Construction for Regina's revitalization of Dewdney Avenue to begin next week

A long-gestating project is set to start construction in Regina next week.

The $32-million revitalization of a stretch of Dewdney Avenue between Albert Street and Broad Street is expected to take two years.

On Thursday, officials with the municipal and provincial governments broke ground in a ceremony.

While the revitalization will improve transit routes and prioritize safety for pedestrians on the stretch of Dewdney, officials say the work that residents won't see will also have long-reaching consequences.

"For our business to not only survive but thrive, we need this investment in infrastructure," said Leasa Gibbons, executive director of Regina's Warehouse Business Improvement District. 

"We're going to transform this traffic corridor into a main street and that's going to have a generational impact to our city that most other cities are frankly dying for." 

Mayor Sandra Masters said the revitalization project will help spur new development at The Yards, a piece of land located between Casino Regina and Dewdney Avenue.

The Yards has sat empty since CP Rail moved its rail yard out of Regina's downtown in 2012.

The $32-million Dewdney revitalization is supported by all three levels of government and serves as a part of the larger $64-million Railyards Revitalization Initiative. 

Masters said The Yards is intended to be a mixed-use neighbourhood that will include residential, green space and potentially a recreational facility. 

"I'm just really pleased it's happening now. So that two years from now we can have land available that's got the services necessary to build here, to actually revitalize The Yards and connect it into our city centre core," said Masters. 

Kurtis Doney, deputy city manager of city operations, said this year's work will focus on replacing underground infrastructure that is now more than 100 years old. Rather than the old cast iron water mains that are underground now, the new infrastructure will be PVC plastic, which will last much longer and will be sized to accommodate future growth. 

The second year of construction will focus on surface work, including paving and beautification.

Masters said that once construction is complete, the area will be ready to serve as a district in its own right.

"Brand new infrastructure, brand new buildings, brand new tenants, brand new residents," Masters said.

"I think that will cause support for all of these businesses, but also support for nightlife in the downtown as well."