Exclusive private shopping at Blossom Plants & Goods, networking with fellow small business owners, and refreshments on Thursday May 25th at 6:30pm.

Take part in shaping the future of Downtown Orillia!

The City of Orillia is updating the Downtown Tomorrow Plan and hosting a “charrette” on May 9^th and 10^th to gather public input. The Downtown Charrette will provide an opportunity to share and discuss ideas for enhancing Downtown over the next 10-20 years.  For those who cannot attend a workshop, a survey will be available later in May.

Schedule of Design Charrette Events:

Kick-Off Presentation and Open House, May 9^th (Day 1)
May 9^th, 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Orillia Opera House – Green Room – 20 Mississaga Street West

Join us to reflect on how Downtown has changed over the past decade. Be inspired by the recent successes of other communities. Share your ideas for making Downtown a more attractive place to live and visit. Refreshments will be provided.

6:30 – 7:00    Sign-in, meet the project team, and share comments on boards

7:00 – 7:30    Presentation: Rama First Nation History

7:30 – 8:00    Presentation: Downtown – Looking Back, Looking Forward

8:00 – 9:00    Chat with members of the project team, share comments

Roundtable Workshops, May 10^th (Day 2)
May 10^th, 9:00am – 4:30pm

Creative Nomad Studio – Second Floor – 23 Mississaga Street West

Roll up your sleeves in a series of thematic workshops where we will collaboratively explore issues, opportunities, and ideas for Downtown. Help the project team identify short-term actions and longer-term initiatives.

9:00 – 9:30 – Sign in, grab a beverage, and meet other participants

9:30 – 10:00 – Presentation: Exploring Downtown’s Potential

10:00 – 12:30 – Morning Workshops (Participants pick two workshops among four topics)

12:30 – 1:30 – Lunch

1:30 – 4:00 – Afternoon Workshops (Participants pick two workshops among four topics)

4:00 – 4:30 – Wrap-up: Help select the top ideas from the workshop outcomes

A series of facilitated roundtable workshops will be held to explore a range of potential initiatives under the following topics:

• Living Downtown – How can we get more housing built Downtown and make it a great place to live? What height and scale of housing is desirable?
• Visiting Downtown – What types of businesses, amenities, and public realm improvements are needed to attract more people Downtown in all seasons? How can the hospital district be repurposed in the long-term?
• Playing Downtown – How should the network of parks and other open spaces Downtown be enhanced to support recreation, events, and a healthy environment?
• Creating Downtown – How can the arts and culture scene Downtown be reinforced? What would help to attract more creative businesses?

The ideas that emerge from the Downtown Charrette will shape the update to the Downtown Tomorrow Plan.

Everyone is invited to participate in the charrette, either one or both days. However, space is limited so registration is required.

Click Here to Register for the Design Charrette.

For more event details, click HERE.