Downtown Revitalization
Bradford's downtown is the heart of our community. It is home to local businesses, family-owned shops, restaurants, professional services, and the people who invest their time and money in making our downtown vibrant and successful.
Let's keep it that way!
My Commitment to Downtown Bradford
If elected Mayor, I will ensure that downtown revitalization focuses on practical solutions that support local businesses, residents, and visitors.
My priorities will include:
✔ Protecting and restoring downtown parking wherever possible.
✔ Prioritizing the replacement of aging underground infrastructure while controlling project costs.
✔ Ensuring local businesses have a meaningful voice throughout the planning process.
✔ Conducting a comprehensive review of traffic flow, parking requirements, and transit accessibility before any final design decisions are made.
✔ Requiring full financial transparency, including project costs, long-term maintenance expenses, and impacts on taxpayers.
✔ Bringing all members of Council, local businesses, residents, and stakeholders together to develop a revitalization plan that works for everyone.
Downtown revitalization should strengthen our local economy—not create new challenges for the businesses that keep it alive.
The goal should be simple: modernize critical infrastructure, improve the appearance of our downtown, support local businesses, and protect accessibility for customers and residents.
Most importantly, there should be no surprises.
Through collaboration, transparency, and common-sense planning, we can revitalize our downtown while preserving the businesses and community character that make Bradford unique.
The Current Council's Action
Over the next four years, the Town plans to begin the Downtown Revitalization Project, starting with the western portion of Holland Street near Thornton Avenue and Toronto Street.
On February 12, 2026, senior Town staff, Mayor James Leduc, and several members of Council met with local business owners to discuss the project. During that meeting, staff explained that aging underground infrastructure requires replacement and presented plans that included lane reductions and the removal of parking spaces in certain areas.
Business owners immediately raised concerns.
Many remember the challenges experienced during previous downtown redevelopment efforts approximately twenty years ago when traffic lanes were reduced and parking was removed. Local businesses paid the price then, and many fear history could repeat itself.
Even more concerning, the initial concepts presented failed to adequately address key issues such as customer parking and transit access. Business owners were left questioning whether their concerns had truly been heard.
The situation on Dury Street further illustrates the problem.
As part of the current reconstruction project, approximately ten parking spaces have been removed to accommodate an expanded sidewalk on a side street that experiences limited through traffic. Local businesses have already reported negative impacts from the loss of these parking spaces.
When parking is removed without a clear need or business justification, it is local merchants, employees, and customers who bear the consequences.
Downtown businesses deserve better.
On May 19, 2026, Town staff presented Report PLN-2026-29, titled Inventory of Vacant Town-Owned Lands and Municipal Options Available for Facilitating the Development of Affordable Housing. Of the four properties identified for consideration, two were existing parking lots located within the downtown core.
For many business owners, this raised serious concerns. At a time when parking availability remains one of the most important factors affecting downtown commerce, reducing parking inventory sends the wrong message to those who have invested in our community.
That must change.
