Downtown Development Announced
Wednesday, September 21, 2005 01:00 PM
The old parking lot on Quebec between 5th and 6th will become a condo and retail complex.
The announcement came thismorning from City Hall, which has a letter of intent from the developer.
The San Fransisco company has a plan for a luxury complex that will have restaurants, retail and luxury condos.
Mayor Colin Kinsley says the project will go ahead, and having people living in the downtown core has been a dream of his since becoming Mayor, "I was fortunate to have travelled in my life and noticed that downtowns that were vibrant and alive had people living in the general area."
The completion of the project is expected in 2007.
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Posted by: DON on September 22 2005 2:24 PM
I am sure that most people in this community have not only travelled during their lives, but actually came from other communities and experienced other communities.
Those people who were observant would have noticed that those areas which were vibrant as a result of "people living in the general area" were typically linear transportation arterials and business streets rather than Central Business Districts such as Quebec street is part of.
Think of Vancouver -
A high end stores, restaurants portion of Granville around Broadway serving the equally high end residential areas on the west and east of the street;
Commercial Drive, south of Venables to around first servicing the "funky" low rise residential areas to the west and east;
Robson Street, west of Granville, serving high rise developments to the south and north, with a high mixture of hotels giving the street much more of a tourist flavour;
Davie, also west of Granville, much more local residentially oriented;
Denman, a more funky version of Robson, serving residential areas to the east and west.
Several of these types of streets grew up to serve the adjacent residential areas and some became interesting enough due to their location close to water and parks to become regional as well as national and international destinations.
Neither Quebec nor 5th and 6th meet the prerequisites of such "natural" progressive development typical of growing North American and world cities.
Where is such a potential location in PG as the population begins to increase, you may ask?
Vancouver Street, 7th Avenue; Winnipeg potentially; 18th Avenue in the Gateway; Queensway to South Fort George, just to name a few.
What is needed to get them there?
Higher density residential in the adjacent residential areas.
It takes a bit more background than the mayor has to notice the conditions which create such "natural" progressions in a cities growth.