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Take action at main intersection

So here we are now with a large hole at our main intersection
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Excavators work to tear down the Jean Burns building at the corner of Terminal Avenue and Commercial Street last month. CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin

Re: Downtown demolition, March 21.

So here we are now with a large hole at our main intersection and across the street sits the former A&B Sound property thats been rotting from the inside out for the last 12 years or so. It seems we are happy in collecting the property taxes from the out-of-town owner, meanwhile, it devalues surrounding properties and has a complete negative effect on our downtown from visitors and locals alike. The people of Nanaimo and especially the downtown property and business owners deserve that the city do whatever they can to force the owner to take action on the embarrassing eyesore. It would serve Nanaimo well to look at purchasing the Jean Burns and A&B property on their own or in a partnership with a reputable developer and come up with something that would set the stage for more major players wanting to invest in Nanaimo. If we do not show initiative as a city in wanting to develop and beautify where we live, especially at our main intersection, then we should not expect that anyone else would want to spend their money to do so. Pride of ownership on a city scale. In the 42 years I have worked in the downtown core, there has been no development of any consequence on the A&B side of Terminal Avenue, from Nicol Street to Comox Road. The time is now. If some major developments were done from Commercial Street south to the Wellcox property, then maybe we might get some more cruise ships wanting to stop here. Last count Nanaimo gets four to five ships a year, Victoria gets about 240. As long as we continue to procrastinate, we will never reach the potential that Nanaimo deserves.

Craig Palin, Nanaimo

Re: An arts centre would serve community well, Letters, April 13.

If there’s a plan for 1 Port Dr. that includes a concert hall with great acoustics and sight lines, with visionary architecture (and by that I mean not a giant shoe box but a building that is to Vancouver Island what the Sydney Opera House is to Australia) and a funding proposal that can justify the project economically as well as artistically, then I think I can support that plan.

I’d really like to see some kind of First Nations settlement on that site – what the first Europeans to arrive would have seen – both for the archaeological and historical value and for the incredible opportunities for education and tourism that such a model community would provide.

If the city still wants to build an ice centre downtown, and can find suitable partners, then I hope it goes forward near the site of the former Civic Arena.

There’s a lot more that the city could do to improve the downtown, most significantly by addressing the ‘Terminal Trench’ from around the old A&B Sound building along to the intersection with Comox Road. But even small things like putting downtown maps on the side of those new parking permit dispensers would be nice.

Right now I’d be happy to see some basic housekeeping rather than a big publicly funded project. For example, around the corner from my house is a small park called Durham Park. It’s terribly overgrown and could perhaps do with a sign and a bench so people from the neighbourhood could sit there and enjoy the sight of the Cat Stream flowing through.

I’m sure it wouldn’t cost a million dollars.

Ian Poole, Nanaimo