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Beautification in the Downtown Core

Spring is here and tourist season is around the corner for Downtown Kingston. Our Street Crew along with the City of Kingston has been working hard to get the downtown 'tourism ready'. Below is an update on beautification plans.

Florals in downtown KingstionFlowers in Downtown Kingston

There are extensive plans to beautify the downtown streets with florals so that any time of the day or night, the streets will look wonderful. The BIA and the City of Kingston are partnering on the floral project this year. Below is a list of places where flowers will bloom for the summer in downtown Kingston:

  • planters in front of City Hall
  • approx. 25 rectangular cement planters on extended patios
  • 115 hanging baskets
  • 32 round planters throughout downtown
  • 5 tall planters at Market Square
  • 5 large planters at Brock and Sydenham
  • 35 rectangular planters on Crawford Wharf, the foot of Johnson St, and behind the Landmark condo
  • 4 flower beds at the end of Crawford Wharf

Notes:

  • fixing up any planters damaged due to vandalism is included in the arrangements
  • Work will commence approx. the first week of June, and flowers will be removed approx. early October. Dates are weather permitting.

Flower Bed Pilot Project

The large flower beds that are throughout the downtown core are not easy to sustain plants in. There are several reasons for this:

  • The extensive tree root system
  • Often used for doggy toilets
  • Vulnerable individuals sometimes use them as beds

We are working with the city on a pilot initiative that will be attractive, easy to maintain, and discourage people and dogs from entering the flower beds. There will only be a small number of planters used for the pilot. The remaining flower beds will be filled with shavings for the season.


Summer accessories in Downtown Kingston

Banners: As you may have noticed we have taken all banners down from Princess St. in anticipation of our Brand launch on May 25th when all of Princess St. will sport our new Downtown Kingston Brand. Side streets continue to feature partner banners year-round. If you are interested in the partner banner program, contact hello@downtownkingston.ca

Bistro in the Park: This year, Bistro in the Park will have colourful new commercial umbrellas on the small bistro sets from last year and Muskoka Chairs throughout. There may be some additional seating, dependent on finances. The bistro sets and Muskoka chairs will be brought out on pleasant days in the spring until the summer rolls in at the end of May when Celebrate Summer will be launched and they will be out every day.

Regular and Extended Patios: There have been several patio spottings this year, as we have had a few lovely days already. Patio season officially begins May 1. Extended patios will be installed following May 24 weekend. We have 30 extended patios this year and they are going to be awesome!

Winter in Summer: You will notice many of our winter light displays will stay out this year. There are a few reasons for this - they enhance the city after dark, they make great backdrops for Instagram and other social media photos and videos, and we have limited storage. We hope you enjoy the sparkle! Here are some specifics:

  • Tree Wraps: Glittering tree wraps from the top of the Ampitheatre have been relocated to Springer Market Square light standards - giving the community space a bit of sparkle in the evenings.
  • Heart and Love Sign: These Instagramable light installations will stay the downtown for the summer. Locals and tourists love to take photos using these as backdrops. Stay tuned for their final location.
  • Photo Frames: The lit photo frames will be relocated to Confederation Park to help light up the night and provide another great backdrop for photos.

Muskoka Chairs: Red Muskoka chairs are out at the Visitors Information Centre. Pastel sets will be placed in Springer Market Square as well as a number of choice locations throughout downtown where there is room. If you would like Muskoka chairs outside of your business and there is room, please contact us and we will come to take a look.

Vendor Huts: Four Vendor Huts in Springer Market Square from last year will be repurposed into seating pods for small groups of friends to relax, play games, drink coffee and enjoy takeout.

DJ Hut: The DJ Hut from the winter is being repurposed as a common location for are summer street crew to keep their tools, wagons, and uniforms handy. It will also be used on occasion as a retail location to sell Downtown Kingston Merch.