Dozens of Regina residents gathered on Saturday to bid a less than fond farewell to the Capital Point hole in Downton Regina.
The city is getting closer and closer to the deadline of March 30 for Westgate Properties Ltd. to fill in the excavation site on the corner of Victoria Ave. and Albert St. After 11 years of conflict surrounding the development, it will not be a tearful goodbye for many citizens around the city.
Paula Krasiun-Winsel organized the event through a Facebook page called: The time when we all said kthxbye to the Capital Pointe Hole. She said it was important for her to help commemorate the pending end of the excavation saga.
"When it was announced that the city ordered the property be backfilled by the end of March, I thought that we needed to get together to hold either a funeral or a good bye party for the hole," said Krasiun-Winsel.
A new interactive augmented reality app feature helped people visualize some fun solutions for what could fill the hole. Users could scan special posters around the hole with their phone, and the app would show it being filled with jello, rubber balls or a symphony orchestra.
“Basically we turned their silly, weird ideas for filling the hole into animations, and that's what you can see when you activate the app,” said Eric Hill, a co-creator of the posters.
But the people at the event had their own imaginative suggestions for what they would like to see fill the site, ranging from a water park, to a green space and even just more downtown parking.
Last month, the Saskatchewan Building and Accessibility Standards Appeal Board ordered the property developers to backfill the site.
In a statement, the City said it will be authorized to take action on Westgate’s behalf if the deadline passes.
The City of Regina is now accepting proposals from contractors to fill the Capital Pointe hole.
Based on an a report by Stefanie Davis
