Broadway Avenue
Encyclopedia
Broadway Avenue is an arterial road
in Saskatoon
, Saskatchewan
. It begins at the east end of the Broadway Bridge
and continues south until terminating at Glasgow Street in the Avalon
neighbourhood.
The original portion of Broadway Avenue, between the Broadway Bridge
and 8th Street East
, was designed as a business street and was the original commercial center of Saskatoon. It was so named because of its width, and teams of more than two horses could do U-turns without having to go around the block. The southernmost portion of Broadway Avenue in Avalon was intended to have a boulevard and be named Royal Avenue.
Broadway Avenue ceased to be the main commercial street when the present downtown was established with the arrival of the Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railway in 1890. 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. On August 25, 1986, an organization of merchants in the area called the Broadway Business Improvement District (BBID) 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 an active commercial district to the present day.
in 1932.
In later years, access from University Drive and the western part of 12th Street East was cut off, changing Five Corners into a standard 3-way junction
. The moniker remained, and an interpretive sculpture was erected in 2009 by the design studio of Lee-Koopman.
Arterial road
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
in Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. It begins at the east end of the Broadway Bridge
Broadway Bridge (Saskatoon)
Broadway Bridge is an arch bridge that spans across the east and west banks of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.-History:...
and continues south until terminating at Glasgow Street in the Avalon
Avalon, Saskatoon
Avalon is a mostly residential neighbourhood located in south-central Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is a suburban subdivision, consisting mostly of low-density, single detached dwellings. As of 2007, the area is home to 3,214 residents...
neighbourhood.
Broadway Bridge (Saskatoon)
Broadway Bridge is an arch bridge that spans across the east and west banks of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.-History:...
and 8th Street East
8th Street East (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
8th Street East is a road serving the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It begins as a continuation of a minor residential street at Highway 219 in Saskatoon, and runs through the city, eventually exiting the city limits, going through the eastern part of Corman Park Rural Municipality and...
, was designed as a business street and was the original commercial center of Saskatoon. It was so named because of its width, and teams of more than two horses could do U-turns without having to go around the block. The southernmost portion of Broadway Avenue in Avalon was intended to have a boulevard and be named Royal Avenue.
Broadway Avenue ceased to be the main commercial street when the present downtown was established with the arrival of the Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railway in 1890. It remained the commercial center for the Nutana
Nutana, Saskatoon
Nutana is a primarily residential neighbourhood located near the center of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It includes the business district of Broadway Avenue. It comprises a nearly even mixture of low-density, single detached dwellings and apartment-style multiple unit dwellings. As of 2009,...
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. On August 25, 1986, an organization of merchants in the area called the Broadway Business Improvement District (BBID) 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
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
to the Nutana neighbourhood. Broadway Avenue remains an active commercial district to the present day.
Five Corners
Broadway Avenue's intersection at 12th Street East is often referred to as "Five Corners"; it was originally laid out in 1883. The north extension of Broadway, later renamed University Drive, followed the Batoche Trail parallel to the river, unlike the north-south orientation of Broadway south of 12th Street. The intersection was connected to the "Long Hill" route along Saskatchewan Crescent to the Traffic Bridge, which opened in 1907. This connection created a five-point intersection, and it became an access point to downtown with the completion of the Broadway BridgeBroadway Bridge (Saskatoon)
Broadway Bridge is an arch bridge that spans across the east and west banks of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.-History:...
in 1932.
In later years, access from University Drive and the western part of 12th Street East was cut off, changing Five Corners into a standard 3-way junction
3-way junction
A 3-way junction is a type of road junction with three arms. A Y junction generally has 3 arms of equal size...
. The moniker remained, and an interpretive sculpture was erected in 2009 by the design studio of Lee-Koopman.