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lan Kirkby Chronicle Staff A prominent Uptown eyesore may soon be turned into parkland if the provincial government proâ€" vides funding for a Waterloo city staff proposal. The site, located on King St. S. directly across from â€" Waterloo Town Square has been vacant since a 1979 fire destroyed the previous buildings. A painted board facade currently faces King St. The property has been identiâ€" fied for possible acquisition next vear in an application to the province for funding to improve the Uptown area. The land is now owned by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. lan Kirkby Chronicle Staff Traffic will be detoured around Erb St. between Caroline St. and Westmount Rd. starting April 6 to allow widening into a fourâ€"lane regional road, Waterloo council was told Monday The $2.85 million project will also see new water mains. storm and sanitary sewers installed, and new trees planted. The city share of the project is $480,000. Erb St. will be totally closed to through traffic during the project, council was told by Bill Pyatt, the director of design and construction for the Region of Waterloo. Westâ€"bound traffic will be detoured along Albert St. north to University Ave. and then back to Erb St. Eastâ€"bound motorists will be able to reach the Uptown area by turning right on Westmount Rd. to William St, then Caroline St, and back to Erb St. _Other eastâ€"bound traffic will turn left on West mount Rd. to University Ave. then King St. _ _ _ Traffic wishing to reach businesses along Erb St. will be able to approach the area by turning up intersecting streets along the detour route. park may Possible parkland Uptown ‘eyesore‘ may be converted Erb work begins soon returns next week with lan Kirkby The project is just one proposal contained in a city application for $400,000 to assist in carrying out improvements in the Uptown. The application is being made under PRIDE (Program for Reâ€" newal, Improvement, Developâ€" ment and Revitalization), which is administered by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. The city hopes to acquire the land to provide an area for water runoff in the event of a major storm, said Planning Commusâ€" sioner Tom Slomke in an interâ€" view with the Chronicle. The property is a low point in elevation and in the event of a storm greater than a "100 year storm", the banks of Laurel Creek could overflow and the Pyatt said he expects the projects to be completed in two stages, with the area from Caroline St. to Dunbar Rd. finished by midâ€"September and from Dunbar Rd. to Westmount Rd. by midâ€"October. To encourage early completion, Omega Contracâ€" tors of London, Ontario, the low bidders on the project, will receive a $500 a day early completion bonus for each section of the job completed ahead of schedule. Similarly, they will receive the same penalty for late completion. Council was also told that approximately two trees will be planted along the route for each tree removed for widening. Species to be planted include ash, linden, oak, locust, maple and lilac. _ Pyatt said homeowners and businesses should review their current utilities and services â€" if improvement is warranted, it will cost the owner less to take remedial action while the project is underway than later when expenses such as sidewalk replacement and landscaping may be required. Coun. Mary Jane Mewhinney expressed concern about the "hard, cold look" the concrete and grey paving stones will add to the area. "I expected to see a greener, softer look," she said. Uptown area could be flooded. "We‘re not talking about a trickle. We‘re talking about waâ€" ter two metres or more in height," said Slomke. Keeping the property as open space would provide a direction for flow of water out of the Uptown area "and reduce the impact further up the street". The city‘s plan for the site reflects the recommendations of a (1985) Grand River Conservation Area study of Laurel Creek, said Slomke. The city has applied for the grant from the province to help fund the estimated $520,000 cost of acquisition and redevelopment of the property. Slomke said the planning department would preâ€" fer to see a park on the site, possibly including uses for outâ€" door vending and a patio cafe. Other uses being considered include turning the site into a parking lot. "It would achieve some of the same objectives of water flowâ€"through, plus help with the Uptown parking probâ€" lem," Slomke said. If the province refuses the grant, conversion into a parking lot could be paid for out of the city budget, he added. The city has had "discussions" with the Bank of Commerce reâ€" garding the possibility of purâ€" chasing _ the _ property, _ said Slomke. Budget discussions began Saturday at the Waterloo Region separate school board as trustees looked at firstâ€"round figures indicating a 21 per cent increase over last year‘s budget, placing the 1988 preliminary estimate at $83 million. c In 1987 the board‘s budgeted expenditure was $67.2 million with revenues of $65.3 million. Of the revenue, $46.71 million came from the provincial government, however, Queen‘s Park has not announced its education budget. Word is expected from the province the first week of April. The $83â€"million preliminary figure, if unchanged would represent an increase of $14.5 million from last year‘s $68.5 million budget. Among the major spending increases is an additional $3 million for maintenance, plant operations, capital spending and transportation; $1.2 million more for school suppliMcYm7cluding portables, furniture and office hardware; $2.5 million more for business administration and payments on loans and debentures Get ready Waterloo Finance Commissioner Tom Stockie peruses the 1988 preliminary operating budget which recommends an $85.55 increase on a $1,000 residential tax bill. Assuming a $100 municipal tax increase on a $/0,000 11304 assessed) home, a Waterloo homeowner would pay $414. If Kitchener and Cambridge adopt expected four per cent budget increases, homeowners with similarly valued properties in those cities would pay $518 and $581 respectively. The region is projecting an increase of J0 percent for the 1988 budget, or a $19.90 increase on a $1,000 tax bill Big increase in Separate board early figures Voluntary grant amounts expand The proposed Waterloo current operating budget for 1988 includes an increase of $53,585 over 1987 for "voluntary grants" to 48 sports and community groups. The increase reflects growth in the number of groups and organizations approaching the city requesting support. . on oo in n o ie en us eZRiern n ooe en nc Caent se E & : t Among groups receiving support for the first time are Anselma House, Catholic Family Counselling Centre, Centrâ€" al Ontario Developmental Riding Program, Kâ€"W Association for Community Living, Kâ€"W Kweens Skating Team, KW Symphony Youth Orchestra, Ontario Shuffleboard Associaâ€" tion of the Blind, Renaissance Singers and World Community Council of Regional Waterloo Area. Als;bfidéead to receive "inâ€"kind" grants are 68 organizaâ€" tions. Inâ€"kind grants provide services such as photo copying and secretarial time, as well as free facilities in lieu of grants. C lan Kirkby photo