LETTERS ABOUT ‘FABULOUS’ PEDESTRIAN MALL VISION FOR DOWNTOWN EVOKES INSTANT SUPPORT AND MEMORIES OF THE DAWSON PLAN 40 YEARS AGO

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

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GRAVENHURST  — A visual plan to turn a couple of blocks of Gravenhurst’s Muskoka Road main street core in to a year-round pedestrian mall has drawn instant support from readers.

Four letters, a day after Bob Barnes challenged council candidates here with his “Imagine” project, shows that sometimes the timing of a not new idea can make finally realize a dream of revitalization that have seen past efforts stagnate.

Local world class designer Dave Dawson was the man with the plan for a pedestrian mall more than 40 years, which the town adopted in part, including bump-outs. His plan could still be used. See a bit more on his idea below, with the plans he still has. PHOTOS Mark Clairmont MuskokaTODAY

“If I ever have the opportunity to meet Mr. Bob Barnes, I’ll spend much time shaking his hand,” says Rusty Draper, the popular old radio man there.

“It’s obvious that this man is a great visionary who has done his homework well,” he writes in a story posting comment.

“His suggestions regarding Gravenhurst’s main street and First Street should be acted on SOON.

“So what’s the hurry? Just take a good gander at what the Muskoka Road in the core looks like now.

“I always thought the funeral home was one block down on Bay Street, but there’s soon to be another if Bob Barnes’s idea is put on the shelf.

“I find no joy in posting something like this about the town I grew up in and still dearly love.”

He goes on to say: “Every Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. I Zoom with three men I grew up with in Gravenhurst. We’ve been doing this Zoom for seven years.

“Recently one of the men posed a question to the other three of us. Here’s what we had to respond to ….

“What will Gravenhurst look like in 2035?

“Saving myself from giving you all their comments and details,” Draper said, “let me just say that for the most part we’re not complimentary.

“So now I’ll leave you while I send these guys Mark’s story about the brilliant mind of Mr. Bob Barnes.”

Gravenhurst today, writes Shannon Clairmont, the main street is unappealing to visitors used to more vibrant, alive community main streets. Gravenhurst’s main street is technically a District of Muskoka road, but ultimately belongs under the control and vision of Town of Gravenhurst.

Unappealing to spend time in area

Another woman who grew up in Gravenhurst is Shannon Clairmont, a luxury condo developer in Mexico.

“This looks like a great idea. He is right that every great city has a pedestrian mall.”

“Gravenhurst definitely needs something that’s going to bring people to the area, as well as people to retire here.

“The main street is pretty sad,” she lamented.

“I have grown up here my whole life — 57 years.

“Recently I drove down the main street and to see empty stores and businesses that are closed is a poor commentary on the state of the town and community overall.

“It certainly doesn’t make it appealing to spend time in the area.

“The town really has no identity or a feeling of a community,” her comment said.

Dawson’s vision, here at the Brock and Bay intersection, included three major umbrella stations in the middle of the road as anchors with room for smaller ones on sidewalks. One setback was the wooden bumpout surfaces buckled due to planks being installed without spacers between the boards meant to tie the town in with its lumber history. Note the light standards still in use until early 2025.

‘Visionary extraordinaire,’ writes Gauthier

Mary Gauthier, a real estate agent in Gravenhurst, too, gives Barnes an enthusiastic thumbs up.

The owner of the home building company The Gauthier Group wholeheartedly agrees — and she would go even bolder.

“You are a visionary extraordinaire,” she writes about Barnes.

“What a fabulous idea,” she says in an email. “Let’s make it happen.

“The look from the drawing evokes a European feel with cafes and coffee/tea houses, more bakeries, and delis and unique restaurants with outdoor patios.

“I love the pedestrian-only cobblestone walking and beautifully-landscaped concept.”

She hopes a new council “doesn’t just throw it away.”

Gauthier even thinks it “could stretch for another block or two.”

With sufficient parking lots on adjacent streets.

Barnes says every major city has a version of a pedestrian mall where people don’t have to walk only on the streets, down the centre of the road to shop and enjoy the amenities.

AI image ‘makes me very excited’

“I had heard this idea many years ago,” she admits, “but seeing a picture of what it could look like makes me very excited.

“We  just need a group of people to get behind the idea and a developer with deep pockets to make it happen.”

Gauthier “can see the names of  so many unique shops and others that would offer wonderful breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

“I think there would be business owners wanting to come here if it became a reality.”

Even add in a few jazz and blues bars for entertainment, she suggests, with lights and music at night.

Writers and designers have a point about changing times that accentuate existing focal points like the Opera House, which has a Heritage Square that was envisioned to stretch with paving stones right across to the east side of Muskoka Road. Gauthier suggests it doesn’t have to end there but could stretch south to Philip Street. She believes if the town builds it businesses will come.

Second coming of Dawson plan still possible

Gauthier would go further.

“Let’s design and rebuild a whole new streetscape with lots of unique smaller shops.”

She noted that back in the ’80s and early ’90s local artist David Dawson created a design look that was so beautiful.”

He said this afternoon that his concept was incorporated with bumpouts and many other improvements on the traditional straight lines of a street that he and his twin brother, architect Paul, put together and presented to the town as early as 1980 when Al Sander was mayor, he said.

Dawson, a design artist originally from Ancaster as well as a convential artist of many media and a renowned world-class designer from Dubai to the States, even wrote about book about that plan.

Some of his features like wooden light standards that feature unique white light caps, lasted until last year.

He said in an interview that it is still possible to resurrect portions of it and to incorporate them in to the Barnes vision. Call him, he says.

Time to pull abscess tooth, says Gibson

Al Gibson is another supporter: full stop.

“Bob Barnes deserves full marks for his forward thinking in order to save the perpetual decay that plagues our main street.

“If he was a dentist he would certainly volunteer to pull the existing aching downtown area, which continues to decay year after year,” he writes.

“Someone should tip him off on the whole mindset review necessary to actually make such a brilliant idea take place.

“The existing inertia is grounded (rooted) in the “Good Old Days,” when places like Sloan’s Restaurant was well known between North Bay and Toronto and all travellers stopped there for at least the blueberry pie.

“If a totally new council suddenly comes into being, Bob’s plan for positive change has some real hope. But he would have to be constantly available to really see it through.

“A man like Bob Barnes would make positive change happen.”

Dawson’s plan had it fully been implemented had the potential to significantly delay the main street decay, Mary Gauthier argues.

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