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Downtown Victoria Business Association (DVBA) news and issues


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#601 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 08 November 2024 - 06:50 AM

Given that amount of parking, Bray argues visitors are never more than a couple blocks from their destination.

“We have a mall in downtown. We are a mall. And you can always find parking no farther away from your destination than you would if you went to one of the big suburban malls,” Bray said.

https://www.vicnews....turdays-7634106



I thought Bray already expressed his disdain for national chains? Now he is talking up our downtown mall?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 08 November 2024 - 06:51 AM.


#602 Mike K.

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Posted 08 November 2024 - 07:10 AM

Just a few years ago the retail industry said Amazon wasn’t a threat, because shoppers want the immediacy of buying right then and now.

Today we have the retail industry saying consumers are happy to pay for parking, in desirable retail areas.

Could that be changing, especially in smaller cities like Victoria?

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#603 Barrister

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Posted 08 November 2024 - 07:44 AM

I am confused, why should I go downtown rather than just drive to Uptown? Driving downtown is simply stressful and then paying for parking in order to access exactly what stores? There is only one restaurant that we go in City of Victoria and that is less than once a month. I am not saying that there are not other good restaurants but downtown is simply not pleasant any more for us. Oak Bay or Sidney are just more comfortable. Lots of people I am sure feel differently but I sort of got the message that cars are not welcome. 



#604 Ismo07

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Posted 08 November 2024 - 08:36 AM

Given that amount of parking, Bray argues visitors are never more than a couple blocks from their destination.

“We have a mall in downtown. We are a mall. And you can always find parking no farther away from your destination than you would if you went to one of the big suburban malls,” Bray said.

https://www.vicnews....turdays-7634106



I thought Bray already expressed his disdain for national chains? Now he is talking up our downtown mall?

 

A mall isn't specifically a chain on it's own if that's what you are getting at.  I think the reference is to the stores you might typically see in a mall.  Hillside used to have some local owner/operator shops in there and they specifically booted them in favour of more chains.

 

 

Just a few years ago the retail industry said Amazon wasn’t a threat, because shoppers want the immediacy of buying right then and now.

Today we have the retail industry saying consumers are happy to pay for parking, in desirable retail areas.

Could that be changing, especially in smaller cities like Victoria?

 

Street parking still same, it's still not easy to find parking at times.  Short term parking still same in parkades.  Long-term/commuter as dwindled due to WFH.  Just repeating I guess but people are still downtown.  I do not think as much (overall) as in 2019, it's difficult with our reporting systems to measure without a ton of work because we changed to 8am to 8pm.

 

It's not that people are "happy" to pay necessarily (who wants to pay for anything), but most tend to pay for the service.  Historically rate changes have not affected much, maybe early there is a dip but within a few months it's usually back to normal.

 

 

I am confused, why should I go downtown rather than just drive to Uptown? Driving downtown is simply stressful and then paying for parking in order to access exactly what stores? There is only one restaurant that we go in City of Victoria and that is less than once a month. I am not saying that there are not other good restaurants but downtown is simply not pleasant any more for us. Oak Bay or Sidney are just more comfortable. Lots of people I am sure feel differently but I sort of got the message that cars are not welcome. 

 

You are 100% able to avoid downtown and go other places if you feel the products and services are the same and more comfortable.  If it isn't pleasant for you why would you come downtown.  There should be no confusion, has someone told you, you have to come downtown?



#605 Mike K.

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Posted 08 November 2024 - 08:44 AM

I wonder what the feedback will be after the two upcoming free parking Saturdays. If retailers say it boosted sales and there was more activity in their stores, would that change how council views paid parking on weekends?

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#606 Ismo07

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Posted 08 November 2024 - 09:00 AM

I wonder what the feedback will be after the two upcoming free parking Saturdays. If retailers say it boosted sales and there was more activity in their stores, would that change how council views paid parking on weekends?

 

Last year, at least, the DVBA did speak to it being a positive marketing endeavour.  I do not recall full parkades but we will have the ambassadors checking them out.  Now without gates, they may need to limit entry so not too many circle around.  It'll be interesting.  Come downtown and we can check out the mayhem together.



#607 lanforod

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Posted 08 November 2024 - 09:07 AM

He won't have a place to park :P



#608 Mike K.

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Posted 08 November 2024 - 09:10 AM

I don’t want to get stuck behind a protest.

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#609 Ismo07

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Posted 08 November 2024 - 09:11 AM

He won't have a place to park :P

 

I know where the spots are :)



#610 Barrister

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Posted 08 November 2024 - 10:03 PM

Ismo, glad to hear that you think that people really dont need to come downtown. Here I was thinking that there was a law requiring me to spend money in downtown. 



#611 Ismo07

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Posted 12 November 2024 - 11:53 AM

Ismo, glad to hear that you think that people really dont need to come downtown. Here I was thinking that there was a law requiring me to spend money in downtown. 

 

I thought you thought that to the way you phrased it, so just assuring you. :)



#612 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 26 January 2025 - 04:19 AM

Municipally, couldn’t Victoria’s political and civic leadership foresee the risk of downtown decline triggered by fraying storefront and office economies — provincial employees working from home, Uptown, Amazon — capable of inflicting significant economic and social damage on the city centre?

 

How much would it have taken to anticipate such threatening what-ifs and design strategic responses (tremendous, comprehensive downtown beautification, arts and cultural intensification, education and community development training facilities, etc.).

 

I’d like to speculate about why this didn’t happen. I think it starts with civic culture. I believe it has been the city’s reflex to seek to manage rather than to encourage innovation and practise active partnership. Instead, the city’s first response to citizen-driven initiatives is “where’s the accountability?”

 

This is a bureaucrat’s sensibility. This is a city filled with ’em.

 

I try to imagine a strong city. It would be a Victoria that invited initiative at the community and citizen level. A city that figured out how to speed up its internal decision-making and approval processes — in other words, how to say “yes” real quick. Social process in most places is now moving at light speed.

 

All of this is step one in the development of vital communities in which people join to achieve social, cultural and public realm objectives.

 

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...-south-10114366



#613 Mike K.

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Posted 26 January 2025 - 08:19 AM

There are no repercussions for a suffering economy for bureaucrats. And no ROI expectations for municipal decisions and investments.

That is why.

Also, give business owners the vote already. You will never have strong policy at the municipal level if non-resident business operators cannot help steer the politics. We are learning this the hard way.

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#614 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 26 January 2025 - 08:51 AM

We also have a lack of business leadership.

Quick, name the big business leaders in town that get things done?

Not the hockey team owner, we never hear from him.

Not the big hotel owners.

No retailers of note.

Big pub or restaurant owners? They don’t speak up.

Downtown government unions or management? No.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 26 January 2025 - 08:54 AM.


#615 UDeMan

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Posted 26 January 2025 - 09:22 AM

If business owners speak up, they get bombed with negative reviews on social media by the supporters of the council members.

#616 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 26 January 2025 - 09:23 AM

True.

#617 spanky123

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Posted 26 January 2025 - 10:14 AM

If business owners speak up, they get bombed with negative reviews on social media by the supporters of the council members.


True but with the larger businesses VV refers to have a different strategy that works.

Each one of the groups VV refers to regularly complains to all levels of Government. The difference though is that they don't go public. In return, there is some 'quid pro quo' that keeps everyone happy and focused on the next issue.

Edited by spanky123, 26 January 2025 - 10:21 AM.


#618 Matt R.

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Posted 26 January 2025 - 11:41 AM

Most of these groups have lobbyists on their side, they don’t need to stick their necks out as much.

#619 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 27 January 2025 - 09:48 PM

Victoria’s suburban retail market flourished in 2024, buoyed by low mall vacancy rates and new tenants, while the city’s downtown core faced ongoing struggles, according to a new survey.

 

CBRE, an international commercial real estate services and investment firm, released its 2024 Retail Rent Survey Monday, which looks at retail trends and rents for 11 major Canadian markets, including Victoria.

 

The survey found that while retail across Canada achieved notable success last year with record-low vacancy rates, downtown Victoria has faced increased turnover due in part to social challenges, reduced foot traffic and rising rents.

 

“The continual urban decay in the downtown core caused by social issues, low foot traffic and rent hikes on renewal have led to increased retail turnover,” the CBRE report said of Victoria.

 

It added that high build costs are compressing rents for larger retail spaces downtown.

 

 

https://cheknews.ca/...report-1235909/


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 January 2025 - 09:48 PM.


 



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