durhamregion.com This Week | Thursday, August 18, 2022 | 26 A new downtown revitalization plan was recently approved by Oshawa City Council. The plan, called Plan20Thirty, aims to create a lively and modern urban centre in the heart of the city. It introduces new actions to meet the changing needs of downtown -- including developing actions to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and examining current challenges and future opportunities. The plan also maintains the overarching goals the City has had for years -- to improve and promote downtown Oshawa as a unique destination for working, living, attending post-secondary school, shopping, dining and enjoying entertainment. For the downtown improvement project, a Plan 20Thirty Committee met for months. The group, with public input, set a series of 60 action items that would guide the new plan. The big priorities are to improve: business growth, expansion and retention residential growth the physical environment social experience communications modernization and innovation customer service and reduce red tape Those lofty goals can lead to concrete improvements. Plan20Thirty builds is an update of Oshawa's previous downtown plan, Plan 20Twenty. That realistic plan, with community support, accomplished several major things for the downtown in a few short years. Here's just a few of the highlights: 1. The Oshawa Loves Local Campaign. 2. King Street streetscape improvements and new street furniture (benches and trash cans). 3. Creating a dedicated Downtown Oshawa Patrol program. 4. Turning the north-east corner of Bond Street East and Simcoe Street North into a downtown parkette. 5. Creating the Athol Street cycle track. 6. Electric Vehicle (E.V.) charging stations in various downtown locations. 7. The redevelopment of Rotary Park. Oshawa Council approved the updated downtown plan in late June. City staff will report back on the progress of Plan 20Thirty each year. Visit the Plan 20Thirty webpage at www.oshawa.ca/business-and-investment/plan-20thirty.asp for more information. WHAT WOULD IMPROVE OSHAWA'S DOWNTOWN BY 2030? A new downtown revitalization action plan, called Plan20Thirty, was recently approved by Oshawa City Council. Metroland file photo JENNIFER O'MEARA jomeara@durham region.com BUSINESS A BRAND NEW PLAN AND A LOOK BACK AT 7 WINS FROM THE LAST DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PLAN The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in downtown Oshawa is planning big changes to turn the large area behind the gallery into a community arts green space. JUST THE FACTS The Robert McLaughlin Gallery (RMG) is the largest public art gallery in Durham. The plan is to turn the green space behind the gallery into an accessible, artist-designed gathering and play space. There will be a new permanent shade structure and seating. An Indigenous medicine and butterfly garden will be planted. The design will adapt and creatively use the slope of the site to improve access throughout the space. A welcoming gathering space will be created on the gallery's front steps. The project will involve commissioning and restoring public artworks. The gallery has collected community consultation and recruited an advisory circle of community members for the project. The City of Oshawa funded and installed a perimeter fence in the outdoor space last fall (2021) to provide a safe and secure area to support expanded RMG programs and services. The space is now regularly used by RMG summer camps. So far in 2022, the gallery has hosted three RMG Friday events outdoors -- with over 500 attendees at a performance by local bands Dizzy and Wooly in May. • To make the redesigned green space a reality, the gallery is partnering with LeuWebb Projects (which specializes in creating immersive public art installations) and Brook McIlroy (an award-winning landscape, architecture, planning, urban design firm). • The work to transform the property behind the RMG it into a community arts green space is expected to be completed by spring 2023. NEWS WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? WONDERING WHAT'S GOING ON SOMEWHERE IN YOUR COMMUNITY? VISIT DURHAMREGION.COM