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Council approves facelift for three blocks of Broadway

Downtown revitalization plans shortened by half to stay within budget
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Residents are excited about the downtown revitalization project and in particular, new garbage receptacles which will now include recycling bins. (Photo: Trisha Shanks)

Downtown Nakusp streets and sidewalks will be receiving a facelift beginning this fall. Council has approved the $976,205 project spanning three blocks of Broadway from 5th Ave NW to 1st Ave NW. Tenders are being prepared currently by the Department of Recreation & Parks with the help of consultants. The goal of the project is “to create an attractive, convenient, and pedestrian-friendly downtown that creates a strong “sense of place” for Nakusp’s downtown core,” according to the slideshow prepared for the final public viewing held April 30.

The Village of Nakusp held an open house April 30 at the arena auditorium for the public to view concept art and details of the options for the downtown revitalization project. Options were depicted using budget to determine how much of the main drag would be included, and which design elements were critical or which could be skipped. A modest version of the available options was chosen by council which will mean operating within the available budget and not taking on any borrowed funds.

At the onset of this opportunity, Recreation & Parks Director Terry Welsh states, “We had an invite meeting for business stakeholders and there were over 30 particpants in that. The second thing we did was held a public open house, and there were over 60 participants involved. We then held an online survey and had just an unreal response- 251 responses to that. Overwhelmingly positive.”

These information gathering sessions provided the consultants with the ideas and the direction of improvements that residents and business owners wanted to see. They were tasked with creating a series of options “which were reflective of Nakusp, our heritage, our culture, arts, and all of those pieces,” said Welsh. An advisory committee was involved and council would have the final say on which of the options was chosen. This was decided in a special council meeting held May 3.

Funding is being provided by a combination of sources including the NACFOR legacy fund, the RDCK and the Gas Tax Fund. Welsh adds, “We want to get the most bang for our buck.”

Resident Linda Dixon is pleased that consideration is being given to recycling, a subject that has bothered her about the current lack of recycling containers in the downtown area, “On long weekends especially I have noticed many recycleable bottles and cans filling up the garbage cans, and most people coming here from bigger centres where they know what to do. Recycling is not a new concept and Nakusp really needs to get behind that, and give income to Community Services [via their Return it Forward recycling program.]”

Co-owner of Spiritwood Cards Baubles and Tunes on 5 Ave, Lynda Tamasi said, “I think it’s good. It should be helpful to the village as a whole to make it an even more attractive place to visit. Things like the sidewalk obviously need improvement and better garbage containers are good for the environment.”

Three blocks will remain unfinished, and the village doesn’t have an answer for when the work there will be done. Elements to be improved in the upgrades include sidewalks, corner curb extensions, lighting, trees, landscaping, memorial benches, litter receptacles and recycling containers.

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Residents are excited about the downtown revitalization project and in particular, new garbage receptacles which will now include recycling bins. (Photo: Trisha Shanks)