Future look of Regina rail yard 'wide open': Mayor Michael Fougere

A coveted piece of Regina real estate, the railway yard, is about to undergo a major transformation.

The area between downtown and Regina's Warehouse District is in the process of being redeveloped.

Right now, the rail yards take up about seven hectares of prime real estate in the heart of the city. The future of that neighbourhood will be dramatically shaped by the city's Railyard Renewal Project.

• Morning Edition Spotlight on the Regina's Warehouse District

The project is part of the Regina Revitalization Initiative, which also includes the new Mosaic Stadium and developing a new Taylor Field neighbourhood.

Regina Mayor Michael Fougere said all three are important for downtown Regina to recreate itself.

"The most important part is a communications strategy and public engagement to let people dream to see what they want to do," Fougere told Morning Edition host Sheila Coles. "We have no preconceived notions as council what we want there."

According to the city, the rail yard redevelopment will cost more than $500 million. Most of the money will come from private sources, with the city forking out about $46 million.

Mayor Fougere said the ideas for what it will look like are "wide open." That being said, there are some ideas already on the table.

"One of the first things we're going to do is put a walkway over Saskatchewan Drive and the rail yards," Fougere said. "So you can connect between downtown Regina and Dewdney Avenue. So you don't have to drive all the way around."

Fougere said the city doesn't have an exact location for the walkway yet. That's where residents come in.

"We want to make sure that we get it right," he said. "We're one of the last city's in Canada that has their downtown core ready for development."

What will it look like?

A lot of people, including businesses along Dewdney Avenue, are eager to have a say in what goes there. Grant Frew, bar manager at Bushwakker Brewpub, shared his vision for the area.

"I think what we would like to see it just a combination of green space and business and residential," Frew said. "I think that would be ideal. That would create traffic flow in the area and also create a nice bridge between the Warehouse District and the downtown area."

Frew said it doesn't have to be separated into equal thirds, but he thinks a park or green spaces would help "beautify" the area.

"It's a little dusty and windy and a little bit of grass and some trees would be a welcome addition," he said.

Fougere said a formal consultation process for the public has not been hammered down yet. He expects to have it next year.

"It's very much wide open," he said. "Do some dreaming and tell us what you want to see downtown."

The redevelopment is expected to be completed in 2025.

What would you like to see happen in the Railyard Renewal Project? Let us know on the CBC Saskatchewan Facebook page or on Twitter @CBCSask.