Around 160 metres of new asphalt sidewalk, gardens beds and a painted crosswalk are officially open following roughly eight years of debate and process in Lantzville. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

DOWNTOWN UPGRADES

Ribbon cutting caps eight year, $570k project to improve safety in downtown Lantzville

Aug 18, 2021 | 12:08 PM

LANTZVILLE — It ended with the single snip of scissors, but the process to improve safety and beautify a stretch of Lantzville Rd. was anything but quick.

Mayor Mark Swain officially opened the recently completed sidewalks, crosswalk and garden bed project for a roughly 160 metre stretch of the district’s commercial core.

Construction on the upgrades began in the spring and were the result of debate over three iterations of Council beginning in 2013, but Swain told NanaimoNewsNOW the project will be crucial in providing a better experience for residents, visitors and local businesses.

“We want to make this an inviting atmosphere and prior to doing this improvement, it was basically a sea of asphalt, really no character or charm to it. Now we have added that to our village core and hopefully it’ll invite businesses to come in.”

The project added approximately five foot wide asphalt sidewalks and accompanying gardens beds to both sides of Lantzville Rd., between Caillet Rd. and Dickinson Rd.

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A crosswalk was also painted onto Lantzville Rd., adjacent to the Dickinson Rd. intersection.

Sidewalks, garden beds and a crosswalk now feature along Lantzville Rd. in front of Municipal Hall, following over half a million dollars in upgrades. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Swain said the $570,389 project cost was primarily funded locally by federal gas tax revenue, which is available to local governments for capital projects.

He added local residents were not charged a tax increase to fund the project.

The Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICE-T) contributed $133,000 towards the total bill as a way to get the project over the funding finish line.

“ICE-T is looking at the economic wellbeing of smaller communities,” Ian Morrison, ICE-T board vice-chair, said. “Downtown revitalization was a specific area of interest for ICE-T because it’s the heart, soul, gathering places of community members and this is why projects like this are so important.”

District of Lantzville staff are actively applying for grant money to fund phase two of the project.

It would see similar improvements continue for roughly 140 metres southward along Lantzville Rd. from Dickinson Rd. to Tweedhope Rd.

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alex.rawnsley@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley