The Town of Cobourg is moving ahead with long-awaited infrastructure work that will support future housing development and address a century-old issue beneath downtown.
At a special meeting on July 16, council approved a cost-sharing agreement with 202 Second Street Inc. to realign the Midtown Creek culvert. The developer has agreed to contribute $350,000 toward the project, which will see the creek redirected away from private property at 202 Second Street commonly referred to as the former Quigley’s lot.
The culvert, parts of which are more than 100 years old, currently runs beneath the Covert Street parking lot, commercial buildings on King Street, and other nearby infrastructure. Much of it is in poor condition. The Town had previously completed only a portion of the planned realignment in 2000 due to budget constraints.
Under the agreement, the developer will complete the culvert design work and deliver a full construction cost estimate this fall. Town staff estimate the total project could cost between $1.5 and $2 million, with the remainder expected to be covered by municipal funding.
The project will be considered for formal inclusion in the Town’s 2026 capital budget.
While council did not discuss potential disruptions to traffic, parking, or local businesses during the meeting, the work is expected to affect the Covert Street lot, Henley Arcade, and possibly King Street.
The new culvert alignment is also expected to support the developer’s plans for an eight-storey mixed-use condominium building at the site, though no formal application has yet appeared on the Town’s planning dashboard.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
