An Ad-Hoc Downtown Committee is being formed by the Town of Bancroft to oversee the current and future projects happening downtown.
Councillor Andra Kauffeldt was announced as the Chair last week when Bancroft council approved the new committee.
“We have a number of projects coming forth – not all of them are finalized,” Mayor of Bancroft Paul Jenkins says. He mentioned the retirement home set to be built on the old IGA property, and the community hub project located in the McCaskie’s Parking Lot.
“Through the Strategic Development Plan that was previously brought to council, the downtown was recognized,” Jenkins says. Revitalizing downtown Bancroft was also part of Bancroft’s current Strategic Plan Coordinator Malcolm Hunt’s plan for the future of the town.
“We’ve also been having ongoing discussions with the BBIA about the beautification of downtown,” Jenkins says. He adds they’ve also been and will be continuing to discuss issues with local businesses. “Maybe patios are the way of the future,” Jenkins says, taking a cue from the many restaurants in the province that have only opened their patios up to customers, leaving the inside of their restaurants closed.
“There’s a real opportunity to change the character of the downtown,” he says.