For Scott Higgins one recent event encapsulated the first-year success of the Gaslight District — an impromptu kid’s soccer game in the square. The game wasn’t organized, just children kicking the ball around and, Higgins observed, they were comfortable using the space. “I was like, OK, perfect.
Now they’re starting to get to the next layer of this thing, which is: it’s your square, it’s public realm. How do you want to use it? How do you want to come down and have some fun? It was cool,” said the president of HIP Developments, which built the Gaslight District. The 1800s-era industrial building has been much more than just a soccer pitch since its grand opening weekend in July last year with concerts headlined by Big Wreck and Walk Off The Earth.
The square, with its huge video screen, regularly hosts family movies and sporting events, as well as concerts, car shows and a summer market. That was Higgins vision when he “dreamt up” the Gaslight District. “It wasn’t really about a residential condo project,” Higgins said.
“For me, it was about trying to take a piece of history and turn it into, perhaps, the next chapter.” Once the world became “digitalized,” he said, the days of gathering at the bowling alley, the corner store or church functions were gone. So, he wanted to build a space to bring the community back together.
“We’re just finishing off everything, and then I think it will be another year or two to really get it humming. It is becoming a community hub, but we’re just getting started.” The Gaslight District is becoming a one-stop shop for entertainment and dining, with Tapestry Hall, Foundry Tavern and Foundry Brewing, Underwing, The French and, coming soon, Pizzeria Motola.
He’s also hired on a programming team and wants to build a volunteer base for community outreach, with the aim to draw in community groups for performances. “Two or three years from now, it’s going to be really incredible,” he said. The real measure of success is in the numbers and the economic impact on the city.
Ian Thornley rips through a solo during Big Wreck’s set at the grand opening of the Gaslight District in 2023. However, Higgins admitted they haven’t done a formal impact study; but as the focus turns to more shows and concerts next year, they plan on doing some tracking to see who’s coming from where and how many. The city also hasn’t tracked the economic impact of the Gaslight District, but Michael Launslager, director of economic development, said in an email, that since its opening the district has had a “remarkable” impact on the city by generating significant economic growth, creating jobs, enhancing cultural offerings and providing modern housing.
“It has become a cultural hub with numerous events and enhanced public spaces, strengthening community ties, fostering a vibrant and inclusive community atmosphere, and enriching the lives of residents,” Launslager said. Exact data hasn’t been collected by the Downtown Cambridge BIA either, said executive director Brian Kennedy, but he added many local businesses have shared that they’ve seen increased sales and foot traffic during Gaslight’s large events. That’s something Higgins has seen as well.
What he used to hear, however, is tourists would love the city and its restaurants and shops, but there wasn’t a lot do for entertainment. “What’s interesting is people always get surprised if they haven’t been here before. They’re like, ‘Oh my God, it’s beautiful.
I wish there were more things going on.’ It’s always, ‘it’s beautiful, but ..
.’ My job, I guess, is to say, ‘it’s beautiful, and ..
.’” Kennedy agreed, saying the Gaslight District has played a big role in the growth of the wedding industry in the city with Tapestry Hall, as well as being a big part of Cambridge Wedding Week. “Introducing new businesses, events, and attractions at Gaslight has boosted downtown Cambridge’s visibility across southern Ontario, attracting out-of-town visitors and supporting our local businesses,” Kennedy said.
“We’re grateful for their contribution, which enhances the downtown experience for both residents and tourists alike.” The last year doesn’t tell the entire story, Higgins said. For the future he’s taken on an underdog sports team mentality of, why not us? The Budweiser Stage in Toronto holds 5,500 seated spectators.
Why not us? Big name music acts are coming to the GTA and Hamilton. Why not us? “As we get away from just the regional music scene, we can really amp this thing up to have a great entertainment venue in Cambridge for those big types of shows,” Higgins said. A preview of the growth of shows comes next month when Fest2Fall moves to the Gaslight District with The Beaches and JJ Wilde.
“If the Gaslight District could be the place that stimulates the in-person experience in Cambridge, and you feel like you’ve created new friendships or reconnected with friends in person, that’s socially what I want the district to do, is make the community deeper, richer and happier.”.
