Community brainstorms future for TD bank property
There was a flurry of ideas shared at a public consultation meeting about the TD bank property in Creemore Sunday but it cannot be said there is consensus on what should be done with the vacant building.
More than 150 people crammed into Station on the Green Dec. 9 to take part in a three-part visioning session facilitated by Small, the not-for-profit arm of Toronto-based ERA Architects, at the request of the TD Lands Community Consultation Committee (TLC).
The committee formed in response to mixed reaction from the community when it was proposed that the bank be acquired by a new community foundation and that it be torn down to allow for an expansion to the Horticultural Park, located between the bank and the grocery store.
Attendees represented a cross section of the Creemore community – entrepreneurs, retirees, young families, weekenders, the old guard were all represented – for the two-hour session.
Participants gathered at tables, when a seat could be found, each assigned a facilitator. The small working groups were asked to consider three specific questions, each one narrowing in focus throughout the session.
“We will start with a big picture conversation and then drill down to the details,” said Small consultant Heather Campbell.
Initial questions prompted participants to assess the community’s past, present and future.
Ideas – too many to list – gave the impression of a village with a rich history, seeing intergenerational change and a cooling economy. Calls for more retail space equaled those for added event and recreational space.
For the final portion of the session, participants were asked to rotate to another table and brainstorm ideas on a map of an integrated area, including the bank, Hort Park and Station on the Green, as if walking through the space, in terms of an everyday experience, to attend a special event, or from a visitor’s point of view.
This is where people started looking at the space, with or without the bank, as a whole.
As the news of a community foundation’s acquisition of the bank property began to spread through town, a question of whether the building had to be torn down surfaced and a community debate began.
“Our committee felt it was essential to create an in-depth process and to do this we needed professional assistance. We believe that the comprehensive and inclusive process we are implementing with small’s help will ensure our recommendations address all of the considerations associated with the TD lands, and most importantly reflect our community’s needs and values,” said committee chair Sara Hershoff.
At the public meeting it became evident that there is no clear sense of a consensus on the fate of the bank. Some people think it is ugly and should be torn down and others think of it as a useful professional space that should be utilized.
In terms of next steps, the consultant will consider all of the input from Sunday’s meeting and also seek input from the municipality, TD corporate, the Creemore Community Foundation, as well as operational and financial considerations before a second round of public consultation on Sunday, Jan. 20, when detailed scenarios will be presented.
