Ongoing work on Commercial St. is scheduled to last for several more months. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW staff

Significant changes

Top Stories of 2024: Key projects advance in Downtown Nanaimo

Dec 27, 2024 | 2:36 PM

NANAIMO — Multi-year, extensive upgrades on several fronts to Nanaimo’s downtown core focuses on overhauling a pair of critically important streets.

The old phrase ‘no pain, no gain’ applies to ongoing work on portions of Terminal Ave. and adjoining Commercial St. where extensive modernization work is ongoing.

Underground utility line replacements, resurfaced roadways, enhanced pedestrian amenities, and improved lighting are being implemented.

With shovels getting into the ground in July 2023, revamping Terminal Ave. between Esplanade and Commercial St. took more than a year to complete.

Investments in formerly gated off Italian Square Park and Pioneer Square Parks were also done.

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A pair of future planned phases will see similar work continue further north on Terminal Ave. between Commercial St. and Wentworth St. and Wentworth St. to Stewart Ave.

Significant attention to Terminal Ave. aims to create less of a highway feel through downtown Nanaimo, and more of a pedestrian-friendly gathering area.

Private sector investment is seeing the old A&B Sound building at 1 Commercial St. currently go through a significant transformation. A ground level restaurant and multi-tenanted food services as part of a unique-to-Nanaimo walkthrough corridor is under construction.

Jake Steiner, director of Steiner Properties, expects the reformed former A&B Sound building will begin to see tenants occupy the space by next spring, which represents an important investment in enhancing the old dormant record juggernaut which had sat empty since 2008.

Jacob Steiner views progress in reforming 1 Commercial St. during an Oct. 25 site visit (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Across the street a daunting challenge exists in the form of the Jean Burns building site, destroyed in a 2016 fire.

Now owned by the City of Nanaimo, a request for proposals to the private sector last year didn’t illicit much interest for the .25 acre site at 6 Commercial St.

Considered “an important redevelopment opportunity”, contamination issues hinders transforming the hole in the ground into desired a City desired mixed-use development.

Next door a pair of addresses were purchased by the City in 2021, 565 and 575 Terminal Ave., which for many years had served as tattoo and print shops.

Those buildings are slated to be toppled next year to make way for a new downtown off-street transit exchange.

In a recent statement to NanaimoNewsNOW, BC Transit noted detailed design work is expected to be done this summer and construction could start as early as next fall.

“To prepare, the project team has been working with local business to address concerns and is committed to minimizing construction impacts as the project progresses.”

Commercial St
The heart of downtown Nanaimo is unquestionably Commercial St, where ongoing work represents short-term pain for long-term gain.

While similar to Terminal Ave., Commercial St. includes increasing accessibility and catering for events, including sections of street-level sidewalks.

Crews began enhancing Commercial St. between Wharf and Chapel streets in September, as part of work expected to extend well into next spring.

Modernizing the streetscape, including road resurfacing work was disrupted early in the construction schedule with a mine void discovered while underground utility drilling commenced on Commercial St.

Businesses are negatively impacted with disruptive road work and access challenges preventing on-street parking in the immediate area.

The City of Nanaimo and Downtown Business Association have worked to attempt to help entice people the area with parking incentives.

Area on-street parking and complimentary parking on the second and third stories of the Bastion Street Parkade.

Future work will take place at three parks in the Commercial St. revitalization area: Tideline Park (Victoria Cres. at Albert St.), Diana Krall Plaza and Dallas Square Park.

Complimentary parking is in effect in the second and third floors of the Bastion Street Parkade (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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