49C Plaza Project Updates

The 49C Pedestrian Plaza project aims to create a walkable, pedestrian-friendly space in Lacombe, providing a venue for community events and highlighting the city's historic downtown. The project includes several key enhancements:

• Traffic Calming & Pattern Changes: Installing decorative overhead lighting and concrete paving stones along 49C Avenue, along with the addition of nine new parking stalls. A new concrete bulb-out will extend into both 50th Avenue and 49C Avenue to help slow and channelize traffic, increasing pedestrian safety. This design change will convert 49C Avenue into a one-way southbound street.
• Added Parking & Aesthetic Enhancements: In addition to the new parking stalls and overhead string lighting across 49C Avenue, the project will feature decorative paving stones, planting beds, and enhanced greenery to improve the visual appeal of the area.
• Sidewalk & Crosswalk Enhancements: The east-west crosswalk between BMO and the Flatiron Building will be shortened, the east crosswalk on 50th Avenue at 50th Street will be removed, and rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) will be added to the west crosswalk on 50th Avenue and 50^th Street. Sidewalks along 49C Avenue will also be widened by one meter on each side with dropped curbs to improve pedestrian flow.

49C Ave Lighting

• Highway 2A Parking Lot Modifications: Reconfiguring the parking lot between 49B and 49C Avenue to improve the parking layout and facilitate traffic flow between 49B and 49C Avenue. These modifications would add 11 additional parking stalls and increase accessibility to the parking lot to offset the impacts of switching 49C Avenue to one-way traffic.
• Stormwater Replacement: Detailed design work revealed that the stormwater infrastructure in the area was in poor condition, requiring the replacement of multiple catch basins and the main stormwater line along through the 2A parking lot.

2A Parking Lot Configuration

In 2021, the DARP committee was refreshed, and a list of priority projects was established. The 2024 priority project for the DARP committee is the 49C Pedestrian Plaza, which aims to identify a suitable gathering space to generate positive traffic downtown. Additionally, it seeks to address parking concerns and improve safety, create a versatile activity space, enhance landscaping with additional plantings, provide flexible seating options, improve pedestrian safety and walkability, encourage partnerships for events and activities, and promote increased visitation to the area.

The execution of the pedestrian plaza has been fluid, originally planned to be completed in two phases beginning in 2024. Phase one was intended to lay the groundwork for the pedestrian plaza by converting 49C Avenue to a one-way southbound street and modifying the Highway 2A parking lot between 49B Avenue and 49C Avenue. Phase two, planned for 2025, would have resulted in the full closure of the south end of 49C Avenue.

Due to limited capacity, phase one was delayed to 2025. Subsequently, higher-than-anticipated project costs led the Council to approve, during the March 24th Council meeting, combining the funds from phases one and two to be used in 2025 to complete this project in a single phase, while deferring full closure of the road until the programming demand requires it. In the interim, the street can be closed for individual events as required.

• October 15, 2019 – Council endorses a working group approach for the Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan (October 15, 2019 Council Meeting Agenda (PDF))
• November 9, 2020 - Council Approves $1.7M for DARP initiatives in the 2021 Capital Budget (November 9, 2020 Council Meeting Agenda (PDF))
• November 14, 2023 – Council approved the Capital Budget approval for 49C Avenue. (November 14, 2023 Council Meeting Agenda (PDF))
• July 8, 2024 – Council approved scope changes for 49C Ave Phase 1 ($850K) in 2024 and Phase 2 ($600K) in 2025. (July 8, 2024 Council Meeting Agenda (PDF))
• March 24, 2025 – Council approved funding from both phases of 49C Ave to be used and completed in 2025. (March 24, 2025 Council Meeting Agenda (PDF))

• Removals: Early June
• Catch Basin Relocation: Early June
• Concrete and Electrical Work: Mid-June to end of July
• Asphalt Paving: Mid-August
• Landscaping and Site Furnishing: Mid-August to end of August
• Estimated Completion: Early September 

What to expect during construction?

While City contractors will make every effort to minimize construction impacts, some disruption is unavoidable during infrastructure upgrades. Contractors will work closely with local businesses and residents to accommodate special requests or access needs wherever possible. During construction, residents can expect temporary road and sidewalk closures, temporary parking restrictions, and increased noise in the area due to construction activity. The City appreciates your patience and understanding as we work to improve local infrastructure.

The City of Lacombe received two grants from the Alberta Government:

• Local Government Fiscal Framework
• Northern and Regional Economic Development Program