The price tag for Brampton’s ambitious downtown revitalization has climbed again, with another $5.9 million requested on top of last year’s $6.5 million increase.
Council first approved $16 million for the Downtown Brampton Streetscape Project in 2021, before adding $6.5 million in 2024. Now, a new budget request seeks $4.7 million for construction costs and $1.6 million for granite paving materials. The additional funds also include a $360,000 design consultant fee, $530,000 for contract administration, and $300,000 for contingencies.
If council approves the request, the total cost of the project will approach $28 million. The funds are expected to be transferred from budgets originally set aside for the Ken Whillans Square and Garden Square upgrades.
The streetscaping project is reshaping Brampton’s downtown with new traffic lights, power lines, upgraded roads, and redesigned public spaces. Five intersections will be enhanced, with the iconic Four Corners at Main and Queen Streets receiving a unique design to emphasize its role as the city’s central hub. The other intersections — Main and Theatre Lane, Main and Wellington, Queen and Theatre Lane, and Queen and George — will serve as gateways to the core.
Meanwhile, upgrades to Ken Whillans Square will feature high-end granite paving and the “Shimmer Stage,” a combined art installation, performance area, and digital screen with an overhead canopy. Garden Square will see a suspended LED screen and an expanded plaza area.
Early construction on Ken Whillans Square is estimated at $8.3 million, while interim work at Garden Square will cost $1.3 million. The intersection work is slated for completion by next August, with all downtown streetscaping upgrades expected by the end of 2027.