What has now become a summer tradition in the downtown core is officially ready for the season.
The City’s downtown certainly has seen its fair share of changes over the last number of years. The community has made great strides in trying to make downtown more friendly and welcoming and so far, they have done a fine job.
And with the addition of the Ross Street Patio, City folks are taking advantage of the downtown even more.
The Ross Street Patio offers a trendy spot for Red Deerians to have lunch, grab a coffee and catch up with friends. The area, located in the north lanes of Ross St. adjacent to Veterans’ Park, offers lots of greenery in the form of planters and shrubs and a number of patio tables with umbrellas that offer an inviting feel.
In addition to that, a number of free concerts and performances are set to take place at the space and are planned throughout the summer – inviting even more people to the area.
Of course even with its successes, we still hear from the naysayers and over the years we have heard concerns of loss of parking and slower traffic movement through the area. But we think the pros definitely outweigh the cons in this case and the Ross Street Patio has already proven its success.
On a hot summer day the patio is packed and people, who maybe otherwise wouldn’t think to ‘hang out’ in the downtown, are there enjoying the sights and sounds. Of course this is great for the businesses in the area too as many will wander the shops as well. It’s always important to feed the heart of the City and the Ross Street Patio does just that.
The Patio has also been a welcome addition to street festivals that take place in the area as well including CentreFest and Fiestaval – both of which are upcoming this summer. The annual Downtown Market has also partnered with the Ross Street Patio and events are now held on Wednesday nights in collaboration with the Market.
It’s great to see the added activity to the downtown core – especially since it’s positive activity. In the past downtown was a deserted area of the City and many stories coming out of the core were that of crime and prostitution.
With more positive activity, Red Deerians are hearing the good news stories instead.
The City has done a great job with the redevelopment of the area by adding elements of trendiness while also keeping the historical aspects of the downtown as well – something that the area is really known for.
