The mayor of Kamloops is noting the split in public opinion when it comes to a proposed public market site in Riverside Park.

Ken Christian says while it is not officially a council issue yet, the argument to date has brought back memories of the Riverside Park parkade fight in 2011.

“They have floated the idea about the Riverside Park location and that has really woken up that battle of the past about the parkade,” he said. “It seems to be quite divisive.”

“Certainly, Heritage House users and everyone else that has this notion of a passive park at Riverside Park are really quite opposed to it.”

Christian adds that others are looking at the Riverside Park proposal as an opportunity for commercial and tourist traffic downtown.

He says the city’s downtown plan envisioned a downtown public market in the lot between the Plaza Hotel and the TNRD building, which he thinks would make a lot of sense.