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Another major construction project on a busy Regina thoroughfare is on the horizon. And at least one Regina business is concerned about access for its customers.
“The one thing that does concern us is our front parking and whether it remains or not,” Rollie Stolz, service manager and co-owner of Prairie Heart Mobility, said in an interview.
“Because if it doesn’t, this building really isn’t good for us anymore to even operate out of.”
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A rendering of what Saskatchewan Drive west of Albert Street in Regina could look like when completed. (City of Regina/Submitted)
The Saskatchewan Drive Improvement Project would revamp the roadway and adjacent land from McTavish Street in the west to Winnipeg Street in the east.
It’s set to be done in phases, with the section through the Heritage neighbourhood between Broad and Winnipeg Streets up first.
The downtown section, between Broad and Albert, would follow, and then the Cathedral section west of Albert Street.
The city took a small step toward the project when council declared a parcel of land west of Albert as required for a municipal purpose. It gives the city the ability to expropriate the land if a sale agreement with the owner can’t be reached.
The Cathedral phase is currently slated for construction in 2031-32.
The city explained in a statement that before the actual project can begin, a drainage project is set for 2027, with major infrastructure set to be installed under Winnipeg Street and Saskatchewan Drive.
Phase one of the Saskatchewan Drive improvements would begin after that work is done, in 2028, and the city says the land has been acquired for it.
But the budget for the first stages still requires approval from council this year.
While Prairie Heart is located along Phase 3, and wouldn’t be affected for several years, Stolz hopes to convince planners before then that the front parking lot of the business has to stay.
Even during construction, Stolz worries about possible impacts.
“You could get in through the back alley, I suppose,” he said.
“We’d have to put some signage up there and bring them in through the back, and you’re going through shipping, receiving, things like that, so we’d have to mark off some areas where it would have to always be clear and free.”
He said it’s a particular challenge because many of the store’s customers have mobility issues. But at the same time, he thinks the overall project could help liven up the street, citing the recently completed Dewdney Avenue project.
“I think Dewdney looks very good, and hopefully that builds into a nice area. Downtown needs it.
So if our street looked like that and we still had our front parking, I’d be pretty happy with that,” he said.
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