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HARRISTON – Residents will be able to weigh in on the proposed design for the Harriston Arena grounds at an open house next week.
Presented during a council meeting last March, a recently released design plan re-imagines the Harriston-Minto Community Complex Grounds as a multi-faceted park with a new parking lot, baseball diamond, multi-sport court and new plaza and pavilion building, among other upgrades.
Additionally, a bridge is also proposed to be constructed to connect the local trail system and neighbouring park to expand the usable space.
Suggested during March 2023 after a former trailer park near the property became vacant, town staff said in a report that the idea came up after they saw an opportunity to develop the area into a "usable park" that would benefit the entire community.
"By completing an overall plan for the grounds, it will provide staff a road map for many years to redevelop the space and bring more people into the area," said an earlier report.
The town has also consulted with architects Stemsky and Kelly and the designs were consulted on by a dedicated park committee consisting of two members of the Kinsmen Club, a representative from the Agricultural Society and town staff, including landscape coordinator Paul Judge.
According to director of Community Services Matt Lubber, aspects of the project could start this year pending funding and council approval.
However, he also said these designs will likely evolve when additional community and council comments are received and are dependent on the project's future budget and where it will come from.
Once the design is approved by council, the various clubs plan to begin fundraising and working on various projects.
The open house will take place from 5 pm to 6:30 pm on February 20 at the Harriston Arena.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
