The layout, functionality and future of Commercial St. will come under the microscope as Council looks to develop the area for the future. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

OPEN SPACES

Redesign of downtown Nanaimo’s Commercial St. in Council crosshairs

Jul 22, 2021 | 5:25 AM

NANAIMO — Downtown Nanaimo’s signature street is poised to become the focus of intense study to redesign and reimagine the area.

Council’s finance and audit committee approved spending $150,000 on Wednesday, July 21, for a consultant to create a revitalization plan for the spine of Nanaimo’s downtown.

Dale Lindsay, city manager of development services, told the committee several elements of Commercial St. are tired or near the end of their life and it’s time to come up with a comprehensive, streamlined plan fitting other area initiatives.

“It has to weigh in all those other factors of transportation and servicing beyond just a public realm, but making sure that at the end of the day it’s a successful place, it’s a people place, a place where people want to be and be seen, that’s the ultimate goal.”

Lindsay added the plan deserves the attention of a professional consultant with experience designing these types of public spaces where transit, infrastructure and public realms meet.

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The scope of the plan wasn’t firmly defined, however the topic of making it a pedestrian-focused area was discussed.

CAO Jake Rudolph said the plan is an opportunity to look at the road from the perspective of special events, making it easier for future festivals to utilize the space.

“One of the things you could do is identify the needs for special events, put in the infrastructure underground (such as) plugins and that type of thing. Maybe there’ll be more road closures in the future for Commercial St., that could come out of this exercise.”

Commercial St. has seen several, smaller cosmetic changes over the last few years.

Many restaurants along Commercial St. took advantage of an outdoor patio program put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The intersection with Bastion St. is also slated to be developed to include a raised crosswalk, barring a significant detour from an ongoing pilot project.

“Despite some of the challenges we’re all very aware of, [Commercial St. is] hopping and the restaurants are doing great business and I think people are really coming out,” Coun. Erin Hemmens said.

Money for the plan will come from the City’s “payment in lieu of taxes” account, which is primarily funded by the Port of Nanaimo and traditionally goes to projects in the downtown core.

There is just over $1.3 million in the account, with over $400,000 added each year.

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