October 17, 2007

Theatre offers hope for downtown.

The death of downtown is a common lament in cities across North America. We’ve done it to ourselves, many would argue, with our car culture and our shopping malls with massive parking lots that better cater to our four-wheeling needs. As a result, we neglect the little shops and restaurants that have been here for years. The new Main Street is the main corridor at the mall.

The same can be said here in Richmond Hill, where the old downtown on Yonge Street north of Major Mackenzie Drive may have seen better days.

Efforts are being made to keep the area not just alive but vibrant, something that will be important for Richmond Hill to thrive as an independent community within York Region.

For starters, there is a new, upscale condominium development called The Renaissance that is digging in on the east side of Yonge. Farther north, work on an office building continues.

Both projects attest to what may be a growing interest in living and working in a downtown setting. The town wave pool is not far away. A few blocks farther west is York Central Hospital. Both of these nearby amenities make downtown life more attractive. Someday, the subway may even come that far north, which will only add to the area’s appeal.

The town is studying a business case for moving the town’s offices to downtown from East Beaver Creek, in a bid to further intensify the number of people in Richmond Hill’s downtown core every day.

For now, however, the cornerstone of this revitalization effort is the new performing arts centre just a little farther north on the west side, which started its countdown yesterday to a planned opening one year from now.

As The Liberal reported last week, the town has OK’d the paying of overtime to get more concrete poured and ensure the building is ready on schedule.

What’s key are not just bricks and mortar, but community support in this final year before the opening.

Residents and businesses need to feel like they are part of this great project. They are being given the opportunity through sponsorships of varying forms. They can also attend a number of events over the coming year to help raise funds and build excitement and support.

If you, your community group or your business are looking for a project in Richmond Hill to get behind in 2007-08, this is the one. It will operate as a venue for artists and be a real community resource once complete. It will also be a key component of a revitalized downtown Richmond Hill. It merits widespread support so that, when the curtain goes up on that stage one year from now, many of us will be able to put our hands together in applause and say we had a hand in making it happen.

Articles