Broadway Avenue
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Broadway Avenue |
|
| Maintained by City of Saskatoon | |
| Length: | 3.14 kmGmaps Pedometer (2 mi) |
|---|---|
| north end: | Broadway Bridge |
| south end: | Glasgow Street |
| Major cities: | Saskatoon |
Broadway Avenue is an arterial road in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It begins at the west end of the Broadway Bridge and continues south until terminating at Glasgow Street in the Avalon neighbourhood.
The portion between the Broadway Bridge and 8th Street East was the original commercial center of Saskatoon. However, that changed when the present downtown was established with the arrival of the Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railway in 1890.[1] It remained the commercial center for the Nutana and other east side neighbourhoods until the 1950s, when newer shopping malls drew business activity away from Broadway Avenue. The area went into a decades-long period of decline until the mid-1980s.
In 1986, the Broadway Business Improvement District (BBID), an organization of merchants in the area, was formed. One of their first projects was to get the city to pay for half of the estimated $1.1 million to refurbish the street. This included cobblestone medians, park benches, median signs, new paint on the lampposts, antique style lighting and advertisement posts all coordinated in the same theme. It began a period of revitalization that brought renewed commercial activity and gentrification to the Nutana neighbourhood. Broadway Avenue remains a popular commercial district to the present day.
Broadway Avenue's terminus at 12th Street East is often referred to as "Five Corners". It was a five-point intersection composed of Broadway Avenue, University Drive, and 12th Street East (on two sides).[2] With the construction of the Broadway Bridge in 1932 and other roadway realignments, Five Corners is now a standard 3-way junction.
[edit] References
- ^ Jeff, O'Brien (July 2005). A History of Saskatoon to 1914. City of Saskatoon - Archives. Retrieved on 2007-10-04.
- ^ DeCoursey, Elaine; Peggy Sarjeant (1994). Site of the Garrison House - OnBroadway.ca. Saskatoon Heritage Society. Retrieved on 2007-10-04.
