The long-awaited public square at the Gaslight District in Galt aims to breathe new life into the community, but will be delayed a few months due to construction issues.
Although the square wont be able to meet its original May 25 grand opening target, Carolina Soares, CEO of Gaslight Events said the wait will be worth it.
"This is going to be unlike anything in the entire region," Soares said. "Like a lot of businesses we would have loved to be open already, but we did have some minor supply chain issues."
Soares adds they are lucky to only be delayed two months as other businesses in the area have been delayed for close to a year.
Looking forward to a July opening, they will be offering weekly movie nights, consistent live music and a vendor market to showcase local artisans.
The one acre outdoor venue can hold over 4,000 people and will be lined with patios from the Foundry Tavern, Tapestry Hall and the market that will be opening in the coming months.
The market will provide the community with a cafe and seating area plus local produce and products. Gaslight plans on opening the market in May when the original grand opening for the square would have been.
"Like the Tavern, we are going to open the market as planned so the community can still come in and get a sense for what the space will be like," Soares said.
The outdoor town square will add rotating, interactive art displays and have the largest permanently installed video screen in Canada.
"Every Wednesday we will be doing movie nights for children and families," Soares added. "A lot of us here have young kids and family so we wanted the space to incorporate different kinds of play."
Stephanie Watson, executive assistant at Gaslight Events, said the video screen is being looked at for sporting events like Raptor games, football or other popular sports.
The theme of play is heavily layered in the developments brand, from posters, wall art and street signs, they are looking at the space like the communities new playground.
The developers, Scott Higgins and HIP Developments want to focus on the community aspect of the square and create a welcoming environment for everyone, filling a gap they feel this city has had for some time.
The Gaslight District is being touted as a "first of its kind space" in the region, offering a wide range of activities that will try and breathe new life into an otherwise dry nightlife scene in Cambridge.
"So Cambridge doesn't really have much of a nightlife, and we really want to create a space for the over 25 market, so they don't have to go to the Waterloos or Guelphs in the area," said Soares.
There are multiple spaces in the downtown Galt area that are trying to tailor to a younger crowd, the Mule on Main Street and now the Gaslight District.
The Foundry Tavern, located in the District offers a modern pub experience where customers can sit down, eat and drink; while the soon-to-open Underwing, will serve as a tapas style tasting restaurant during the day and a speakeasy inspired nightclub at night.
"We really are going to have something for everyone and we can't wait to open the doors and welcome the community into what we've been building," added Soares.
The Public Square will be hosting A Day in The District in July, a three day event to mark their grand opening. Details about the event are to come in the coming months and more information about the development can be found on their website here.
