Wilson Street was reopened with much fanfare Saturday, which Mayor Cam Guthrie said was a direct result of what the city learned a few years ago when Carden St. had a similar reconstruction.
“Those (Carden St.) merchants weren’t involved throughout the process and it wasn’t celebrated as much to acknowledge what the merchants and the store owners went through,” said Guthrie after Saturday’s festivities.
Wilson Street — which had been closed since July for replacement of water, storm water and sewer pipes — reopened late Friday with larger sidewalks, new street benches, lighting and trees.
In addition, a new pedestrian island was added on Macdonell Street across from Wilson Street.
When the signs and fences came down from the short street late in the day Friday, Wilson St. business owner Cindy Guild said she immediately got in her car.
“I couldn’t wait — I just drove down it,” said Guild.
On Saturday, the city hosted a reopening celebration for the shops on the street, which included bands, balloons, face painting and a draw for $500 shopping spree for businesses on the street, as well as two similar draws for $250 each.
Guild, who owns the Guildcraft store on the street, said the months-long construction project brought the store owners on Wilson St. closer together.
"I can say we genuinely care for each other," said Guild of her neighbours.
The city did a good job keeping the merchants on Wilson St. informed during the project, said Guild.
“I think people become upset in situations like this when they aren’t informed, but we had day-to-day knowledge,” said Guild.
Speaking for her own business only, Guild said at times sales were soft due to the construction but all of the merchants on the short street support each other and each make an effort to provide high-quality goods and services.
“It’s not big box — it’s unique and you get personal service from everybody on the street,” she said.
Overall, guild said she is mostly happy with the result of the reconstruction.
"It's very pretty," said Guild of the newly-reopened street.
Guthrie said Saturday’s reopening ceremony was a thank you to the Wilson St. merchants for putting up with the construction.
“Replacing aging infrastructure is not fun anywhere, but it’s especially not fun in really old downtowns like Guelph,” said Guthrie.
The wider sidewalks — constructed according to the city’s Downtown Streetscape Manual — offer more pedestrian space, as well as trees and benches and an opportunity for Wilson St. businesses to use
“It’s what draws not only people who live (in Guelph) to the downtown, but it’s a tourism draw for that kind of unique culture and vibe the downtown brings to the city,” said Guthrie.
One thing Guild said merchants on Wilson St. did not get from the reconstruction is to keep the previous angled parking.
Guild said she does not believe customers will prefer the new parallel parking in front of the businesses.
“We expressed our opinions in a very profound way. They listened to us in some ways and they didn’t listen to us in other ways, but that’s the way a negoiation usually is best. We get some of what we want and they get some of what they want, too,” said Guild.
Kealy Dedman, general manager Engineering and Capital Infrastructure Services, said angled parking would not have worked with the wider sidewalks, trees and benches planned for the reconstruction.
“There is only so much room in a right of way between the buildings, so it’s a matter of finding a balance between all of those amenities,” said Dedman.
Now that the street in front of the shops is complete, the reconstruction of the Wilson St. Parkade is next on the city’s agenda, said Dedman.
Reconstruction of Wyndham St. is in the pre-planning stage, said Dedman, but actual construction is a few years away.
