A virtual stroll through the park in Ponoka, AB
2019 – ongoing | Ponoka, AB
The Town of Ponoka, Alberta is in the midst of revitalizing its downtown area. Their goal is to create an even more attractive and vibrant community hub where residents can live, work, and play. Part of this project includes redesigning two of its downtown parks – The Old Hospital Rotary Park and Central Park.
Working closely with the Town, McElhanney proposed new designs for these parks that will add a fresh sense of place to the community and give residents spaces where they can relax and reconnect with nature.
Ponoka and McElhanney were preparing to present these designs to the public at a town hall meeting when COVID-19 hit. In-person presentations needed to be cancelled – but the public still needed to be informed.
McElhanney’s team developed and published 3D fly-throughs so the public could take virtual strolls through the parks, from the comfort and safety of their homes.
The Old Hospital Rotary Park
Located next to the Ponoka Civic Centre, this previously undeveloped greenspace will be transformed into an inviting community gathering space. The new park design features a central walk-way, an amphitheatre , a maze, outdoor classroom areas, and more – all while preserving the existing mature trees along the south and west of the park space.
Central Park
Located at 52 Street and 54 Avenue, this park is being updated and redeveloped to better suit the community. This includes removing outdated, underused recreation equipment and replacing it with a new central walk-way, lawn space, and seating.
Upon publishing the fly through videos, the Town received great feedback from the public. McElhanney looks forward to working with the Town of Ponoka to bring these designs to life.
For more details on the park designs, visit the Town of Ponoka’s website.
