILITYFlexibility lies within the day-to-day functioning of Market Square. The ongoing use of the Square will change during the course of the day, week, season and year. Flexibility needs to be intentionally programmed as a response to these natural and organized fluctuations.

SUSTAINABILITYThe Square should incorporate best management practices for rainwater harvesting, water filtration and drainage. It should be a showcase for the area and an educational opportunity for the community.

This vision for a redeveloped Stratford Market Square embraces community values for a public place that inspires gathering, sharing and growing. It’s a flexible plaza for programmed events and informal activities. It inspires inclusion for arts, culture, business and government.

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“Stratford is the City it is because its former leaders were bold enough to understand that big ideas would def ne Stratford for the great little city it is.”

OUR VISION

ALTERNATE MASTER PLAN - Depending on the results of the City Parking Study, this alternate plan looks at replacing the on-site parking with additional pedestrian space, defined by an avenue of trees.

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Market Square

The Grove

Digital Room

Sesquicentennial Plaza

Lloyd Robertson Garden5

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Avon Fountain

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Market Place Promenade

Conversation Corner

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Market Square Master Plan

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9 Sustainable Water Recharge

“Any new Market Place design could incorporate a railway theme to pay homage to Stratford’s rail heritage.” “Commissioning artists, students, amateurs via competitions to design elements of downtown is a great way to involve the community and nurture civic pride.”

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DIGITAL ROOMLarge steel columns, paying homage to the community’s railroad past, extend vertically from the ground plane to balance the height of City Hall and the large open plaza. Lights set along steel cables connect at varying heights from pole to pole, providing a theatrical lighting scheme that can be programmed to change during events or with the seasons.

DIGITAL MEDIAThe flanking concrete seat walls accent the edge and provide an opportunity to integrate video projection into the Square. The proposed seat walls have a subtle reveal within the base to allow for LED light bands and for video projection to be cast along the ground plane.

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Market Square

The Grove

Parking

Lloyd Robertson Garden4

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Avon Fountain

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Market Square Master Plan - Phase One

1 RAINFALL:Water from a storm event falls onto the plaza

2PERMEABLE PAVING:Storm water is infi ltrated below the surface

PERMEABLE PAVING:Excess water is collected, stored and infi ltrated below the surface of the pervious pavers

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3 SOIL CELL:Modular paving support system providing uncompacted soil volume to enable large tree growth

7 Sustainable Water Recharge

7LOW IMPACT DESIGN

PHASE ONE MASTER PLANIn order to develop a flexible, stand-alone first phase we propose to activate the edges along Downie Street and Wellington Street and install a long formal limestone staircase that is accented by two large wood-clad seat walls. The stairs act a visual separation from the upper plaza and the lower parking area. By activating the edges and opening up the middle portion of Market Square, we are able to define a sense of place within the Square on day one, allowing for ease of expansion in the future.

The front of City Hall (Lloyd Robertson Garden) will remain as is. The only changes will be to the extents of the curb line and paving to accommodate the temporary bus parking bays along Downie Street and Wellington Street. The river-like paving pattern will begin at approximately the mid-point of City Hall and continue south toward the proposed parking area (Market Place South). Market Place South will be re-graded, paved with asphalt and the proposed parking pattern striped.

A continuous curb will be poured to provide a safety buffer between the pedestrian sidewalk and proposed parallel parking spots. From a site furnishings perspective, light fixtures will be installed in order to tie the drive aisle in to the existing streetscape, and to provide pedestrian safety within the square.

In the middle of the Square, the urban water feature will be part of the first phase of work. Although an important element, Phase 1 will not be able to accommodate the cost of fully installing refrigeration lines for a winter skating rink. However, we have allowed for a rough-in to be completed within the first phase in order to allow for piping to be installed once funding is available for the rink.

The existing transient waiting room in City Hall will be renovated in Phase 1 to accommodate the mechanical pump equipment for the fountain and skating rink and also provide adequate space for City Staff to store tables, chairs, umbrellas and other site elements.

Along Wellington Street, permeable paving, trench drains and below grade soil cells will be installed. We are committed to the City of Stratford’s position of incorporating sustainable features into the redevelopment of Market Square and that is why this design element has been included in Phase 1.

Overall site furnishings for Phase 1 will include the proposed cafe tables and chairs, along with the large umbrella shade structures. The custom designed wood bench would need to be installed as funds are made available, which could lead to fundraising opportunities within the community.

“Use local products, engage the businesses in the area.”

“D

o som

ething

that

doesn

’t inv

olve

swan

s!”

“Stratford is a lucky town, as it has this space it can “play” with. Many other towns only wish they could have a down town space which could be re-purposed.” “Let Stratford really live up to being ‘dramatically different.’

“This enhancement should meet the needs of all involved - tourists, local businesses, and local citizens.”

THE GROVECafe seating in the shade takes advantage of the comfortable micro-climate throughout the seasons. Custom benches within the grove provide additional seating options and an informal element of play.

AVON FOUNTAINDuring hot summer months, Market Square is alive with activity and energy. The proposed Avon Fountain adds an elements of play to the Square while provide the City with the ability to have a formal water feature during non-peak hours.

Market Square - Summer Concert

Market Square - Fall Market

Market Square - Winter Festival

RHYTHM AND BLUESA temporary stage can be set up to provide space for music or theatre performances, during cultural events or festivals. The space is large enough to accommodate these temporary structures without impacting accessibility at the rear entrance to City Hall.

SLOW FOOD SUNDAY MARKETTemporary bollards can be installed restricting vehicle access to the market space, and the site layout provides both an upper and a lower staging area that can accommodate markets, food festivals, community long-table dinners, art crawls and other events as needed.

STRATFORD’S WINTER WONDERLANDFlexibility in all seasons allows for ice skating in winter and additional programming opportunities for City events. Permanently mounted LED light projection allows flexible light programming for special lighting effects.

“I have traveled to many locations around the world. The best have pedestrian friendly, aesthetically well-designed, and technologically innovative commercial community spaces.”