New look to enhance Downtown Lethbridge
By Jensen, Randy on June 24, 2020.
Andrew Malcolm, City of Lethbridge Urban Revitalization manager, introduces the new Downtown Lethbridge Revitalization Initiative with the Heart of our City committee and the City of Lethbridge, Monday morning. Herald photo by Greg Bobinec @GBobinecHeraldGreg Bobinec
Lethbridge Herald
As part of an initiative to bring citizens back downtown following the COVID-19 pandemic, Downtown Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ), Heart of our City and the City of Lethbridge have teamed up to give Downtown Lethbridge a new look and a new sense of identity.
Over the next few months, residents will be seeing many new changes to showcase a new visual identity for Downtown Lethbridge. The new enhancements the organizations collaborated on include: parklets (on-street patios); light standard banners; and a “Streetery” at Festival Square on 6 Street South, providing additional outdoor seating for food establishments while physical distancing remains in effect. All of the new additions to downtown help celebrate the originality of the area in a unique way.
“Over the years, we’ve had different groups working on the revitalization and development of downtown,” says Andrew Malcolm, City of Lethbridge, Urban Revitalization manager. “We felt that we could be more successful in promoting the amazing things happening downtown if we did that all together under a single Downtown Lethbridge brand.”
The groups received a $50,000 grant from the Alberta Government’s Community and Regional Economic Suppers program to help support this project, along with matched funds raised from the supporting organizations.
“We’re really excited for this fresh new start,” says Ted Stilson, executive director of the Downtown Business Revitalization Zone. “The new brand is about telling the stories of what makes Downtown Lethbridge special. The downtown businesses have been through a lot of changes but they have grit and resiliency and they need our support now more than ever.”
Downtown Lethbridge holds a different meaning to the different people who interact with the area. The new visual identity will focus on front and texture, rather than trying to find a single icon that could accurately represent the downtown. The new creative ideas for visuals reflects on areas that are similar and highlights uniqueness, just like the brand story.
“The new look for Downtown Lethbridge shows character which matches the people and places that are downtown,” says Dawn Leite, Chair of the Heart of our City committee. “Just like Downtown Lethbridge, you’ll notice it’s not perfect, it’s a little rough around the edges but it still had fun and friendly feel. We were also able to use complementary colours to the community brand and a similar together theme between the two.”
With the new Downtown Lethbridge brand introduced, residents are encouraged to explore their favourite downtown shops and restaurants, and share with the community their experience.
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An initiative to bring citizens back downtown involves cleaning up the downtown of druggies and homeless persons. New patios, banners, etc are just a waste of taxpayer’s money. I, and anyone I associate with, refuse to go downtown because of the undesirables that have taken over the streets and parks there.
And then, of course, there’s the ridiculous parking meters.