The City is moving forward with well-received plans to upgrade a vital link between Nelson’s downtown and its waterfront. The Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce is hosting a public meeting tomorrow to review preliminary design work for the Hall Street corridor.
Nelson Mayor John Dooley says the Hall Street plan, being undertaken by Kelowna’s MMM Group, is a major goal in the City’s efforts to connect two of Nelson’s most important parts of town — Baker Street and the lake front.
“When we completed the Sustainable Downtown Waterfront Master Plan, one of the main focuses that emerged was to link our two largest draws — the downtown and waterfront,” says Dooley.
“We see the Hall Street overhaul as a catalyst to redevelopment in the central waterfront — to introduce the waterfront to our visitors and add considerable new vitality to the downtown.”
MMM Group spokesman Robert Fershau says that since plans for the Hall Street corridor were made public early last month, feedback has been quite positive.
“Residents are saying they like our suggestions for IODE park, angled parking, the realignment of Nelson and District Community Complex entry, the Baker Street plaza, and the changes suggested for Vernon Street and Baker,” says Fershau.
He adds that there is some concern from neighbourhood business owners over proposed traffic flow of a one-way option down Hall Street between Vernon Street and Lake.
However, Fershau added no final decision has been made in regards to traffic flow at this point in time and that any proposed changes can be tested prior to implementation.
The Hall Street plan has generated considerable banter on line. A Facebook page devoted to the project, facebook.com/pages/Hall-Street-Corridor-Preliminary-Design, has received about 100 visits per day since it launched five weeks ago.
Tomorrow night’s meeting includes a drop-in, where locals can get information and ask questions to City staff and MMM’s consultants, between 5 and 7 p.m. There will be a formal presentation on the recommendations beginning at 7.
The Chamber is encouraging all businesses and property owners downtown to attend, especially those directly linked to the Hall Street corridor.