The Windsor Parade Corporation says a conceptual plan to revamp the Riverfront Festival Plaza could force out events like Summer Fest.
Business Director for the Windsor Parade Corporation David Grimaldi says the added trees and walkways part of the approved conceptual plan would reduce the practicality of the venue for festival operators.
Council unanimously approved the plan in principle including a pre-commitment of nearly $5.583-millionĀ needed for the project from 2018 to 2020. The approval also means a detailed study will be completed at a capped cost of $149,000.
Grimaldi says the plan as is will create problems for festival producers.
"You cannot create a park inside of the festival plaza," says Grimaldi. "We can't get lost with any aesthetics when it's going to affect the practicality of what festivals can do."
In seeing the conceptual plan, Grimaldi says council is being short-sighted in its thinking and should continue leaving it to festival operators to decide what's best for the plaza.
"I don't need a consultant to tell me what's best for the festival and, quite frankly, I don't need administration because all the festival producers that I've talked to, not one has been consulted," says Grimaldi.
Grimaldi told council the designs approved in principle aren't great for festivals currently held at the plaza.
"The waterfront activities like the tug boat race, our fireworks programming and our relationship with River Days will all be put into question. The Canada Day celebrations, all part of Summer Fest by the river, would also be in jeopardy."
Councillor Rino Bortolin feels the plan will see the space better utilized than it is now.
"The festivals are on hand for 45, 50, 55 days of a year. There are 300 days of the year where it currently sits as an empty lot. What I think [the parks department] has done a great job of here is creating a space that's inviting for the rest of the year," says Bortolin.
Councillor Jo-Anne Gignac voted in favour of the plan in principle, but isn't convinced by the conceptual designs.
"I want to make it clear that I'm not committing to just what I see in front me tonight; that it's going to come back and there's going to be further consultations," says Gignac.
The city says it will hold public open houses and other necessary consultations before coming back to council with an update on the project.
Concept art for upgrades to the Riverfront Festival Plaza (Photo from Landmark Engineers Inc. designs)