After some small businesses said the city of Kelowna should play a bigger role in helping local businesses move toward downtown, the city replied that more than $ 100 million was under development.
In addition, the city has paid great attention to the development of the technology sector by working with the Innovation Center, including initiatives such as the Metabridge Festival, revitalization projects, focus groups and, perhaps most importantly, work by the Central Okanagan Development Commission to be carried out. Kelowna makes a significant financial contribution, according to Robert Fine, Director of Business and Entrepreneurial Development.
“(My job) is to make sure that the discussion of topics here has a business perspective,” said Fine.
CONTINUE READING: Shopkeeper Says Kelowna City Is Hurting Small Businesses
The problems small businesses had ranged from construction, parking, chain restaurants, and major downtown events, all of which resulted in small businesses seeing a decline in customers, and therefore revenue.
“There is significant investment the city is making in the downtown area,” said Kelowna City Administrator Doug Gilchrist. “(We have to) maintain the infrastructure well, and we (do) with business in mind.”
A reasonable portion of the stated $ 100 million was spent during the Bernard Avenue revitalization project, which was completed in May 2014. The project lasted 21 months and, if you compare those two years of intense construction to current developments in Kelowna, some city officials would say the end product is worth the current austerity measures.
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During Bernard’s revitalization, Fine said the companies lining the avenue had “amazing entrepreneurs buried themselves in during the intense construction phase,” and noted that he understands that it is difficult for everyone to develop.
“The process (should) have as little impact as possible,” said Fine. “The happy days are over.”
But for Luke Allcock, longtime bartender at Doc Willoughby’s public house, the Bernard Avenue project didn’t do much to improve the restaurant “by adding more problems to the parking problem”.
“I have no examples of the City of Kelowna doing anything to help businesses in any way,” he said.
Danielle Cross, owner of Buvez, was particularly vocal about her dissatisfaction with the city’s attempts to encourage small businesses.
“It smelled awful and it was jackhammer central,” Cross said of the construction in Chapman Parkade. “Why are you doing (construction) in July?”
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Fine couldn’t answer exactly why there is construction going on as it is a multidisciplinary decision, but said it has a lot to do with weather and crew availability.
However, part of the process for the city is to keep up with the pace of development and growth in the region. Fine said the city has implemented a “rationalization system (system) for approving processes” internally, such as: B. Zoning and other municipal trade regulations.
In 2016, the city council approved the Civic Precinct Plan, which was created to “guide the long-term rehabilitation of key locations in the region and set key priorities for public investment in the city center”.
The plan distributed the community for advice on how best to develop the city through community workshops, face-to-face meetings, online tools, and other forms of downtown engagement.
Gilchrist set aside this plan as another example of how the city supports downtown businesses.
“They just don’t understand how something like (construction) can really affect a company,” Cross said. “Especially a company with a margin of three to nine percent.”
CONTINUE READING: Kelowna’s business owner says spitting on the city cost her thousands
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David.venn@kelownacapnews.com
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