Contract awarded for Eastern Nova Scotia Exhibition Grounds Master Plan

ARDA has awarded the contract for the Eastern Nova Scotia Exhibition Grounds Master Plan to Ekistics Planning and Design from Dartmouth. Ekistics submitted a proposal in response to a request for proposals that ARDA released earlier this month.

“This planning project is an exciting initiative for Antigonish as it represents an opportunity to enhance and redevelop a key community site,” says Robert LeBlanc, Ekistics’ Principal-in-Charge.

Antigonish is very fortunate to have a 10.87 acre piece of land in the town that is owned by the Municipality of the County of Antigonish and leased to the Antigonish/Guysborough Federation of Agriculture. This land, located on James Street, is home to numerous organizations and events, including the Eastern Nova Scotia Exhibition, the Antigonish Farmers Market, the East Nova Holstein Club, the All For Horses Association, 4H, and numerous other activities, including parking for the Antigonish Arena.

“There are 14 years remaining on the long term lease and some of the infrastructure has outlived its useful life,” says Alisha Grant, development officer at ARDA. “The objective of this planning process is to consult with the stakeholders and the community to identify current and future needs and to incorporate them into a conceptual plan for future development.”

The land has become a vibrant hub of the community hosting all the activities at the Antigonish Arena, the weekly Farmer’s Market, regular horse shows, Holstein sales, and the annual Eastern Nova Scotia Exhibition every September.

Ekistics will begin work on the project in early October. A site visit will be arranged that will include a start-up meeting, a walkabout inventory, and stakeholder interviews. A public workshop will also be held that will be designed to create a community vision for the grounds. A second trip will then take place early November where a draft vision and master plan report will be presented. The final report will be completed by December 31, 2010.

“The Town of Antigonish and the Municipality of the County of Antigonish are keen to see this land protected and developed to meet the needs of the community,” says Grant. “They are supportive of the numerous stakeholders working together to develop a long term coordinated development and conceptual plan for the parcel of land.”

This is the second contract that has been awarded to Ekistics since July. The company has been working very closely with ARDA and community stakeholders on a gateway strategy for Antigonish. The idea behind a gateway strategy is to minimize the impact of the new highway coming to Antigonish and to maximize the opportunity that it will bring.

“We’re very excited to be working on another project in Antigonish,” says LeBlanc. “We’ll be able to build on the momentum that has been generated by the gateway project and provide the community with a cohesive vision.”