1201 replies to this topic

[jonny]

Even ignoring e-commerce, downtown has to compete with all the big box stores, uptown mall, and other competitive forces to succeed... this is a problem across many cities in North America.

 

It reminds me of Vancouver chinatown that, despite the growth of the asian population, is now having to compete with chinese malls in Richmond and Coquitlam and T&T supermarkets. The future looks bright for the community as a whole, but the idea of a centralized destination starts to get undermined when it's ubiquitous and its purpose seems in question. By the same token, central business districts and downtowns have to find their purpose as well and to give people reasons to spend their weekends and evenings there.

 

Yes. To add to that – overall demand for retail spaces in the region has declined or remained flat at best and we have been adding spaces like crazy (Atrium, Juliet, Hudson, Hudson Mews, Era, Sovereign, Mondrian, 947 Fort, Argus, the Falls, Aria…).

 

We’ve probably added 50+ retails spaces downtown since 2009.

 

Government Street could be a really fantastic shopping district. An organized body whose mandate it was to work with retailers and landowners to get stores like H&M, Banana Republic, Aritzia and Plenty to choose downtown instead of Uptown or Mayfair would have been fantastic.

 

Victoria Chamber of Commerce? DVBA? Where were they? Huge missed opportunity, IMO.

[VicHockeyFan]

I'm partly with you on this one. I do think that the city has a role to play in building infrastructure that is attractive to business. When you have healthy businesses, you have a healthier economy that offsets the investment the city will have made in building out the sidewalks on Government Street. But the way the city goes about things I have little faith that the investment will come back full-circle. As long as by-law officers are measuring patios to the centimeter and ticketing businesses for not having renewed their sandwich board fee, I don't see how that will flourish into positive atmosphere for businesses.

To be fair, from what I see, most sandwich boards are still unlicensed.

[dasmo]

John Vickers is bringing a closure proposal to the City this week.

He can use my illustration ;-)

[dasmo]

John Vickers‏@Johnfvickers

Look for update on Government Street pedestrian mall efforts on this evenings @CTVNewsVI #community

Edited by dasmo, 27 January 2015 - 04:24 PM.

[sebberry]

I hope he has a plan to draw people to a road with empty storefronts

[gumgum]

We need ten times the population downtown. No more retail ground floor. You need a lot of people to support just one business.

[D.L.]

How many Government St. shopping district threads are we going to have?

[sebberry]

How many Government St. shopping district threads are we going to have?

 

Just one, I've moved the posts to this one

[dasmo]

Intersting bit of history with John Vickers and this subject

 

http://www.canada.co...d0-9f5458f03ca8

[Rob Randall]

Here is a 2009 statement from the DVBA:

 

DVBA Bulletin: A Response to Suggested Government Street Closure

A group called the Citizens for the Government Street Pedestrian Mall reportedly wants to close Government Street, from Humboldt to Yates, to create “a vibrant downtown core that fosters arts and entertainment”. From news reports, the group wants to have the street closed throughout the year, but as a minimum, to have it closed during the “tourist-heavy months of May to September”.

In 2007, the DVBA conducted a survey amongst the business and property owners on Government to assess the level of support for closing the street on a regular basis at certain times on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the tourist season. There was a 50-50 split in response to this question. Given that there has not been any fundamental change in the make-up of Government Street, it is unlikely that the position of business and property owners has changed. In light of this, the DVBA encourages the Citizens for the Government Street Pedestrian Mall to develop some special events on the street which will support the arts and add to the entertainment value of downtown, but not involve the permanent or extended closure of the street. The DVBA is fully supportive of closing the street for special occasions and most willing to work with others to create events to reinforce its appeal. We are not supportive of closing the street on a permanent or on an extended basis. 

At present, there is a reasonable volume of vehicular traffic on Government Street and it moves at a low speed. With the street being open to traffic, drivers and their passengers are exposed to the wonderful array of businesses that they may wish to support. Pedestrian malls in Canada have generally had a poor record of success and lack of exposure to vehicular traffic is one of the reasons for their failure. The Government Street sidewalks were designed to accommodate higher flows of pedestrian traffic and at present, the DVBA believes the sidewalks can handle that demand without taking away from the enjoyment of the street. If the streets are closed and nothing is programmed as entertainment to occupy the centre of the street, there will be a detrimental, vacant image created for visitors to our city, not a positive one. 

If there are any changes that the DVBA would like to see on Government, it is to extend the “pedestrian design” north from Yates Street to Chinatown and the CRD Plaza at Fisgard. The DVBA and City have partnered on a number of initiatives over the past four years and it is certainly possible for the DVBA Board to decide to contribute some funds toward this type of initiative. 

March 30, 2009

Kenneth Kelly

General Manager

[Bingo]

Thanks Rob, I doubt much has changed.

In part...
In 2007, the DVBA conducted a survey amongst the business and property owners on Government to assess the level of support for closing the  create events to reinforce .  

At present, there is a reasonable volume of vehicular traffic on Government Street and it moves at a low speed. With the street being open to traffic, drivers and their passengers are exposed to the wonderful array of businesses that they may wish to support. Pedestrian malls in Canada have generally had a poor record of success and lack of exposure to vehicular traffic is one of the reasons for their failure. The Government Street sidewalks were designed to accommodate higher flows of pedestrian traffic and at present, the DVBA believes the sidewalks can handle that demand without taking away from the enjoyment of the street. If the streets are closed and nothing is programmed as entertainment to occupy the centre of the street, there will be a detrimental, vacant image created for visitors to our city, not a positive one. 

March 30, 2009
Kenneth Kelly
General Manager

 

[dasmo]

Excep seven empty store fronts and counting...

[Mike K.]

Which has all to do with the street being in the top five most expensive retail streets in the entire country. At those rates most businesses that don't own their premises or aren't corporate chains (benefiting from marketing and creating a draw) have a tough time surviving. Look at the newest entrants to the street, Burger King and 7/11. The new clothier, x Prototype or something, won't last long.

The only reason Garrick's and Churchill are around is they're owned by the hotel. Irish Times and Bard pay exorbitant leases but they stay in business due to their novelty and massive tourist draw. Remove the cruise ships and those businesses would fail.

[G-Man]

The Bard and Banker building is owned by Matt MacNeill so no lease not sure about Irish Times.

[Mike K.]

It is? Well then there we go. I know for a fact Irish Times leases it's space, though.

[dasmo]

More importantly We have the proven success of the busking festival and the chalk art festival.

I am curious what that letter would read like now 6 years later?

[lanforod]

More importantly We have the proven success of the busking festival and the chalk art festival.

I am curious what that letter would read like now 6 years later?

 

I actually do want to see some form of closure, at least in summer. However, it seems like you're proposing constant events? How is that in any way sustainable? We already close the street for special events.

[VicHockeyFan]

The Bard and Banker building is owned by Matt MacNeill so no lease not sure about Irish Times.

Correct. The Irish Times lease is $60k per month.

[dasmo]

Never proposed constant events.
The thing with that letter is that it is like that on Victoria... Those that are against have the loudest voices. This thread is a perfect example. Only 4 against and 32 for yet it's just me holding down the fort....

[dasmo]

In fact the best approach to this would be flexibility. Starting during the summer is definitly the way to do this.