Exciting news for the Leamington waterfront.
The municipality has announced that work on the upcoming Waterfront Market Plaza will begin in the next couple of months.
This project is part of the broader Waterfront Destination Master Plan, which will see work done at the waterfront and will see the parking lot expanded.
Located at the foot of Erie Street South, just south of Foster Avenue, this space will feature a number of amenities such as a playground, a market area, a multi-use stage, a food plaza, and food truck area, art sculptures, and more once complete.
The space will offer a year-round venue for community events, tourism opportunities, and recreation within the municipality.
Leamington mayor Hilda MacDonald says there's a wide range of amenities proposed.
"So we've got an intention of building a modern playground, a market kind of vendor area, a multi-purpose stage for live events - smaller than of course our amphitheatre but enough that we can have entertainment on weekends. Always washrooms in public amenities, but also a food truck zone."
She's been hearing excitement from residents on this project.
"It's all about enhancing the quality of life for the people that live in our communities. So the waterfront is a place to go, and then if that attracts people - as in tourists - then that's a benefit. Primarily it's about enhancing the quality of life for our people."
MacDonald says work will ramp up later this summer.
"We're already doing some work down there with the stormwater outfall and so there's a lot of area already dug up, so that will just keep going from that part - get the waterfront going and the parking in place."
MacDonald says she's unsure what the price tag on this specific project is, however council did approve millions of dollars in the 2025 capital budget for this work to be completed.
Construction of the Market Plaza and the public amenities will begin in spring 2026, with the hope that the project will be completed and open to the public by summer 2026.