There’s are some changes to a consultant’s proposal that looks at the potential uses of the former Shevlin Wood Yard in Fort Frances and the downtown area.
It comes from community input received this summer.
Glenn Manning with HTFC Planning and Design says they’ve come with a preferred option for the wood yard which combines elements from two previous options.
One of the highlights is an opportunity for some type of adventure tourist attraction.
“It would be outdoors. It could be unique. It would fairly low cost to set up and it would provide that instant benefit and kind of a charge of people can come and if they are staying over they have something fun to do,” says Manning.
A combination of housing and green space is still a component of the woodyard.
“Because there have been so few housing starts over the last 20 years, and there’s an aging population, there is definitely an opportunity for some alternative housing types, and something that has as much flexibility as possible would be ideal,” says Manning.
The proposal for the downtown area includes portions of Central and Mowatt Avenues becoming one-way streets. There also some additional parking areas created.
Manning says they have also included a change to how motorists get to and from the border after receiving comments from Canada Border Services. Manning says this would be achieved by incorporating some of the former mill property.
“Using some of (that land), not only for more circulation for those things but also to create a new pathway that connects, and maybe some sort of lookout toward the waterfront, look over the rapids.”
The next phase of work for the consultants is to apply some costs to the proposals.
