designed to activate public spaces. “We’ve also got a couple of down main street patios, again, just for people to sit and enjoy the sun and enjoy the day,” he says. “Very welcoming to the public when they see something like that that they can participate in.” At the same time, Armstrong emphasizes the importance of flood mitigation infrastructure.“We’re doing flood mitigation for our water treatment plant, which is obviously very important,” he notes. The town has also installed floating docks in Centennial Park, providing safe water access for swimming and relaxation. Future plans include partnerships with private landowners to develop mixed-use waterfront properties combining residential, commercial, and tourism amenities. HOTELS, RECREATION, AND RETAIL Two major developments have transformed Prescott’s economic landscape and community life.The Quality Inn & Suites, which opened in 2024 as the town’s first branded hotel, and the Alaine Chartrand Community Centre represent decades of planning finally realized. “That has been on the town council’s bucket list for decades,” Mayor Shankar says of the new 69room hotel. The Choice Hotels property selected Prescott for specific reasons, according to Valentyne. “They really prioritized looking to smaller to medium communities for their developments. They found a lot of success in those and received a lot of local support,” she explains. “Because we are smaller in size, but we’re very mighty when it comes to the support that we can offer. We don’t have an upper tier that we have to consult and go through for approval. So, when it comes to red tape, we can eliminate a lot of that.” The Alaine Chartrand Community Centre has catalyzed downtown business activity in unexpected ways.“It’s really been game changing in addition to the new Quality Inn hotel that just opened about a month ago now,” Valentyne says. “Our downtown has a nightlife now. We have new restaurants that have come online that are constantly busy with users of that facility and it’s really been a fantastic partnership with those businesses.” Retail expansion continues with Food Basics. “We 6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx