Currently the City is running a Nelson Downtown Urban Design Strategy: largely focusing on basic benches and bunting on Baker.
Connecting the superficially quite separate need to repair bits of the Parkade with that strategy is an opportunity of possible major impact on downtown.
Repairs planned to Nelson parkade
"The parkade was identified on our list of facilities as needing repairs," facilities maintenance manager Petert Sinstadt said. "The extent of these repairs, including cost and timeline, is yet to be fully determined."
Nelson Star, May 25, 2016
Clearer is that during repairs over a quarter of the now available parking-slots won't be, and reason would dictate that the work is done during off-season. What with Kevin Cormack, CAO, admitting in the same article that downtown parking is limited. Compounded by evidence that - although car sales as such are down somewhat - in a year-by-year comparison sales of SUVs and bruiser pick-ups are up 18%.
The photo here of the Parkade - with a general faded-grey actually poor-exposure overlay - doesn't anywhere near convey the depressingly gloomy-dingey neglect of the real thing.
While it clearly is here to stay for years to come - this write-up does not mention a general face-lift for the structure, which - while imposing in its naked bulk - is a visual deadzone, particularly in close proximity with the leafy Court House across the green-on-green boulevard, the Hume Hotel of 1898 next door and Touchstones - formerly City Hall and in the same grand manner as the Court House - directly across the street from the Hume.
Few people walk by here. Turning their eyes on the Parkade they will look into the dark at-your-own-risk hole of a frequently unguarded entrance and to its left deep space of more dark.
What with drivers in both directions having to focus into and out of a tricky intersection and the Parkade not demanding visual attention: probably few - definitely not City Hall ever - look at it, are even conscious of it as a unit in context.
While the City owns it - a contractual operator runs it. Meaning - until this current routine assessment of structural viability: It's not my job!
For many who drive downtown to work this is a guaranteed place to park for the work-day, week, month, year. This is the place where they begin their day downtown and end it.
In depressingly gloomy-dingey neglect.
Way to go, day!
For unaccustomed tourists this assault on their sensibilities must be even more disconcerting. First and last impression: Welcome to dinge! Come back soon to dinge!
Worse yet after dark! Can we talk about safe?
BUT!
What with cars clearly not going away and street-parking becoming more and more difficult: international city-planning - for some time now - has been looking at the unavoidable fact of parking-garages needing to be embraced, thus making them creative statements. Always stunning at night. Sometimes turning them into multi-purpose structures where not only to park one's car but spend time shopping, be entertained.
Our Parkade's bland face lends itself easily to a make-over with imaginative physical facade-additions (day) and dramatic lighting (night). As in examples throughout here.
Perfectly located to become the catalyst for substantiating a new district: a grander downtown developing around Vernon/Ward.
A less shop local center - all buildings interconnected with stunning lighting: Parkade > Hume > Touchstones > City Hall > Court House > Parkade. The 2 possibly most substantial buildings in Nelson - across from each other - are visually dead after dark. One the local hub for arts and history - the other the local hub for justice (I know, I know!). The heart of the city - City Hall - doesn't beat after hours: a part-time heart. The plaza in front - supposed to become a meeting-place when? - currently also shuts down after dark. The bear sculpture..... what bear sculpture? The Hume - heritage for days! - has a glimmer of very intense - edgy in contrast - light running around its top in a narrow band. And this works! More would work more!
One wonders how many people - particularly when alone - are scared of entering the Parkade thus don't - even less inclined after dark. A clean, bright even engaging interior would take care of that: make being there welcoming, inviting. As in a fun-option for parking!
The rooftop is used once a year for the Nelson Road Kings' party after the Sep. car show. Why only then?
Special official/private events? Live rooftop music for all of downtown?
With this Design Strategy City Staff once again is running an out-of-town consultant: once again to organize a vision. What we need on Baker is to vigorously hose-down all heritage buildings. Vision that!
More exciting could be the prospect of creating a dramatic Vernon/Ward district.
A place to ooh-and aah!
Bringing locals and tourists downtown after dark!
With plans for Parkade repairs seemingly nowhere near locked-in: while they're at it - this is the time to turn the whole structure into a creative statement. Possibly get the current consultant involved. A confluence of possibilities. To eventually follow with building by above-mentioned building. In lights!
A bold vision!
Will Johnson
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