The dreams of six Nanaimo organizations have built one development plan for the heart of Nanaimo’s Beban Park.
An agriplex, indigenous cultural centre and year-round farmers’ market are all part of a shared vision for the core of Beban Park, presented by six organizations to city council Monday.
The pitch comes in the wake of a master plan for the recreational campus, and shows the desired facilities of the Nanaimo Equestrian Association, Vancouver Island Exhibition Society, Island Roots Market Cooperative and the Indigenous Peoples Place of Culture sharing one footprint.
Plans for the area, where the VIEX barns and equestrian riding rings are today, show it could host a cultural centre with childcare and classrooms, riding rings, an agriplex, barns and a facility for an indoor market.
Nanaimo city councillors thanked and complimented the organizations for coming together and agreed to put it to public consultation this summer.
Nanaimo city staff members, however, did not recommend approving the concept in principle.
Chief administrative officer Tracy Samra said council has not adopted its strategic plan, which lists the Beban Park master plan and redevelopment as a priority.
Samra also said council has committed to engage with the Snuneymuxw First Nation council on community development and land projects within the city and its traditional territory and that has not happened. She said staff want to review core services recommendations around facility management and leasing.
Coun. Ian Thorpe agreed to move ahead on the steps staff members did suggest, including consultation with the public and Snuneymuxw, and said he is excited about moving the project forward in a real and central meeting place.
“To me this is not a win-win situation. This is a win for the VIEX, for the aboriginal association, for the Métis group, it’s a win for the Island Roots Market, it’s a win for the equestrian group, it’s a win for the boys and girls club – it’s a win, win, win, win, win,” he said. “And its a win for the City of Nanaimo and our citizens.”
Coun. Wendy Pratt said when she first saw the master plan with square blocks all over it, she was told it was just an idea and it’s not known what would end up there. She never expected this many groups to put a plan together, which she called beautiful and impressive.
Coun. Jerry Hong supported the concept, but Beban Park is a priority in the strategic plan and he pointed out that hasn’t been approved. The timing couldn’t be worse, he said, adding the city needs public consultation.
He wanted to see any mention of time frames for the public consultation or options scrapped from council motions.
“I can’t support in principle right now because we haven’t accepted our strategic plan, the public hasn’t accepted our plan and this could fall off if we had enough people that do not want to see this,” he said. “I am not going to waste staff time on a project the people don’t want to see.”
He said he was playing devil’s advocate but also wanted to do one thing at a time.
The public open house on the plan is expected this summer. A report on feedback and options for next step is expected to be presented within the next three months.