Why is an Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) being done for Coaldale's downtown?
Downtown Coaldale is the heart of our community. It’s where we bump into friends while grabbing coffee, run errands on the weekend, and gather for events that bring us together.
Over the past decade, our downtown core (20th to 17th) has seen major improvements: new infrastructure, upgraded streetscapes, and vibrant local businesses. As Coaldale grows, so will the role of our downtown. That’s why we’re creating an Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP), to set a clear vision for the future, support existing businesses and new investment, and make sure our public spaces and places are welcoming, functional and inclusive.
What is the plan area?
The formal plan area will be set at a future point in the planning process. For now, the area leading engagement is shown in the image provided, and will be referred to as the 'study area'.
Project steps and milestones
Phase 1 - project kick-off and initial survey (July - September 2025)
During this phase, the project was announced, and a survey was launched over the summer of 2025.
Engagement activities: survey and a project display in Civic Square over the month of July
Phase 2 - topical engagement and ideation (Q1 - Q2 2026) (we are here)
This phase will consist of topical engagement and analysis, with topics including matters such as community experience, transportation, businesses and organizations, events and activities, public realm, accessibility, and so on.
Engagement activities: direct mailouts to study area property owners, outreach to downtown businesses and organizations, project feedback opportunities at upcoming events, and themed workshops
Phase 3 - plan drafting and refining (Q2 - Q3 2026)
This phase will focus on combining the results of feedback and analysis into a draft plan.
Engagement activities: draft ARP survey and display at Civic Square, direct outreach to interested parties, and formal processes leading up to Council consideration of the plan (public hearing notification and advertising)
Phase 4 - plan approval process (Q3 - Q4, 2026)
This phase is the final step in the plan's creation, and focuses on formal steps required for Council's consideration of approval of the plan. Specific steps will include circulating project partners, scheduling a public hearing and providing public notice of the date and time of the hearing, and so on.
Engagement activities: circulation of the final draft plan to project partners, notification and public hearing, and communication efforts focused on sharing the plan's approval (contingent upon Council's consideration of 2nd and 3rd reading).
More information is available in the "Reference Documents" folder
Comments
I think it’s important that our town has recreational activities that support all children and families, including seniors. I do think this town will benefit most from an indoor pool, so children could take swimming lessons in school or with their families. I think it’s important to teach water safety, especially with all the lakes nearby. I do not think having a pool outdoors in such a windy town is beneficial yearly. I understand pools are expensive, but I do think that in the long run, it would be better for the community and the families living in it. I have thought of many different possibilities to make this happen for our community. One of them is turning our existing pool into an indoor pool by adding infrastructure around it so it could be used all year long. We are the only town in the area who does not have their own pool. I think it’s detrimental as a community to make sure we have swimming facilities to support our elderly and children growing up and to keep the community active. I have never lived anywhere that did not have a local pool accept a hamlet. I understand that there is a pool for a couple months during the summer however it is so windy here that most days people choose not to go because of the weather and wind especially elderly. I think that the town should start fundraising for either new pool facilities or for a roof for existing pool. I also think our skating rink where we hold hockey games is completely out of date. There is nowhere for families to sit when they attend games …seats do not have numbers so people cannot buy annual seats. There’s not enough room to hold the amount of people who would like to attend these games. My personal opinion is that the skating rink and pool
Need to be added to our town or completely redone so that they can be used all year long and so that people who paid to go to games actually have a seat to sit in. I believe this would bring more people out to games more income to our skating centre and would make our hockey team more equipped to handle bigger games and an audience. I think it is completely unacceptable for someone to buy tickets to a game and not be able to sit with their family. I also think it is a standard to have a pool in the community for families and for our aging community. I think the health of our community matters and that we should be really focussing on supporting that by having a good centre for swimming and skating like every other community.
As part of this project, including language around pedestrian level signage would be awesome. Some of the signage of businesses at Town Hall are quit large and feel out of place. Considering sidewalk scale signage requirements downtown would make it feel more pedestrian friendly.
Connecting downtown towards the Arena and Community Centre in the long-term is something to think about in terms of growing our downtown. Creating a corridor of commercial, mixed-use, and institutional buildings on Main Street rather than light industrial would further activate this part of town - in it's current form it appears disjointed. Incentivizing movement of some businesses to 'open' up main street would be great to see in the long term - as long as they are open to it, willing, and well accommodated.
More on bringing downtown to life. An openness to commercial, higher-density, or mixed use developments up to 21st avenue would be great to see. Whether complete redevelopment or home to office conversions. Layering downtown over multiple streets would encourage walkability, increase our economic potential, reduce congestion, and better utilize infrastructure. Any flexible development potential in this ARP would be fantastic to see - bonus points for multi level development on Main Street.
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