Capstone Discovery Bus Launch

Land and Economic Development (The City of Red Deer) has been developing the Capstone area on land previously occupied by the City’s Civic Yards. This 91 acre, master-planned, mixed-use community is located in downtown Red Deer, and is an important pillar in the revitalization of Red Deer’s Greater Downtown Area. At full build out Capstone will be home to up to 2,000,000 sq ft of new commercial space and over 2,000 new condominiums and townhome residences.

In the summer of 2022, we launched the Capstone Discovery Bus! The purpose of the bus is to educate and engage people on the vision of the community. Through the use of interactive displays and trained ambassadors, it supports future buyers by addressing questions around the master plan vision and builds confidence around the benefits of urban living.

Within this unique 280 sq ft space, visitors experience a typical day-in-the-community. A sample condominium, a brew pub, a grocery experience, a miniature office and park space all describe the personality and built form of Capstone. A digital 3D model of the community orients the visitor to Capstone, while showcasing the future density intentions and design aesthetic. The displays will be updated as the development grows and progresses.

The bus is open Thursday through Sunday each week as well as holiday Mondays, and for special events.

Launch weekend – July 14-17 in Capstone

Capstone Night Market event, in collaboration with a Capstone retailer
Oversized games in the area in front of the bus
Capstone Discovery Bus swag

Ribbon Cutting event – July 19

With the Mayor and Council members in attendance
Media release and photos provided

Community outreach – July 20-24

Capstone Discovery Bus drove in the Westerner Days parade
Set up at Westerner Days in Red Deer
Community attendance will be sustained at the weekly downtown market, events in Capstone, Canadian Finals Rodeo, Meet the Street Festival, and other opportunities

Marketing included a social media campaign, creation of a video bus tour, media release, billboards, A-frame directional signage, an enewsletter to over 1200 subscribers, and a letter to Capstone retailers.

The purpose of the Capstone Discovery Bus and corresponding events is to:

Broaden awareness of the community vision and increase engagement through participation at community events, art and cultural programs, civic celebrations and general community outreach in central Alberta.
Data capture, which will include:
1. Traffic through the bus
2. Anecdotal data on visitor demographics
3. Questions asked
4. Number of new enewsletter subscribers
5. Requests for community event attendance

The purpose of the Capstone Discovery Bus and corresponding events is to:

Broaden awareness of the community vision and increase engagement through participation at community events, art and cultural programs, civic celebrations and general community outreach in central Alberta.
Data capture, which will include:
1. Traffic through the bus
2. Anecdotal data on visitor demographics
3. Questions asked
4. Number of new enewsletter subscribers
5. Requests for community event attendance

Successes include:

1,100 visitors in the first 9 days during the launch event, ribbon cutting and Westerner Days attendance.
112 new subscribers to the Capstone enewsletter in the month of July 2022
2 requests for community event attendance

Challenges:

We will continue to evaluate the most effective operating hours
Enewsletter signups on the iPads were low, so we’ve pivoted to using a draw with a prize entry form, making it easier for people to check a box to sign up.