Work along Commercial St., as well as both Chapel St. and Church St. will begin early September, forcing some road closures for vehicles in the area. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

redesign commercial

Closures planned along Nanaimo’s Commercial St. as work beginning on substantial revamp

Aug 14, 2024 | 5:02 PM

NANAIMO — After years of planning and design work, construction is poised to begin along a main corridor through the city’s downtown.

The first phase of a project dubbed ‘Design Commercial’ will begin Sept. 3 and continue through May 2025, with work focused initially on areas along Chapel St., Church St. and the northern sections of Commercial St. either side of the Bastion St. intersection.

City capital project management specialist James Knight told NanaimoNewsNOW the first phase of work includes a new road surface, sidewalks, landscaping elements and lighting along with other improvements.

“The physical work involves some infrastructure repairs, a new water main is required. We’re also removing some trees whose roots have grown up and started heaving the sidewalks.”

A new road surface will go along with underground infrastructure upgrades and other street-level enhancements including lighting and more event-friendly sidewalks. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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The cost for the project is budgeted to be $4.08 million, according to Knight.

To accommodate crews, sections of Commercial St. are slated to be closed to vehicle traffic beginning after the September long weekend.

Knight stressed pedestrians will have access to the street and all businesses along Commercial St. regardless of what work is going on.

“We’re hoping to minimize the impacts to business as much as possible. We’re really trying to send the message out that downtown is open for business. A lot of these large construction projects, the messaging is ‘please avoid the area’, that’s not the case with this project.”

At points where work on the sidewalks is unavoidable, Knight said pedestrians would be diverted onto the closed roadway to continue accessing area businesses.

“Our intent is to support businesses as much as possible. Obviously a large construction project like this will be disruptive and there’s no real way around that but we’re going to do our best to support businesses during construction.”

A rendering of the final product, including a newly designed Pride crosswalk at Terminal Ave. and Bastion St. (City of Nanaimo)

Phase two of the project involves a revamp of Diana Krall Plaza and is scheduled to begin in September 2025.

The lower sections of Commercial St., either side of Terminal Ave. are planned as future project phases.

“Once the project is complete, it’ll go from the Albert-Wallace intersection, all the way to Front St.,” Knight added. “How the phasing happens I guess will largely depend on what happens at the former Jean Burns site, when that will be developed.”

Consultations have been ongoing, according to Knight, with the Downtown Nanaimo Business Association, along with various stakeholders.

Some businesses along the Commercial St. corridor have expressed frustration at the project, seen as another roadblock for businesses to overcome.

Commercial St., between Bastion St. and Terminal Ave. was closed off for nearly a week, with limited access in some areas for much longer, to accommodate the filming of HBO’s “The Last of Us” in April and May.

Lower barrier sidewalks are designed to make the area more accessible, as well as more friendly for events to operate in. (City of Nanaimo)

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