REGINA — A project to revitalize a vacant downtown lot in Regina took a major step forward with an announcement of federal funding,
At a news conference Wednesday the Regina Downtown BID announced that Prairies Economic Development Canada, or PrairiesCan, has committed to a federal investment of $920,000 over the next three years to support the Gordon Block Project and the development of The Skuare.
The Skuare is the interim use event and performance space to be located in the vacant lot on 12th Ave. formerly occupied by the Gordon Block building.
In addition to the federal funding, Regina Downtown BID says the City of Regina has provided $250,000 for the project, and operational funding that RD BID receives annually from the city will also be directed to operations of the site. Harvard Developments is also providing $160,000 in funding for site development, and the rest of the funding will be from the Regina Downtown BID.
The historic Gordon Block building in downtown Regina was destroyed by fire and demolished in 2023. The lot currently sits vacant, but the idea came from the RD BID soon after to find some way to get it back into use downtown.
“Permanent development isn’t really on the horizon, just given the economics of what’s going on right now. But at the same time, we didn’t want a vacant lot to remain in this location,” Judith Veresuk, executive director of Regina Downtown Business Improvement District, said. “So we started talking to local artists, local businesses, and started to get a feel for what they would like to see as well.
“We’re travelling as well to see other cities, and we saw a lot of these shipping container parks in a lot of other communities, and we thought, okay, let’s dip our toe into this. We got this great location, we have a landlord that supports us, and I think we can make something really cool here. So this is really branching out from what we traditionally do, but I think it’s really worth it to take downtown into the future.”
The announcement of The Skuare project was made last October. Veresuk said the project was originally slated to happen this year, but they had been waiting for the funding from PrairiesCan before going ahead.
“We’re just thrilled. We’ve worked with PrairiesCan before. They’ve been investing in a lot of cool projects across Canada, and we feel very fortunate that they felt we had a worthy project to add to the collection, if you will.”
To this point, Veresuk said, they have been working through some development permits and done some site prep for the location. They hope to get started on actual construction in March-April next year, with potential to open in June-July 2026.
Once it is up and running, Veresuk said people can expect to see some performance space and local artist showcases.
“We’ll work with organizations like the Creative City Centre, the Dunlop Art Gallery, the Globe Theatre, hopefully. We will have opportunities for food and beverage, so we worked very closely with SLGA. They actually adapted some of their legislation to allow us to operate an alcohol license site here, so we’ll be partnering with some businesses, and hopefully we can do some activations as well as performance space and events and markets, and pretty much, the sky’s the limit here. If people have a great idea and they feel that the space works for what they want to do, we’ll definitely have that conversation with folks.”
Those at the announcement heard a video message from Minister Eleanor Olszewski who welcomed the downtown project.
“This project is about renewal,” she said. “Rising from the ashes of the historic Gordon block, it breathes new life into this space. It shows how we can rethink and repurpose public spaces to create welcoming places that bring people together and spark lasting economic activity. I’ve seen firsthand the pride people have in their downtown and the determination to see it thrive. That spirit is reflected in this project.”
“The Skuare represents more than just bricks and mortar,” said Mayor Chad Bachynski at the announcement. “This inviting space demonstrates our commitment to building a vibrant, inclusive, and resilient city centre. With the support from PrairiesCan and our dedicated local partners, we’re creating a space that reflects the energy, creativity and spirit of Regina. A thriving downtown contributes to a thriving city. I want to thank the Government of Canada and PrairiesCan for their belief in our vision and their commitment to helping us bring it to life. This funding announcement is a vote of confidence in the future of Regina.”
In speaking to reporters Bachynski welcomed the project as another effort towards revitalizing downtown.
“This is just another example of the investment that we’re seeing in our downtown,” he said. “We’re seeing housing developments come to council and come to the city for approval. We’re seeing opportunities where we’re getting grant funding for spaces like this. So the investment is happening, we’re seeing momentum, and so I think this is just a carry-on of that momentum that we’re seeing for downtown.”
The city is also currently looking to revitalize the Scarth Street mall and the plaza space as well. Bachynski said part of the plan was to work with the Regina Downtown BID to “make sure we understand how we can make those spaces complement each other.”
Kenric Exner, vice president of corporate services with Harvard Developments, welcomes the federal involvement.
“I think it just speaks volumes to what the city initiatives are and the three levels of government and public and private investment. It’s absolutely fantastic that you have those type of resources available to support Regina. It’s everybody’s goal to beautify this downtown core area and to have the federal support is absolutely fantastic for the city and hopefully it opens other opportunities for other areas of the city and other initiatives and other federal funding that we can continue to grow the city.”
As for the location, Exner was asked whether there were still plans for them to develop the property, which they seemed to indicate initially to council when they sought the demolition permit.
“I think plans always change, right?” Exner said. “Economics change, COVID changes, downtown changes, everything changes and I think as any type of business you always have to understand what the long-term need is. Right now the need is to give it to RD BID and to use it for The Skuare. That is the focus right now for us. We do own the property and it’s always continually looking at what’s the best usage for the city, but right now the best usage is to work with the city and our partners to provide that space to RD BID.”
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