Plans to rebuild Main Street in North Bay have taken an about-face of sorts.

On April 24, the city announced it would reverse the direction of construction operations. At the request of its downtown improvement area (DIA), the project will begin at Sherbrooke Street and will proceed westward, rather than beginning at Cassells Street and heading east.

The scope of work includes an enhanced streetscape treatment to better integrate the downtown with the waterfront.

The city says elements such as concrete accents, new furnishings, festoon lighting, signage, banners and new trees will help to create an enhanced pedestrian experience and contribute to retail vibrancy. 

“Based on the input of its membership, the DIA requested that the sequencing of the project be reversed,” said Mayor Peter Chirico. “The past few years have been challenging for downtown merchants and they’re still trying to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Given that the DIA property and business owners will be impacted by the project the most, the City has made the decision to accommodate this request.”

MCA Contracting Ltd. has confirmed that this change will have no impact on the project cost or completion date.

The project, which will take place over two years, involves the reconstruction of Main Street between Sherbrooke and Cassells streets, as well as a section of Ferguson Street between Main and Oak streets. Work is expected to get underway in May, with completion tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2024.

Each block is expected to take up to three months to complete. Only once a block has been fully reconstructed will the contractor proceed to the next block.

The last major renovations to Main Street were completed during the 1980s and much of the surface infrastructure has reached the end of its life and requires replacement.