Civil Municipal - Oct 2023

176 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 10 Future initiatives will look at increased residential development in the town core, assessing the need for the 2000 parking spaces that presently exist, and considering the changing housing landscape. “Our community is largely a low-rise community, most of our housing at one point up to 10 years ago was bungalows. Now, of course, it has moved to two-story townhouses and apartment buildings. So, we’ve seen quite a change in our mix, and we certainly see those intensification pressures in our downtown,” Panschow admits. He shares that a project known as the Stationview Development represents a $100 million private sector investment, with plans to convert a vacant city block into mid-rise buildings, including condominiums, apartment buildings, and potentially mixed-use structures. “A cool part of that is that the developer of that Stationview project has asked the town to look at potentially turning one of the main streets, Bridge Street, into a more pedestrian oriented street, such that we can add a lot of these amenities that we’re seeing in many communities, that we want to bring to Tillsonburg as well,” he adds. Strategic Partnerships Tillsonburg’s economic development efforts are driven by partnerships with key organizations. Panschow describes Tillsonburg’s Downtown Business Improvement Association as “very leading edge,” sharing, “They’ve been visionary in leading our downtown, and they’re a key partner in several initiatives we’re that are underway.” The Tillsonburg District Chamber of Commerce, a certified chamber, is another valued partner, along with Tourism Oxford, the regional tourism authority, and Oxford Connection, who market the county. Additionally, Tillsonburg participates in the Southwestern Ontario Marketing Alliance