Front Street Mews

In 2013, the City conducted a Downtown parking study which demonstrated that half of the parking
(approx. 400 stalls) provided by the Front Street Parkade could be removed due to reduced parking demand. Subsequently, half of the Parkade was removed in 2015 and the Frontage Road, adjacent to Front Street, was redeveloped as a “Mews”- a narrow, intimate street that balances the access and service functions of a lane with active building frontages, accessory uses, and a street space shared by cars, bicycles and pedestrians. Unlike typical car-oriented streets, the Mews is a comfortable and safe place for everyone – pedestrians, cyclists and drivers- that was conceived through extensive consultation and a multi-disciplinary approach to its planning and design. The contemporary design for the mews transforms car-oriented infrastructure into a place for people with a continuous plaza-like paving pattern, social seating areas, lighting, street trees, trafficcalming, public art and 35 back-in angled parking stalls to access local businesses. The fully accessible, oneway street is designed for day-to-day social and retail activity as well as for temporary closures to host special events and community festivals.