Jubilee Plaza will Launch in Winter

Wood Buffalo is getting very close to inviting area residents to one of the newest developments in the Fort McMurray area. The City Centre McMurray will have a winter launch for the Jubilee Plaza, which is expected to happen before the Santa Claus Parade on November 29th.

What is the Jubilee Plaza?

The Jubilee Plaza is a public space and event area for both outdoor and indoor community events. Construction started on the plaza back in October of 2013. When finished, it will include a public skating area, a stage, fire pits, a coffee shop, a regional information showcase and an installation called "weather catcher."

The plaza will fit perfectly for smaller events that are too small for Mac Island. The space can host up to 1,500 people and the RMWB community services have an early goal of connecting the space with community groups. Since this will be a natural gathering space, it's expected to become very popular.

The Jubilee Plaza will be about 20 minutes from all the top attractions or less. This makes it possible hold events for those coming in from out of town and makes it convenient for many areas businesses.

The project is expected to meet the $16.9 million budget and will be done nearly on time. Originally, they expected an October opening, but it will be about a month delayed due to a few small construction issues.

Currently, the plaza features vegetation areas with local plants, and locally-source flagstones. Once complete, the stage will be designed to fit into multiples areas of the space making it highly flexible for events. The "weather Catcher" installation won't be ready for winter, but it will be a part of the area come spring.

The winter will be used as a time to test the space with community groups. After the winter hits, the public skating area will be configured and the gas fire pits will be provided.

Currently, the municipality is seeking a tenant for the cafe space, which will be able to seat up to 40 people. Once all of the features are completed and a tenant moves in, the space is expected to become a community hub for Fort McMurray.