please get back to me at 604-721-4245

thanks

Dorian

I’m sorry you feel my thoughts and hopes for the area are so self-serving. In fact, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Yes of course if there are condos there, I would love to be involved in the sale, however, I was quite taken back when I learned of the amount of buildings proposed.

When it comes to the height of Downtown New West condos I feel it is rather unfortunate the grade can not be better utilized w/ smaller buildings nearer the river to maintain the sight lines to the water. One major issue here though is the viability of building on this land. It’s extremely costly to pile down through river silt to get your foundation. While if the city wants/hopes a developer may bear any costs on the truck route/train track solution along Front St it appears the developer will need the ability to go up..

One great positive I believe people overlook is the number of immediate consumers any of these developments add to the front door of downtown New West shops. This can not be overlooked! How is it bad for business in any way to add hundreds or thousands of families in a business’s immediate surrounding?

I don’t believe the city should just tear the thing down. I think that would be irresponsible and that merchants who carried cost deserve the input.

I do believe the eventual removal of the parkade as part of a comprehensive plan will in fact help downtown business far more than status-quo..

I’m not a me-me guy and I hope you will get to know that in good time. I want to see New Westminsterites reconnected to the waterfront. Want to see business succeed downtown New West, residents and tourists walking the board walk, shopping, eating.. Is that so bad?

I like what you’re doing with the site/blog. It’s good to see a Realtor educating and giving an opinion rather than just talking about open houses and their listings. I look forward to what you have in store for 2012.

All the best,

Scott

Interesting you mention the bike lanes. I forgot to talk about those. Another missed opportunity for the busineses downtown…

Columbia is right on the Central Valley Greenway. I don’t know how many times I’ve met people from Vancouver or Burnaby who said they rode the CVG and got to New West and couldn’t find anything of interest to them…

There are 10′s of thousands of people riding the CVG every year and I’m sure that almost all of them will stop and spend money in New West if they make the effort to ride from Vancouver and if there’s some place here that catches their fancy… (obviously mostly food when cycling, but a nice, welcoming downtown would encourage them to come back another time to visit).

I also forgot to mention all the people who are moving in to apartments downtown and do not have to drive to patronize the local busineses. I expect that the do not enjoy all the traffic going through Columbia St either…

So although you can’t grow the vehicle traffic downtown, you can grow the transit users, pedestrians, cyclists and residents living down there. Let’s hope we see a shift in focus of our busineses downtown to accomodate and encourage these positive trends.

Would’ve liked to get the notice out sooner so more could be involved there. Received the flyer late Monday last week and got my opinion up as I could..

Definitely with you in the belief that the “perceived loss of parking” is the real fear to downtown merchants today. The unseen value brought to the merchants by the removal of any part of the parkade would far outweigh the loss of actual parking in my mind. Irresponsible it is however, like you say, to either tear it all down or sink more money into the current structure without a comprehensive plan that includes some replacement of the spots that are utilized.

Retail has most definitely changed since the ’60′s. To imagine Columbia as a car based destination is incredibly close minded. How can you possibly squeeze more vehicles in and out of Downtown New West and who would it benefit. The traffic issue is a big one and not one I believe can truly be resolved on a municipal level.

Correct me if I am wrong but the true “hay day” of Downtown New West pre-dates the construction of the parkade. My biggest desire is to see the downtown core reconnected with the river in which it was founded upon. Hope we can work together towards it.

It is very true that people sitting in traffic are inherently frustrated. This is often my answer to many commuters stigma of New West as a whole because much of there time in town is spent frustratingly in traffic. As you suggest it’s also felt by people having to be around it. The traffic issue is much more a regional one though. It would be tough to successfully deal with by altering downtown New West alone without getting in to the UBE, Stewardson Way, Columbia/Braid switch..

You make a very good point about the Metrotown and Granville Stations. It is not at all uncommon to see folks leaving with their goods on the Skytrain. I would also imagine these consumers more likely a visitor to a trendy downtown New West shopping destination where they wouldn’t be leaving with “50″ flat screens” as you say. I would not however overlook the importance of the two, mostly full, massive, underground parking lots at both Metrotown and Pacific Center. In both cases I’d suggest they benefit greatly from the diverse options of arrival which remove any potential hurdles to consumers. With that said we in now way want to see a Metrotown made of downtown New West..

With the completion of the Multi-Use Civic Facility (still unnamed) the walk from New West station will be a lot more pleasant and active. The successful Downtown New West businesses of the future will understand their consumers much better while sharing the long term vision of Downtown New West that many of us have. Your bang on there!

I will enquire about the Downtown BIA completing such a survey. I know they recently completed a survey of merchants regarding this very issue, that of RAP (reverse angle parking), and bike lanes. I believe the results of which will be covered in the New West Newsleader sometime soon.

Thanks for the discussion. Welcome you back anytime for more!