The future of the former Jean Burns building site is up in the air following the latest round of public consultation. (City of Nanaimo)

By Alex Rawnsley

BUS STOPPED

‘People were pretty clear:’ decisive pushback to transit exchange as downtown centrepiece

Jan 24, 2022 | 3:12 PM

NANAIMO — Support appears to be minimal at best for a new transit exchange to be the crown jewel of “The Hub”.

Planning remains ongoing on what to do with a section of Nanaimo’s downtown core, centred around the former Jean Burns building site at the Terminal Ave. and Commercial St. intersection.

Michael Elliott, “The Hub” project manager, told NanaimoNewsNOW public support for looping in the prime parcel of land to a new transit hub was minimal at best.

“People were pretty clear they didn’t want to see an exchange on it which is funny because we only showed one option that had buses accessing through there. I can safely say that’s not going to be the exchange.”

An upgraded transit exchange is still on the table and will likely fold in elsewhere in the project.

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Participants of a recent engagement period on the project were asked to spend an imaginary $55 on amenities they’d like to see make up the project.

Mixed-use, residential and commercial buildings topped the list with $17.12 spent on average while a transit exchange only garnered $3.73 in support.

Participants showed a clear favour for mixed use buildings rather than a new transit exchange to be the primary focus behind “The Hub” along Terminal Ave. (City of Nanaimo)

Support for a public open space at the current site of the former Jean Burns building was also mixed, with two concepts for a public square finding just under half of all respondents disapprove of the idea all together.

Roughly one third showed some level of support.

The most favourable feedback was reserved for a new building, two to four storeys tall, featuring a mixture of commercial and residential suites.

“We had shown a couple of concepts with public open space improvements, public was pretty clear that’s not what they want to see there,” Elliott said. “They really wanted to see more opportunities for mixed use, especially commercial, artistic venues.”

The issue facing planners is melding a myriad of different visions into one cohesive plan.

Nanaimo’s active transportation master plan guides decisions made on bike lanes and transit, discussions remain on-going on the future make-up of both Commercial St. and Diana Krall Plaza.

Elliott said being true to all those plans makes finding a singular vision difficult.

“One of the great things we’ve heard from Council and public is to just slow down, take your time and get stuff to come together and try to get that unified vision. While we all want to get downtown going again, we’d rather get it right than rush to do something.”

Work on a building concept for the currently vacant lot at Terminal Ave. and Commercial St. is already underway after Council direction in late October.

Elliott added he was surprised by the makeup of people who visit the downtown core, with less job-related trips as first thought.

Shopping, eating at a restaurant or going for a walk topped the list for reasons to visit.

A decision on the property will help influence other aspects of the wide-reaching project.

Elliott said they’re returning to partners in order to present an updated vision of the project to Council by late spring.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

alex@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley