REGINA — 11th Avenue in Regina has officially reopened for the season.
On Monday, vehicles could now drive on 11th Avenue between Albert and Broad Street for the first time since the road closed in April.
“We're pretty excited to have 11th back open to both pedestrians and vehicular traffic,” said Leasa Gibbons, director of downtown vibracy with the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID).
Eleventh Avenue is undergoing a four-year revitalization project which includes several upgrades to the roadway, streetscape, sidewalks and underground infrastructure.
“It's cool to be part of something that's a generational project that we won't probably see reopened to this level again for a number of years,” mentioned Gibbons.
While RDBID is excited for the final product, businesses have felt the brunt of the road closures for two years now.
“Business was never as bad as it was in the spring," said Jamie Piggott of Vintage Vinyl & Hemp Emporium.
“It was just almost shut right down. People would hear about that, and then they wouldn't even attempt to come down here,” he added.
Even though there was an initial drop in sales, Piggott felt more people were getting used to the construction as the year went on.
“I wasn’t hearing as many complaints about it as before.”
Gibbons said the organization understands construction can be rough.
“It's challenging for businesses. We know the long-term impact is going to be fantastic, but the short-term pain is really carried by businesses.”
Piggott mentioned several businesses next door, including Mortise and Tenon and Norwood, are relocating from 11th Avenue next spring.
Gibbons called the news unfortunate, stating businesses add to the vibrancy of downtown.
Piggott noted Vintage Vinyl & Hemp Emporium doesn’t have the option to move as they own the building.
“So there's nobody to give notice to, saying we're leaving, because it's no good the way it is. So, it's a little different when you own the place.”
Regarding business downtown, Gibbons noted 36,000 people worked downtown before the pandemic, according to the RDBID.
“A lot of those folks haven't returned fully to the office. So that's definitely had an impact.”
Gibbons couldn’t say whether business would recoup the losses incurred during the revitalization project, but stressed the organization would continue ensuring people support local businesses.
Piggott is hopeful 11th Avenue re-opening can drive up sales during their busiest time around Christmas.
As for next year’s construction, Gibbons said RDBID will meet with the city for the construction wrap-up, and businesses are invited to attend.
“We know how important it is to make sure everyone is on the same page and understands what the impact could look like next year.”
“We'll continue that work and see if there's a better path that we can go through in 2026 to make sure that they're getting the information as quickly as possible,” she added.
