Sounds to me like a sheer desperation move to get people to go downtown.
@^%@@^&&% WRONG ANSWER!!!!!

Perhaps the Metropolis development at Fifth and Quebec is the driver? However, if this city paid nearly $150,000 for a plan that relies on Metropolis reviving the downtown, that's $150,000 too much.

There is nothing that faces onto any of the streets other than George street for the simple fact that there are only 4 properties per block - two each side of the street - until you reach George street which is configured with the lots turned 90 degrees. The street simply was not designed to include shopping entries so only a few owners have bothered to alter this pattern.

The only normal way to focus shops or similar tenancies onto Quebec is to assemble land beyond the property which borders Quebec.

That being said, the street has several things going for it.

The most important in my mind is that there are the equivalent of about 16 or even more (depending on how many contiguous unbuilt properties one counts into "bordering" George Street) lots which have no buildings on them. This is more than any other cross street. In fact, it is more than any other Avenue, other than possibly 2nd Avenue.

In a community where any investment needs to be lean and mean, that means no money needed to teardown a building, means one can take maximum advantage of the 10 year tax moratorium for improvements, means one does not have to pay a potential premium for a building which is useless for the new purpose and, finally it means that no buildings are removed from the stock of buildings.

In addition, some may feel that it is advantageous to have a “terminating” building or facility at each end.

Quebec terminates with the Civic Plaza which should have some improvements built onto it which would draw people to the plaza – more green space, ice which is actually used, or removal of the ice and service building to be replaced by some ground level “retail” access in conjunction with an expansion of the Inn which is being considered.

At the other end, the street terminates with the Via Building. So, it is the street which train passengers get off to “walk” or take a ride to their hotel. Part of the year, that would be an attraction to a few, but important, people. In addition, in that block, the properties do face the street and buildings there are “ripe” for redevelopment.

Existing buildings include the UNBC owned BM building, the old RBC building which is still in good shape, the old post office which is one of the few old brick buildings we still have and can be redeveloped, the Brick, which will be moving and leaves a large “hole” with a building which has some redevelopment potential. All four are on the4 corner of 3rd and development there will benefit Third Avenue.

Finally, it is close to where there is a concentration of daytime workers.

So, I will wait to read the report, but at initial glance, that part may be a good choice.

A marketing plan has to include several other things, however. At this stage, identifying facility opportunities is not the most difficult part of any such plan. We have plenty of opportunities for both small and large investors. So, to me, that is the key, not dreaming up of place where one should invest.

The proposal is at http://www.city.pg.bc.ca/city_services/supply/2005_documents/P05-18A.pdf. The scope is enormous. Read it under part 7.

I agree that Quebec street makes the logical starting point for downtown revitalization. I say that even though I am not a downtown backer.

IMO the first step to downtown revitalization is to make all the intersections on Quebec street four way stops. Its currently the most dangerous pedestrian street in town, especially the 5th and Quebec intersection because 5th is seen as a fast short cut to most people.

Next I would locate more garbage cans downtown and put some nice ones in for a change rather than these cheep ones. Put out a request for proposal and lets pay some small business operator to build something nice for a few dollars.

There is an old saying that says if a building has a single broken window that is not fixed, then it is not long before all the windows are broken. I think this applies to our downtown, and it starts with the garbage cans.