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Alberta Main Street Program
The Alberta Main Street Program, initiated in 1987 by the provincial government, has expanded into a vigorous, cost-effective and successful network, a prime source of downtown revitalization and historic preservation expertise.
Matching funding and design assistance is provided to property owners of eligible historic buildings within the downtown commercial district.
The Lethbridge Main Street Project has been part of the program since 2000.
It was established through a partnership between the Downtown BRZ, City of Lethbridge and the Alberta Main Street Program.
http://www.albertamainstreet.org
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History
Lethbridge was established in the late 1800’s in the Oldman River valley as a coal mining community. Originally known as Coalbanks, the name officially changed to Lethbridge in October 1985 in honor of William Lethbridge, an original shareholder in the Northwest Coal and Navigation Company (NCNC).
A local lumber industry emerged when the Galt family, owners of the Drift Mine No. 1 and operator s of the NCNC, developed a sawmill directly beneath where the High Level Bridge stands today. One of the contributing factors for the “coal town’s” development into a regional servicing hub was the Canadian Pacific Railway’s decision to relocate the Crowsnest line division point from Fort Macleod to Lethbridge.
This was made possible by the construction of the High Level Bridge across the Oldman River valley. By the early 1900’s, agriculture had begun to replace coal mining as the dominant economic activity, and townsite moved out of the river valley up onto the prairie.
When Lethbridge was incorporated as a city in May 1906, the community boasted a population of 2500 and a well-established downtown commercial area. Rapid growth occurred after the Second World War when increasing automobile usage spurred development to the east, north and south of the downtown.
New areas included the industrial parks on the east side of the city and commercial development east on Third Avenue and southward along Mayor Magrath Drive. By the early 1960’s, these trends had left the historic downtown somewhat isolated on the western extremity of the city and, accordingly, the commercial and cultural influence of the city center began to wane.
However, the City’s decision in the mid-1960’s to make land west of the Oldman River available for major residential development dramatically altered the City’s urban form and helped retain its relevance as the commercial and cultural heart of the community.
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Lethbridge Main Street Project
As an urban district initiative, the Lethbridge Main Street Project receives up to $75,000 annually for building rehabilitation projects, as well as additional funding to assist in the employment of a project coordinator.
Since 2000, a number of owners of eligible historic buildings have availed themselves to the design assistance and funding.
To date, nineteen buildings and thirty-two signage projects have been completed.
The Lethbridge Main Street Project has also played an integral role in the revitalization of the downtown core.
The project has been instrumental in the process that led to the development of the 'Heart of Our City' Master Plan initiative.
Although the impact on the architectural landscape and revitalization has been significant, there are still a large number of viable enhancement, restoration and signage opportunities within the downtown footprint.
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Historic Building Attractions
Downtown Lethbridge is fortunate to have retained a number of significant buildings from our past.
A number of those buildings have merited designation and can be found on Provincial and Federal registries.
History enthusiasts are encouraged to check out the Post Office building, Sir Alexander Galt Museum, Chinese National League Building, Old Number One Firehall, Chinese Free Masons building and many other fine examples of turn-of-the-century and modern architecture.
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Investing In The Future
Anyone returning to Lethbridge after even a short absence would likely be pleasantly surprised by the positive changes to the downtown core.
Restoration has melded well with new construction to rejuvenate and retain the historical notes and flavours of a bygone era.
The revitalization of Downtown Lethbridge has been noticed across Western Canada by investors willing to invest in a city that recognizes its past as it builds for the future.
These visionaries have seen the potential, investing millions in building restorations and infill projects.
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© 2007 Downtown Lethbridge Business Revitalization Zone - 310 - 6th Street South - Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada |
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