City staff are exploring whether there’s commercial business that could operate just outside Riverside Park which would complement the park.

Councillor Dieter Dudy says this comes after two tourism-related businesses had hoped to open in the park but their proposals weren’t supported by the city’s Parks Engagement Community.

Dudy chairs the city’s Civic Operations Committee, which heard that information on Monday.

“We’re looking at it, and seeing whether or not there’s anything that could be brought forward as a commercial interest that would benefit the park. In other words, would work nicely with it. For instance if it was EV bikes, or it may well be segways. Anything like that, that would not take away from the park itself,” Dudy says.

“I think that if it’s the right type of proposal then we should take a look at it, because if it benefits the park then why not? If staff comes back to us, giving us an indication of what may be able to be used going forward, then we’ll have that discussion then.”

Dudy says a local bylaw says that no one can have a commercial interest in the park.

But he says, for example, businesseses could set up in the parking lot at the Heritage House or on the plaza of the Sandman Centre.