The Town of High River wants ideas from the community on how best to redevelop the former Canadian Pacific railway corridor through town.

O2 Planning + Design has been hired to do a study asking residents and stakeholders over the summer what they want to see it become and then they'll come up with conceptual master plan for the property.

The Manager of Planning and Development Services, Khalid Mohammed, says they'll be contacting businesses before the end of this month, and will also be attending the July 6 and July 27 Farmers’ Markets to get feedback from residents.

The goal of the study is to change the corridor into community spaces that are well integrated with the areas around it, and become a community asset.

The CP corridor looking north from 3rd Avenue

“During operation of the railway, the corridor functioned as a catalyst for growth, but today, the corridor is 28.6 acres of underutilized space that no longer spurs downtown commerce,” adds Mohammed. “Building on the preliminary concept from the 2015 Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan, the Town believes the corridor still has a role to play in modernizing and enhancing the function of downtown High River.”

An online survey will also be posted in early July

Council will get the final report in September.

Council tops up money for CPR corridor plan